Doubtlessly the band’s hardest hitting effort to date, 'Based On A True Story' easily meets the high quality of its predecessor and offers tons of soon-to-be-classic hardcore hymns like 'Dominated', 'Long As She’s Standing', 'The Divide' and 'Lowest Common Denominator. It features the most catchy and powerful material the band has ever written. It’s astonishing to see the band still boiling with rage at a world gone wrong and successfully transforming this natural and honest aggressiveness into hardcore hits. Two decades of experience as skilful songwriters, endless touring, plus an undying hardcore spirit make SICK OF IT ALL anno 2010 sound stronger and more determined than ever. 'Based On A True Story' is undeniable proof that the quartet is simply unstoppable and unrivalled within the hardcore scene in terms of quality and sheer impact.
Formed during 1986 in Queens, the band released their first self-titled EP on Revelation Records and began to accumulate a strong local following by playing famous clubs like CBGBs ('A Month Of Sundays' actually pays tribute to these glorious days at this legendary venue). Soon after, the band released their first full-length record 'Blood Sweat And No Tears' on In-Effect Records. Often revolving around politics, social injustices and life on the streets of New York, the band wore their heart on their sleeve and made no apologies, often including threads of positivity. When their second album 'Just Look Around' was released in 1992, it was a benchmark for the band and the New York hardcore scene, and kicked off their globe-trotting expansion with tours in Europe, South America and Japan. They released their breakthrough album 'Scratch The Surface' in 1994 on Atlantic, followed by the seminal album 'Built To Last' in 1997. After releasing three albums on Fat Wreck Chords, as well as a live album and a collection of rarities, the band took on the challenge to push themselves further. 'Death To Tyrants' was the band’s first cooperation with Century Media and was mixed by renowned metal producer Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Heaven Shall Burn, Dark Tranquillity,) adding a refreshingly heavy edge to the band’s trademark NYHC sound. 'Death To Tyrants' was extremely well received by media and fans alike and followed up with three years of relentless touring.
The new album was also recorded with Tue Madsen, this time at Starstruck Studios in Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark, resulting in a massive metallic heaviness which increases the punch and drive of the new opus. Craig Ahead (bass) comments: “The end result of our three and a half weeks in the studio is something that we are all very proud of. An album that is pure SICK OF IT ALL and will stand up against any of our previous work and I believe raises the bar to a new standard. I hope you enjoy our offerings. We look forward to its release so we can again stomp the world. See you on tour!“ To walk the talk, the band plays a European tour with Dropkick Murphys in January/February 2010, followed by a UK run with AFI in April. More festival shows and touring activities are in the works.
'Based On A True Story' is another sonic statement that SICK OF IT ALL are an institution of hardcore. Their longevity and conviction has kept the band’s reputation untarnished and legendary. As Metal Hammer (UK) puts it: “SICK OF IT ALL – despite their ever-increasing age and fierce competition – are still the finest spokesmen for hardcore’s social conscience and values”, and this new release will allow them to maintain this leading position for many years to come!
Ruin
Sick of It All Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the sound of a drawn out tragedy
The result of centuries of neglect.
With no attention paid to cause and effect
And the pain gets worse and the screams ensue.
It's the world living with a parasite
It's the world living with it's own infectious disease.
Ruin is what you get
Ruin is what you worked towards every single day.
The infestation reaches far beyond it's means.
The sapping of the strength has muffled all the screams.
Self centered beings play out self centered lives.
Indifferent creatures living in indifferent times
And the blame is passed round when the death throws sound
It's the world living with a parasite
It's the world living with it's own infectious disease.
Ruin is what you wanted
Ruin is what you get
Ruin is what you worked towards every single day.
Ruin is what you wanted
Ruin is what you get
Ruin is what you worked towards every single day.
Ruin, ruin, ruin, ruin
The song "Ruin" by Sick of It All is a scathing commentary on the state of the world and how humanity's actions have led to its own destruction. The opening lines suggest that the world itself is moaning in pain, a result of centuries of neglect and a lack of attention paid to cause and effect. As the pain intensifies, the world is revealed to be living with a parasite - a metaphor for humanity - that is eating away at it like an infectious disease. This parasite is personified as a self-centered being that only cares about itself and its own interests, rather than the collective good of all life. The blame for this destruction is passed around, with no one taking responsibility as the death throes sound.
The chorus of the song, "Ruin is what you wanted, ruin is what you get," is a harsh indictment of humanity's actions. The repetition of the word "ruin" reinforces the message that humanity has brought about its own downfall by working towards destruction every single day. The song suggests that it is not too late to change course and avoid complete ruin, but it will require a fundamental shift in priorities and an acknowledgement of the interdependence of all life on the planet.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a moaning I hear when I try to sleep.
The singer hears a constant reminder of the world's suffering that keeps them from rest.
It's the sound of a drawn out tragedy
The moaning carries the weight of generations of suffering that has never been fully recognized or addressed.
The result of centuries of neglect.
The suffering has accumulated over centuries due to lack of action and awareness.
With no attention paid to cause and effect
The world has failed to recognize the ways in which individual actions have a larger impact on the world as a whole.
And the pain gets worse and the screams ensue.
As the problem goes unaddressed, it only grows and more people suffer without a voice.
It's the world living with a parasite
The cause of the suffering is a destructive force that feeds off of the world's resources without giving anything back.
It's the world living with it's own infectious disease.
The problem is widespread and affects every aspect of society, with no clear cure in sight.
Ruin is what you wanted
The very actions that have caused the world's suffering were taken with the intent to gain something, even at the expense of others.
Ruin is what you get
The consequence of such actions is ultimately the downfall of everything, without any winners in the end.
Ruin is what you worked towards every single day.
The pursuit of power and material gain has blinded people to the consequences and robbed them of any sense of compassion or empathy.
The infestation reaches far beyond it's means.
The destructive force has overreached and caused more harm than it's capable of sustaining.
The sapping of the strength has muffled all the screams.
The continuous drain on resources and spirit has made it difficult for society to protest or resist.
Self centered beings play out self centered lives.
Individuals are too focused on their own needs and desires to see the big picture or understand their role in the world.
Indifferent creatures living in indifferent times
People are unresponsive to the suffering of others, even though it affects everyone on a fundamental level.
And the blame is passed round when the death throws sound
When the world begins to collapse, people will start pointing fingers and avoiding responsibility for their actions.
Ruin, ruin, ruin, ruin
The repetition of the word reinforces the inevitability of the downfall and the lack of any hope for redemption.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ford Diem
God this video was awesome. This song brings back lots of good memories. All these years later, I'm still waiting for the rain to come :)
Jam
sorry 9 year old comment guy :( reign machine broke
Filo
man this its so relevant and so underrated
Josef K.
This is one of the best music videos ever made! I remember seeing this in high school and it blew my mind. Still holds up
summerrr1
This used to be on MTV2 all the time back in the early 2000s. Love it.
Stem Artin
Yeah man I remember moshing in my mams living room to this
Urik187
when MTV still showed music.
Scrambles the Death Dealer
Dude, I've been looking for this song again for several years!
Grew up loving it!
Scrambles the Death Dealer
I love this song/video.
I couldn't remember the name of the song for many years! 😔 Got it a few years ago again!
Herman Guzman
I watch this band live at the White Rabbit in San Antonio Texas with my son, they didn't perform this song but the concert was awesome and we got to meet them after the show.