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!
The Blood & The Sweat
Sick of It All Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I do what I can to fade away
{the bullet has passed it's got our state}
it helps our pride
{all the merry, it hasn't last, for disillusions}
Scratch in the dirt,
trying to find, a glorious time
when there was strengh
what has it come to
why does it happen to
leave me cold,
and broken inside and wanting to quit
{Suck up to them}, we shouldn't go down
we're down in the gutter
playing the game, something remains
we've already won, and we become slaves
No tears, from my eyes
Just strengh, from my pride
No tears, from my eyes
Blood, sweat, 'till I die
No tears, from my eyes
Just strengh, from my pride
No tears, from my eyes
Blood, sweat, 'till I die
The lyrics of the song “The Blood & The Sweat” by Sick Of It All reflect the struggles and hardships that the singer has gone through in everyday life. The song highlights the pain and suffering that they've experienced but emphasizes the importance of strength and pride to help them get through tough times. The singer points out that they have encountered disappointments and disillusions, but they are still fighting for a better life. In the line, “Scratch in the dirt, trying to find, a glorious time when there was strength,” the singer reflects on a time in the past where there was more power and strength in society.
The lyrics express frustration with the current state of affairs and the realization that they are down in the gutter, playing a game where the deck is stacked against them. Despite this realization, they remain hopeful, knowing that something remains and that they've already won. The song talks about pride and inner strength with the lines, “No tears from my eyes, just strength from my pride,” and “Blood, sweat till I die.” These lyrics demonstrate the importance of resilience and not giving up, even when times are tough. In short, "The Blood & The Sweat" is a song about fighting through life's difficulties to ultimately come out on top.
Line by Line Meaning
Struggling through the hardships everyday
Everyday is a struggle and it is difficult to overcome the hardships.
I do what I can to fade away
Doing everything possible to ignore what is happening and moving on.
{the bullet has passed it's got our state}
Something bad has occurred in the past which has affected the lives of everyone in the state.
it helps our pride
The situation may be bad, but we are proud to have survived it.
{all the merry, it hasn't last, for disillusions}
The happy times we once had were short-lived and now we face disillusionment.
Scratch in the dirt, trying to find, a glorious time when there was strengh
We try to remember a time when things were better and there was strength to overcome the challenges.
Hard is my will, so we can take what has it come to
Our willpower is strong and we can face any challenges that come our way.
why does it happen to leave me cold, and broken inside and wanting to quit
The difficulty of the situation causes us to feel broken and wanting to give up.
{Suck up to them}, we shouldn't go down we're down in the gutter playing the game, something remains we've already won, and we become slaves
We shouldn't compromise our values to please others even if we are in a bad position because we have already won by not giving up our values.
No tears, from my eyes Just strengh, from my pride
We may not cry, but our pride and willpower keep us going.
Blood, sweat, 'till I die No tears, from my eyes Just strengh, from my pride
We are willing to fight until the end, with no tears but only strength from our pride and willpower.
Contributed by Sarah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.