REVIEW: Inner Vision by Sick Of It All

Sick Of It All have been going since 1986, sprouting from Queens, New York; playing their first set of shows in well-known club CBGB’s, they are now one of the biggest New York hardcore bands. Whether you’re a newcomer to hardcore or a golden oldie, you will know the name Sick Of It All. The band received commercial success in the early 90s onwards, being signed to label Fat Wreck Labels and over time have released a total of eleven studio albums. The latest move for Sick Of It All is their new album “Wake The Sleeping Dragon!” which is due to be released later on this year. But first, they have released their new single 'Inner Vision'.

I decided to review this track due to the fact I love Sick Of It All and their straight-up New York hardcore sound. I also loved 'The Last Act Of Defiance'; it's bouncy, flows well and just a simple record which has a nostalgic feel to it and makes me feel as though I was in the scene at that time. In a way, I struggled to get this feeling from 'Inner Vision'- a small part of it didn’t feel like a Sick Of It All record to me. I felt as though they were forcing their sound to be something new and different which didn't sound natural. Maybe it was the spooky build up at the start or the unusual lyric video that put me off (not relevant to the song but you get the idea.) Not to mention, the corny and cheesy "Woah oh-oh" section... It was a chaotic and repetitive one minute and fifty-four seconds- average at best.

Overall, it's not a bad song by any means- it's just not amazing. Despite this, it’s the first single from an upcoming album and I still have a whole album to listen to- maybe the album will be filled with much songs than this. I will have to wait to find out!

By Sam Hennerley