Doing this review has really been playing on my mind since first hearing this album, because I really am struggling to come up with enough superlatives to do it justice. Quite simply this is one of the most fucking brilliant albums I have had the pleasure of hearing...ever.

Having released the superb 'Death To Tyrants' album in 2006, Sick Of It All have spent the last few years continuously touring that album around the world, writing as they went, with the end result being an album truly fitting of a band that recently celebrated their 25^th anniversary.

Recorded with Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Heaven Shall Burn, Dark Tranquility) at Starstruck Studios in Denmark, the production and sound of this album is amazing. I mean how do you produce 15 songs without a duffer among them? The band sound on absolutely top form, turning out performances most band could only dream of. Veterans they may be but I'll be fucked if anyone can match them, especially Armand Majidi whose drumming if quite fucking incredible.

As I said every song is a stormer. From the opening blast of 'Death Or Jail' through to final track 'Dirty Money' there's no danger of skipping any of these beauties. There's speed, aggression, groove, singalong choruses, gang chants...well there's everything. I just can't stop fucking grinning every time I listen to this album, the goosebumps take about an hour to subside and there's a serious chance of me stage-diving off the furniture. There really are some truly great songs on here. 'Good Cop' is good-time NYHC, 'Lowest Common Denominator' is absolutely pummelling, and 'Watch The Burn' is amazing, leading off Pete Koller's riffing it flies off the rails at breakneck speed. 'Bent Outta Shape' is probably the best of the bunch here though; chunky guitar, incredible pace, Lou hollering like a pissed-off pitbull. Like I said, there aren't enough superlatives or suitable words in my retarded vocabulary to do the whole thing justice.

If you like punk, metal or hardcore you'll love this. Having had the pleasure of reviewing the new Cancer Bats album right before I got this, I thought that would take some beating but this is just another level altogether. 'Scratch The Surface' might have been SOIA's career defining album but I've got a sneaky suspicion this might just usurp it. Pete, Lou, Craig, Armand take a bow. You've made this old fart very, very happy indeed.

http://www.myspace.com/sickofitallny