Sick Of It All is a New York hardcore band formed by brothers Lou (vocals) and Pete Koller ( guitar), Armand Majidi ( drums) and Rich Cipriano ( bass) in 1986. They are one of the most influential and long-lasting Hardcore bands of all time.
Hailing from the borough of Queens in New York City, Sick Of It All was formed alongside New York Hardcore bands Straight Ahead, and Rest In Pieces which both featured Majidi and current Sick Of It All bass player Craig Setari. Majidi joined forces with the Koller brothers and Rich Cipriano to record the Sick Of It All demo in 1986, after original bassist Mark McNielly and drummer David Lamb didn't find their musical footing. The band began to play Sunday afternoon matinees at renowned Hardcore venue CBGB's, occasionally sharing the bill with Straight Ahead or Rest In Pieces, and soon after released a self-titled 7" on Revelation Records (which was later re-issued on the tenth anniversary of its release, in 1997).
The band released their first full-length, Blood, Sweat And No Tears on Relativity Records in 1989, which rapidly became an underground classic. Their follow-up, the legendary Just Look Around released in 1992, confirmed the band as the flag-bearer for a new era of Hardcore. It also heralded European and Japanese tours, a significant line-up change and the chance to sign for a major record label.
Amidst cries of 'sell-out' from fickle fans and under pressure from misguided music executives to rival the success of bands like Rancid and The Offspring, Sick Of It All released their heaviest record to date on major label EastWest Records, in the form of 1994's Scratch The Surface. The record was a brutal response to those who assumed the band would create a more radio-friendly sound, as the band took aim at rule-makers, rapists and Hardcore reality. They even found time to record the hilarious "Step Down" video - a biting parody of Hardcore dancing that showcases the band's oft-overlooked sense of humour. The record was also the first recorded with long-time friend and former Straight Ahead, Rest In Pieces, Youth of Today and Agnostic Front bassist Craig Setari, who had replaced Rich Cipriano in early 1993.