Even after more than 15 years, Sick of It All's Life on the Ropes finds the band as heavy, fast, and fun as ever while still allowing plenty of room for some thoughtful lyrics.
Throughout the entire length of the album, the band keeps switching back and forth between circle-pit anthems and singalong youth crew tunes.
Thus, the band sounds like a good cross of old- and new-school hardcore mixed with good old punk rock.
Street-tough vocals from Lou Koller spout out lyrics that seem to be predominately about philosophy and self-reflection, which may seem out of place among much of the hardcore scene, but Sick of It All makes it work and in an intelligent, respectable manner.
Sixteen songs seems the perfect length, as the tunes are all pretty quick-paced and upbeat, and thus the album seems over before you know it.
In the end, if nothing else, Sick of It All show that age and experience can help make a better hardcore album.
Life on the Ropes is a fine album for both first-time listeners and fans alike.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RelentlessSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:24 | 5 MB | 17 MB |
| 2 | The Land IncreasesSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 01:38 | 3 MB | 11 MB |
| 3 | Paper Tiger (Fakin' the Punk)Sick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:08 | 4 MB | 15 MB |
| 4 | The InnocentSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:51 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 5 | SilenceSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:38 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 6 | For NowSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:45 | 6 MB | 20 MB |
| 7 | View from the SurfaceSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:32 | 5 MB | 18 MB |
| 8 | Going All OutSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:30 | 5 MB | 18 MB |
| 9 | RewindSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:21 | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| 10 | Butting HeadsSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:46 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 11 | Take ControlSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:17 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 12 | Kept in CheckSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:42 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 13 | On the BrinkSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 02:26 | 5 MB | 17 MB |
| 14 | TrenchesSick of It All | Sick of It All | Play | 03:33 | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| 15 | Shit Sandwich | Sick Of It All | Play | 01:04 | 2 MB | 7 MB |
| 36 mins | 84 MB | |||||
| 36 mins | 258 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Archer | Layout Design |
| 2 | Dean Baltulonis | Engineer, Producer |
| 3 | Mike Dijan | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 4 | Brian Franklin | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 5 | Joe Garambone | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 6 | Kate Giegerich | Photography |
| 7 | Gene Grimaldi | Mastering |
| 8 | Matt Henderson | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 9 | John Joseph | Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 10 | Lou Koller | Vocals |
| 11 | Mei Ling Koller | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 12 | Peter Koller | Guitar, Vocals |
| 13 | Armand Majidi | Drums, Vocals |
| 14 | B.J. Papas | Photography |
| 15 | Mike Pappa | Artwork |
| 16 | Craig Setari | Bass, Vocals |
| 17 | Sick of It All | Composer, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 18 | Bob Strakele | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 19 | Dave Vision | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| 20 | Kevin White | Guest Artist, Vocals |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |