H20

The princes of melodic East Coast hardcore ¾ Sick of it All being the kings ¾ go where others have dared tread with little success for their fourth album. Leaving the artistically unassuming confines of Epitaph Records, the NYC quintet jumps to a major label to try and break through where SOIA, CIV, Helmet and Quicksand all failed. Their chances of success are favourable, given the current appetite for heavy music, and the fact that this album is actually quite good. It's faithful enough to their roots, yet accessible enough to appease the suits at their new label. The mean streets wisdom of the lyrics remains the same, as does the hardcore bounce of the music. The question now is will they still be around if the major label deal falls through? Let's hope so.