Live Licoln, Nebraska 11/27/1994. Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band, from Queens, New York, formed in 1986. Founded by brothers Lou Koller (vocals) and Pete Koller (guitar), Armand Majidi (drums) and Rich Cipriano (bass). They have been known to be a major part of the New York hardcore scene. The band was formed during the era of the major hardcore decline, when many pioneering hardcore bands including Black Flag and Minor Threat disbanded. Sick of It All are now one of the most popular hardcore bands to date. Sick of It All released their record Scratch the Surface on major label EastWest Records. They also recorded a video for "Step Down" and the title track "Scratch The Surface". The record was the first recorded with long-time friend and former Straight Ahead, Rest In Pieces, Youth of Today and Agnostic Front bass player Craig Setari, who had replaced Rich Cipriano in early 1993.
The band received bad publicity in December 1992 when Wayne Lo, a prep-college student, shot and killed two people and wounded four others at the Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Widely-circulated photos of him at his arrest showed him wearing a Sick of It All t-shirt. After being inundated with claims that they initiated violence at shows and through their music, the band defended themselves in the press (particularly The New York Times).
The fair success of Scratch the Surface allowed the band to tour worldwide. In 1997 they released their second record on the EastWest label, Built to Last. More punk-inspired than their previous effort, Built to Last produced a number of live staples for the band, including "Us vs. Them," "Busted" and "Good Lookin' Out." The album also marked the end of Sick of It All's contractual agreement with EastWest.
