Why bother?
We all know SOIA is one of the best and most influential HC/Punk bands of modern times. Why bother with a tribute? Most of the bands butcher the songs and this is a poor intorduction to the band for anyone new to the band's material. I don't see the point w/ tribute CDs... only a few ever have been even 1/2 decent... like the 1st NATIVITY IN BLACK SABBATH TRIBUTE, that was great because you got to hear modern versions of those songs. The kind of music SOIA was playing back then is still relevant today, there is no real room to improve on any of their original songs/ideas because that genre of music really has had nowhere to go but down since. Some of the bands gave it the college try.. but most fail. Buy every SOIA album up to and including BUILT TO LAST and you'll be all set.

Why Bother?
An utterly pointless and ultimately silly project, this CD of Sick of it All classics is a thing doomed to failure. Why anyone would want to buy this CD and not buy the actual SOIA CD's is beyond me. Only completists or fans of the bands on offer would be mildly interested, but I feel that actual execution of the material will leave a lot of people underwhelmed...unlike the original material from the original band which still maintains it's solid and driving force. None of the bands' efforts here remotely comes close to the Sick of it all versions and some efforst are particularly weak.

Simply put, buy the originals.

Tributes are fun!
As a tribute I give it 4/5 stars, but as an overall album it rates lower. This tribute has a good line up of bands. I can't stand when tribute albums have bands that are totally irrelevant to the band being attributed. If it was a hardcore band, I expect to see hardcore bands on the tribute. There are so I am happy. Tributes rate higher for me because they make me more happy and create nostalgia in me.

The main criteria I looked at was how the songs were done and how close to the original the new version are. I then look see how I feel when listening to song. What has the band done different from the original and do I like it. I also look at how similar the song is to the bands own style. This will help to know if its just not a good song for the band and I will write it off as that.

This is the order I would rate the songs of how I liked them;
1. Sepultura - Scratch The Surface, 2. Hatebreed - Rat Pack, 3. No Redeeming Social Value - World Full Of Hate, 4. Madball - Give Respect, 5. Napalm Death - Who Sets The Rules, 6. Suicide Machines - Goatless, 7. Pennywise - My Life, 8. Rise Against - Built To Last, 9. Bouncing Souls - Good Lookin' Out, 10. Comeback Kid - Step Down, 11. Himsa - Maladjusted, 12. Walls Of Jericho - Us Vs Them, 13. Stretch Arm Strong - Busted, 14. Unearth - Clobberin' Time, 15. Bane - We Stand Alone, 16. Bleeding through - We Want The Truth, 17. Kill Your Idols - Friends Like You, 18. First Blood - Just Look Around, 19. Most Precious Blood - Alone, 20. Ignite - Cease Fire

All songs deserve a listening but it just gets really disappointing after Banes cover. If you don't like the band and there style normally, than you probably will not like there take of the songs. MPB's and Ignite's songs are the only ones I cannot stand to listen to. Tributes are fun but I'll stick with the originals.

Should have let them stand alone...
Maybe it was an impossible task to cover SOIA's music...maybe they were just the wrong groups to try. Most insulting was the cover of Just Look Around! How do you do that to that song and feel good about it? A person unfamiliar with SOIA would listen to this and not at all get it. Terrible execution.

Impact feels soft
This compilation could have made for something really good but only a small majority of the songs are any good. SOIA on this are more covered by the emo pop punk bands they inspired (from their Fat Wreck days) instead of the core NYHC that they are a real part of. The Madball, Hatebreed, Napalm Death tracks are all good, most of the others are really bad.