Sick of it all.

IF ONE WERE to try and come up with a single band that epitomizes the fury, chaos, and spirit hardcore has within its marrow, a person would be hard-pressed to leave New York's legendary Sick of it All out of the equation.

In a genre known as much for intensity as it is for the typically short lifetimes of its multitudinous aggressive outfits, Sick of it All's blood, sweat, and no-tears-fueled legacy stands head and shoulders above the majority of their contemporaries. Forming in the '80s with merely the goal of playing a CBGB show as its mantra, Sick of it All blew fans away with its enigmatic mixture of streamlined punk meets metal rhythms and riffs and angst-laden brutality, not to mention a work ethic that remains absolutely uncompromising. The group has never swayed in its overall vision, which, after 20 years, is quite a testament to the band's dedication.

Having packed clubs around the world, released numerous albums on both indie and major labels, and performed with the best of the best in heavy music, not to mention playing the godfather role for over a decade in a scene that thrives on innovation and youthful exuberance, one would think these veterans would eventually tire of the constant chase.

Sick of it All's gravel throated vocalist and all-around amiable fellow Lou Koller, however, can't imagine life without his artistic outlet. Yet on the eve of the release of his band's take-no-shorts, politically charged new full-length, Death to Tyrants (Abacus Records), Koller remains somewhat surprised at his crew's longevity.

"We sure never expected to be around 20 years," Koller says with a chuckle. "We started just wanting to play shows, and then we decided, hey, let's do a seven inch. And then we ended up making an album and it snowballed from there. After awhile we found a niche--we really loved doing what we were doing and we didn't want to go back to a regular job."

Of course, despite the massive acclaim and devoted following, Koller and his musical brethren have also weathered their share of turbulent storms. "We've been fairly successful, but it wasn't always easy," Koller admits. "There were a lot of depressing times. I can remember playing for 2,000 people in New York City on a Sunday night and then having to get up at 6:00 am on Monday to go to some terrible job. Yet, these hard times made us appreciate the band even more. We didn't let stupid arguments break the band up--which happens to so many other musicians."

Instead, Sick of it All forged a bond so tight that even caustic tour banter among the members comes off more as endearing than vengeful.

"We joke around with each other all the time and nothing's really taboo," Koller says as a variety of memories coalesce underneath the surface of his calm voice. "The mother jokes between Craig and Armand can get really vicious and brutal. We'll go on tour with other bands and those two will go at it and we'll be laughing, but these other people's jaws are hitting the floor, and asking us, 'How can you guys be a band so long when you talk to each other this way?"

Subsequently, Sick of it All's laid-back approach has also played a major role in the course of the band's survival, which is quite the feat considering the endlessly cyclical trends taking hold in underground and alternative music--the anti-hero, everyman facade of bands like Nirvana and Fugazi being heralded one year, while proto-cockrock rearing its mascara-laced masqueraded face the next.

Koller and his comrades, however, have always dismissed trends; rather, they choose to take the whims of the often fickle music scene in stride.

"You know what's funny?" Koller asks. "What I find strange about us is when we first started people described us as metal-influenced hardcore. Now we're called more punk-influenced hardcore. I don't think we've changed that much. But I guess we can let the music speak for itself."

And the music on Death to Tyrants delivers. Equal parts classic SOIA-style hardcore brutality and political invective aimed directly at the Bush Administration's--in Koller's estimation--lack of integrity, the new record finds the group achieving its most frenetic release since Scratch the Surface.

While Koller has never been afraid to pen politically charged lyrics, the barbs contained on Tyrants are among his most blistering.

"The Bush Administration seems to have no regard for the intelligence of the people in the United States," Koller exclaims. used to lie about things like weapons of mass destruction, but now they don't even try to cover it up. It's very insulting."

Regardless of one's political persuasion, Koller's lyrics make a strong case--especially spit over the top of his band's raging, fist-pumping musical backdrop, which comes off absolutely invigorating and as potent as ever.