Released 20 years ago
Death to Tyrants
Sick of It All · 2006
33 min · 15 tracks · hardcore punk
A relentless barrage of aggressive riffs and anthemic choruses that define New York hardcore's unapologetic rawness.
Top tracks — play these first
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Take the Night Off Start here — This opening track sets a fierce tone with its fast-paced rhythm and motivational lyrics urging listeners to embrace freedom from daily struggles.
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Uprising Nation — With its powerful chorus and politically charged message, this track encapsulates the band's long-standing ethos of resistance and community empowerment.
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Maria White Trash — This song combines biting social commentary with infectious hooks, reflecting the band’s ability to blend aggression with accessible melodies.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong songwriting and production while remaining distinct within the hardcore punk genre.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a fast-paced track that sets a high-energy tone, maintaining aggressive tempos throughout most of its runtime.
- Several tracks feature call-and-response vocals, creating anthemic moments that engage listeners and encourage participation.
- The last three tracks slow down slightly in tempo, providing a brief respite before concluding with a return to intensity.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- urgent anthems for resistance
- concise bursts of energy
- front-loaded intensity throughout
- cathartic release of frustration
Maybe skip if you
- prefer longer, sprawling albums
- seek mellow or soft sounds
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Breakthrough — This album solidified Sick of It All's influential status in hardcore punk.
- Themes
- New York resistance· political defiance· working-class struggle
- Career context
- By the time 'Death to Tyrants' was released in 2006, Sick of It All had been a staple in the hardcore scene for over two decades. This album marked their first full-length release after a four-year hiatus following 'Life on the Ropes' in 2002, showcasing their undiminished energy and commitment to the genre.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Madball· H2O· Earth Crisis
Tracklist
- 1 Take the Night Off Start here 2:42
- 2 Machete 2:03
- 3 Preamble 0:29
- 4 Uprising Nation 2:25
- 5 Always War 2:06
- 6 Die Alone 2:33
- 7 Evil Schemer 2:43
- 8 Leader 1:13
- 9 Make a Mark 3:11
- 10 Forked Tongue 1:32
- 11 Sodom 2:05
- 12 Faithless 2:53
- 13 Fred Army 2:43
- 14 Thin Skin 2:14
- 15 Maria White Trash 2:53
If this landed
Records by other artists that run on the same instinct.
Go
H2O
Shares the same anthemic energy and themes of resilience and community in a hardcore context.
Legacy
Madball
Captures the raw aggression and New York hardcore spirit, focusing on defiance and strength.
Jane Doe
Converge
Delivers relentless intensity and emotional depth with a focus on personal struggle and chaos.
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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