New York hardcore, or NYHC is one of my personal favorite genres of hardcore punk ever since I was a kid and Sick Of It All is a very important part and was in my music upbringing and becoming the man I am today. They were first international, let’s say big hardcore band I watched when I was a kid almost thirty years ago and I watched them more times since then and they never disappointed with their live shows or their records.

This is not ordinary boring biography book. This is a book done in kinda interview way, with Lou Koller, SOIA singer and his brother, guitarist Pete Koller tell their story through chapters thematically divided into some meaningful sense. Like you may have guessed it all starts with their childhoods and upbringing as being youngest of four brothers and growing up in Queens, first going to shows and discovering metal and hardcore, which made up their minds to form a band.

Then it goes through first ten years of hardships, with weekend tours and Mondays back to day jobs, fear how to make a living and struggles to overcome all life’s obstacles to days when they can live off touring, but that is not so secure life as we all witnessed last two years. I love how there are lots of anecdotes and unknown stories from touring with other bands I love, seeing some other side of some bands that I am not sure I like, because I idolized some of them. This is a book about positivity, about love for music and that’s what helped most of us continue through hard times and what gave us strength to continue. I recommend this one warmly, go read it.