Let's face it; if you're a hardcore kid and you DON'T like Sick of it All, there's something really and truly wrong with you. For over twenty years, Sick of it All have been consistently releasing albums and 7"s of unwavering quality, and touring the world relentlessly. With the band's somewhat recent signing to Abacus Recordings, the label decided to compile the efforts of some of today's most recognizable hardcore and metal bands paying tribute to New York's finest.
The thing about tribute compilations is they're always so hit and miss. It all comes down to personal taste. If you love Sick of it All, and you hate Sepultura, odds are Sepultura aren't going to win you over with their cover song. Since this is my review, and it's my personal taste, I'll elaborate on what covers really tickled my fancy, and what tracks bored the hell out of me.
Leading off the compilation is Rise Against's rendition of "Built to Last." Rise Against hasn't sounded this angry in a long, long time. This is probably one of the better covers on the compilation, and definitely one of the better Sick of it All covers I've heard in general. The Bouncing Souls, Ignite, The Suicide Machines - what is probably one of, if not the last thing the band recorded - and hell, even Pennywise deliver some of the more enjoyable covers on this record.
One track that really caught me off guard is Unearth's take on "Clobberin' Time/What's Going On?" Unearth take these songs to a whole new level, their trademarked metal sound incorporating a strong thrash influence brings a whole new sense of brutality to the track. Normally, I'm not even a fan of this band.
Some of the tracks on here just seem to get lost within themselves. Obviously the bands on here are doing it for a genuine love of all things NYHC, but tracks from First Blood and Hatebreed just sort of fall on their face; the tracks almost seem forced.
Overall, Our Impact Will Be Felt brings new life to a number of gems taken from Sick of it All's extensive back catalog. As I mentioned earlier, every tribute compilation has its share of hit and miss tracks. Luckily, Our Impact Will Be Felt counts more tracks among the former, than the latter.
