REVIEW: Indecent Behavior - SICK

SICK is the fourth album by German pop punk artists INDECENT BEHAVIOR, coming off the back of touring with bands such as NECK DEEP and ZEBRAHEAD. Consisting of twelve solid tracks of classic pop-punk music, it’s a trip down memory lane with a solid grasp on all the things that made the sound stand out when the genre first appeared on the alternative scene.

On the concept behind the album the band said:

 "We live in a world full of impressions. What seems like an ocean full of possibilities to some is incredibly overwhelming, oppressive and unfair to others. There is no escape from the mass of unfiltered information that rains down on us every day. No light at the end of the dark news tunnel. No clear way out of the labyrinth of options, which instead of freedom only brings excessive demands. SICK was created precisely from these thoughts and is an album for everyone for whom it sometimes just gets too much. Who feel like they are living in a world that they simply don't understand. For all people who are looking for a place where they can feel understood and comfortable."

This commitment to a safe space for escaping the sometimes painful realities of everyday life is a spirit the band embodies across the board, referring to themselves as a “familiar place where you forget your worries and fears…and simply be yourself.”

The album starts with Grown Up, which roots the listener in this escapist skate shop and side parting reality through heavy use of drums and strong instrumental. Immediately setting the scene with lyrics such as “We’re grown up pop punk kids / that never seem to get old, grown up emo kids that never do what they’re told”. Before following up with Not In A Lifetime, which feels like a quintessential (updated) high school crush ballad. Its sister track later on in the album, I Fell In Love Every Weekend, capitalises on similar emotions.

After Chaos we come to Sick, the titular track of the album, which addresses the themes of exhaustion and isolation head-on through its chorus of:

“And I’m so tired of feeling sick / What’s wrong with cutting loose in a world that’s full of shit / Yeah I’m so tired of feeling sick / It’s not the best, I know, but the life I wanna pick”

Along with lyrics calling out murder, politicians and, most relatably, people who show up uninvited to your parties. It sports a stripped-back monochromatic music video, with each band member being given solo shots to the camera, which works well with the powerful hook and catchy melody. 

The next track, Give Me Everything, features AIR DRAWN DAGGER, an electro-emo angst-pop collective from the UK. On Give Me Everything the vocals of INDECENT BEHAVIOR's HENRICK BERGMANN are complimented by DAGGER’s MAISIE in a way that feels energizing and unique. It’s a collaboration that comes across as natural, with a sense of genuine synergy across the two projects.

Following on Shoot is a definite high point of the album, carrying a different energy with the use of a repetitive melody and raspier, more introspective vocals that provide a grit missing in many of the other tracks. Followed by a strong chorus and a hefty amount of guitar and bass, courtesy of CHRISTIAN NOß and DENIS SELZER. The track definitely leans more towards metal than the rest of the album, but in doing so it demonstrates a creative range that keeps listeners engaged. 

The rest of the album continues with Pointless, Black Water, No Direction and If I Had Two Lives, before finishing on The Story Never Ends, a collaborative track with indie rock band ALL TO GET HER from Switzerland. Overall, the album does what it sets out to do and does it well. There are times when this leads to feeling a bit one note, but it’s a note the band are incredibly skilled at playing and perfecting.

Score: 6/10

SICK was released on 26th September 2025 via Long Beach Records.

Words: Q Cummins

Photos: Indecent Behaviour