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Agnostic Front | |
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 Agnostic Front performing in 2016 | |
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| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
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Agnostic Frontis an American hardcore punk band from New York City. [3] Founded in 1980, the band is considered an important influence on the New York hardcore scene, as well as a pioneer of the crossover thrash genre. [3]
Formed in 1980 with Vincent "Vinnie Stigma" Capuccio (formerly of the Eliminators) on lead guitar, [4] with Diego on bass, Rob Krekus (aka Robby Crypt Crash) [5] on drums and John Watson on vocals. Despite being billed at their first concert as the Zoo Crew, Stigma introduced them as Agnostic Front, saying that the poster had been made prior to deciding on the name. [6] They soon added Ray Barbieri, aka Raybeez, on drums and Adam Mucci on bass. [7] After Watson was arrested, the band hired James Kontra as their vocalist, who eventually quit before a performance at Great Gildersleeves after a disagreement with Capuccio about how to hand out stickers. [8] Although never having spoken to him before, Stigma told some of his friends to ask Roger Miret (former bass player of the Psychos) if he wanted to be the vocalist of Agnostic Front, because he liked his style of slam dancing. [4] [6] In 1983, this lineup recorded their debut EP United Blood . The EP was officially released later that year, however by that point Mucci had departed from the band, and been replaced by Todd Youth. [9]
During its initial phase, the band consisted entirely of skinheads. Although this would change over time, Agnostic Front would continue to feature skinheads as part of their lineup. This led to a belief among some that the band espoused ultra-nationalist or fascist politics, an assertion denied by vocalist Roger Miret in a 1985 Flipside interview:
"...We're skinheads. And the skinheads in England have a very bad name like with the fascists and stuff like that. But this is America not England. Just because the skinheads are fascists over there doesn't mean we got to grow our hair out if we don't feel like it.... We love our country — but not necessarily how our government works." [10]
The follow-up, Victim in Pain (1984), is regarded as a seminal New York hardcore release. Dave Jones replaced Raybeez on drums after a mutual agreement among the band members that Raybeez "needed time" to address a developing drug problem. [11] Dave Jones was "a kid from New Jersey" who had previously played with the band Mental Abuse. [12] [lower-alpha 1] Rob Kabula took over on bass. In 1984, Jimmy "The Kid" Colletti from Justified Violence joined on drums when the band went to tour with The Exploited later that year. The album pushed the band to the forefront of New York's fledgling hardcore scene, which was centered around CBGB, where they played with bands like Cro-Mags and Murphy's Law. Roger Miret asserts that all the songs on the album "are totally inspired by the streets of New York and my life and what was going on with my friends. It was dangerous. We did what we had to do to survive by any means necessary. It was like a war or a battlefield, and we stood our ground".[ citation needed ]
1986's Cause for Alarm was a difficult album to record, due to constant lineup changes and personnel problems. [13] Released on Combat Records, it added thrash metal influences. With other bands such as Suicidal Tendencies and Stormtroopers of Death, this album would mark AF's foray into the world of crossover thrash. It also featured some lyrics written by Peter Steele and drumming by Louie Beateaux (both of Carnivore). Miret left the band for four months between the recording and release of Cause for Alarm, and was replaced by Carl Demola. [14]
With yet another new lineup, the band soon released Liberty and Justice For... in 1987. [13] The album featured stripped down punk with a lack of thrash influences, yet it contained many metal-style guitar solos. It did not sell nearly as well as previous releases. Sometime later, Miret was arrested on drug charges after releasing a live album, and spent his time in prison writing new songs while Stigma and the band toured Europe for the first time. The lyrics written by Miret while incarcerated formed most of 1992's One Voice , [13] which featured members of Madball and Sick of It All. Not long after its release, the band decided to call it quits. Their last show was at CBGB on December 20, 1992. The show was recorded for the live album Last Warning which was released by Roadrunner Records in 1993. [13]
Stigma and Miret reformed Agnostic Front in May 1996 and did a few reunion shows in December 1996, signing to Epitaph Records and recruiting Jimmy Colletti on drums and Rob Kabula on bass, [13] who was playing with Against the Grain at the time. Their latest venture was titled Something's Gotta Give . [13] In 1999, they followed up with Riot, Riot, Upstart . [13] They also won an MTV Award for the title track music video. Their comeback albums have sold well and been mostly acclaimed by music critics[ who? ] for their pure hardcore punk sound.
In 2001, they released the album Dead Yuppies . [13] Songs from this album were rarely played live, as the band considered it more a product of Loved and Hated, Jimmy Colletti's side-project band.
In 2002, Miret worked on a side-project band, Roger Miret and the Disasters, looking for a sound akin to old-school punk and Oi!. Also that year, the band appeared in Matthew Barney's film Cremaster 3 along with Murphy's Law.
Agnostic Front came out in 2004 with Another Voice . The album was regarded mainly as a follow-up to One Voice. The album, however, did receive some criticism from fans and the press for apparently changing their music to fit the current wave of 'tough guy' bands. Musically, the album bears resemblance to bands that were heavily influenced by Agnostic Front, such as Hatebreed. Miret's vocals on the album particularly seemed to turn off many less hardcore punk-oriented fans. Later, the track "Peace" was contributed to the mash-up album Threat: Music That Inspired the Movie , where it was remixed by Schizoid and renamed "World at War".
On March 7, 2006, Agnostic Front released the DVD Live at CBGB. This follows the efforts of many bands that tried to save CBGB from shutting down. Miret claims that "We played more shows at CBGB than any band ever, and we played more benefit shows for CBGB than any band ever" when the club did close, most nostalgia focused on 1970s punk bands.
On November 6, 2007, Agnostic Front released the album Warriors with the hit "For My Family" which was largely a continuation of the band's crossover thrash sound.
For the 25th anniversary of their debut LP Victim in Pain , Bridge Nine Records released remastered versions of said album along with their first EP, United Blood, on November 17, 2009.
The band performed on the Persistence Tour in Europe in the winter of 2009 and have were confirmed for Rebellion Festival 2012 in Blackpool, England.
In 2015, the band released the album The American Dream Died via Nuclear Blast Records which consisted mostly of the bands older style of music with a modern touch. The band continued to tour extensively in Europe as well as the U.S. in support of the record.
In 2017, Stigma and Miret appeared in a documentary about Agnostic Front, The Godfathers of Hardcore, directed by Ian McFarland. [15]
In 2022, it was revealed that Pokey Mo had parted ways with Agnostic Front in 2020 and that Danny Lamagna would be their new drummer.
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Cro-Mags are an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band, which has a strong cult following, has released six studio albums, with the first two considered the most influential. With a Hare Krishna background, they were among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal.
New York hardcore is both the hardcore punk music created in New York City and the subculture and lifestyle associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by bands such as Bad Brains and Minor Threat. Initially a local phenomenon of the 1980s and 1990s, New York hardcore eventually grew to establish an international reputation with little to moderate mainstream popularity but with a dedicated and enthusiastic underground following, primarily in Europe and the United States. With a history spanning over more than four decades, many of the early New York hardcore bands are still in activity to this day. Some of them have been continuously or almost continuously active since their formation as well as having reunion shows.
Madball is an American New York hardcore band. Originated in the late 1980s as a side project of Agnostic Front, the band developed after Agnostic Front's vocalist Roger Miret would let his younger half-brother Freddy Cricien take the microphone and perform lead vocals during Agnostic Front shows. Following, Agnostic Front's 1992 disbandment, Madball became the members' main project and many became a part of the band who were never in Agnostic Front. They have released nine studio albums and four EPs.
Freddy Cricien, also known as Freddy Madball, is an American vocalist, primarily known as the lead singer of the New York hardcore band Madball. He is also the lead singer of Hazen Street and has a hip hop career from which debut album was November 2009's Catholic Guilt. He also moonlights as an MC with DJ Stress as the hip hop duo Freddy Madball & DJ Stress.
Don't Forget the Struggle, Don't Forget the Streets was the first full-length album from New York hardcore (NYHC) band Warzone.
Last Warning is a compilation album by New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in 1993 on Relativity Records, marketed by Roadrunner Records, and follows 1992's studio album, One Voice.
Something's Gotta Give is the fifth full-length studio album by New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in June 1998 on Epitaph Records and follows 1995's Raw Unleashed compilation album. It is actually the first studio album since 1992's One Voice. The album was co-produced by Billy Milano, the frontman of crossover thrash bands S.O.D. and M.O.D.
Riot, Riot Upstart is the sixth full-length studio album from New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in September 1999 on Epitaph Records and follows Something's Gotta Give released the previous year. The album was produced by Lars Frederiksen of fellow punk band, Rancid, and the title track appeared on a volume of Epitaph Records' Punk-O-Rama compilation series.
Dead Yuppies is the seventh full-length studio album from New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in September 2001 on Epitaph Records and follows 1999's Riot, Riot, Upstart. Due to the title, the release of the album was delayed in America and a sticker was placed on the cover by the record company following the September 11 attacks.
Victim in Pain is the debut full-length studio album by New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in 1984 on Rat Cage Records and follows the United Blood EP. The album features Rob Kabula and Dave Jones, who replaced Adam Mucci and Raybeez on bass and drums respectively. It is still available as a split album with their subsequent album, 1986's Cause for Alarm.
Cause for Alarm is the second full-length studio album by New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in 1986 on Relativity/Combat Records and follows 1984's Victim in Pain. The album is still available on a split release with Victim in Pain on the same disc.
Liberty and Justice For... is the third full-length studio album from New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in 1987 on Relativity/Combat Records and follows 1986's Cause for Alarm. Live at CBGB followed this album in 1989 featuring songs from the band's first three albums and EP.
Live at CBGB is an album of live recordings from New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in 1989 on Relativity Records and follows their third studio album, Liberty and Justice For..., from 1987. It is one of many available live albums by the band – their next was 1993's Last Warning and most recent Live at CBGB - 25 Years of Blood, Honor and Truth from 2006.
One Voice is the fourth full-length studio album from New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in 1992 on Relativity Records. It marks a three-year absence from recording – the last album was Live at CBGB in 1989 – after Roger Miret's term of imprisonment. However, the comeback was short-lived as after Last Warning, the band split up and did not record again until 1998.
Another Voice is the eighth full-length studio album from New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in November 2004 on Nuclear Blast Records and follows 2002's split album with Discipline, Working Class Heroes. It was the first recording on the label and was co-produced by Jamey Jasta of the band Hatebreed. It features many guest vocal spots. 2006 saw the release of another live album, Live at CBGB – 25 Years of Blood, Honor and Truth.
Kill Your Idols is an American hardcore punk band from New York, active from 1995 through 2007 and again from 2013 to the present. They were signed to SideOneDummy Records. Their releases on SideOne were Funeral for a Feeling (2001), a split with 7 Seconds in 2004, and From Companionship to Competition (2005). Other notable releases by the band were No Gimmicks Needed and This Is Just The Beginning... which were released on Blackout! Records. The band released several 7-inch EPs, splits with other bands, multiple compilation tracks, and two full-length LPs in their 11-year run. Most of their records were released on vinyl as well as compact disc. Some were released on different colors of vinyl, different sleeve covers, hand numbered tour presses, and picture discs, making their records a favorite among collectors.
Rogelio de Jesus Miret is a Cuban American musician. He is the vocalist for New York hardcore band Agnostic Front, street punk group Roger Miret and the Disasters, and hardcore band The Alligators.
Friendship, Loyalty, Commitment is the debut studio album by American heavy hardcore band 25 ta Life, released on July 6, 1999. The album features a Warzone cover song "As One" and special appearances by Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma of Agnostic Front, Jimmy Gestapo from Murphy's Law, Paul Bearer from Sheer Terror, and more. The song "Over the Years" was featured on the Tony Hawk's Underground 2 soundtrack.
The Stimulators were an American punk rock band from New York City. Although they have a limited discography, they are notable for being consistently cited as an important transitional band between the late-1970s New York City punk rock scene and New York hardcore, and for being the musical entry point for future Cro-Mags founder Harley Flanagan.
Straight Ahead was an American straight edge hardcore punk band formed in Queens, New York City, in 1984, by drummer and vocalist Tommy Carroll, guitarist Gordon Ancis and bassist Tony Marc Shimkin.
The band AF started in early 1982 as The Zoo Crew at Apartment X, Crazy Emily's Eldridge Street storefront squat. ... they tried with James Kontra and Keith Burkhardt, before teaming with Roger Miret (ex-The Psychos/Distorted Youth), ... When people thought of New York, they automatically thought of Agnostic Front.
He wasn't thrown out and he didn't quit. It was just a mutual agreement. He was missing and the band had shows to do and he needed time. Ray doesn't drum but he is still part of Agnostic Front.
I left Agnostic Front for about four months. Vinnie was cool with whatever I wanted to do. I was a big mess, and he supported me during my existential crisis. It wasn't just the music that was weighing heavily on my mind...
During the time I was out of Agnostic Front they had a temporary singer named Carl "The Mosher" Demola, who had been in the Psychos and The Icemen. Carl was a good friend and was infamous for going crazy at shows. When he went into the pit, he had his own style and everyone gave him his space when he danced. He never played a show with Agnostic Front. He rehearsed with them a bunch, but right after my dog bit me, Vinnie stopped by the Pit Farm before a CBGB show that Agnostic Front were booked to play.
"We've got a show coming up at CBGB. Can you play it? We really miss you."
"What about Carl?" I asked.
"He's cool, but it's not the same without you up there."
Vinnie was really persuasive. He could talk bears out of the caves they were hibernating in. I did the CBGB gig with my arm in a sling (because of the dog bite) and a bandage over the third degree burn on my neck (where the tattoo was removed).
We drove to Germany with no hassle at the border and played in a big circus tent in Oberhausen, Germany, with a psychedelic alternative group called Space Monkeys. The members of the audience didn't know whether to come closer to check us out or cover their heads and flee for the exit, so they stood at a distance from the stage looking uncomfortable. It was a strange way to start, and it was about to get weirder. We drove to Belgium to continue the tour, and when we got to the border we handed over our passports. I wasn't an American citizen yet and still had my Cuban passport. No one told me I needed a visa to get into each country. The customs officers detained me, questioned me and deported me. I had to catch the next flight back to New York.
The rest of the guys continued with the tour and got our roadie, Mike Shost, to sing. Man, did he have a good time! And I'm not talking about the thrill you get from fronting a hardcore band. For years, Mike would go to local bars and tell girls that he was the singer of Agnostic Front to get them into bed.
Agnostic Front was co-headlining the Complete Control Tour with Obituary, plus special guests Cannibal Corpse and Malevolent Creation, promoting One Voice. We were booked to play the Milwaukee Metal Fest on a hardcore/death metal day. Before the show started, my hernia was throbbing so bad I could barely walk. I got through the show on sheer adrenaline, but afterwards I was screaming in agony. I had to fly back home and get surgery for a right inguinal hernia, which required two weeks of recovery time.
I told Freddy that he would have to fill in for me. I thought he'd be honored, but he was pissed off! He loved AF, but he had never done a full AF set.
"Fuck! I'm not gonna do it. I fuckin' can't," he said, fists in tight balls and nails cutting into his palms.
"Don't be a fuckin' prick!" I shouted, partially because of the pain I was in and partially because Freddy was being difficult. "You can do it. You have to do it and our fans love you."
"No, Roger. I'm gonna get laughed off the fucking stage!"
"You're not. You know all the songs. You're the only one who can do this."
Mind you, Freddy was only 15.
Not only did Freddy play the shows, he killed it and our fans instantly loved him. Freddy stayed on the road and filled in while I had the surgery.
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