Cause for Alarm | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1986 | |||
Recorded | Systems II (Brooklyn, New York) | |||
Genre | Hardcore punk, crossover thrash | |||
Length | 23:48 | |||
Label | Relativity, Combat | |||
Producer | Norman Dunn | |||
Agnostic Front chronology | ||||
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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.
The addition of a second guitarist Alex Kinon led to a more metallic approach, although the songs still had mostly a hardcore sound. One other line-up change was the replacement of Dave Jones by Louie Beatto on drums. The band would further explore the metal sound on their next album, 1987's Liberty and Justice For...
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Kerrang! | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
In 2005, Cause for Alarm was ranked number 302 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. [3]
Several critics, including Phil Donahue, [4] Jello Biafra and the fanzine Maximum Rocknroll , [5] have criticized Agnostic Front for the controversial lyrics of the song "Public Assistance", written for the band by then-Carnivore frontman Peter Steele. [6] Steele went on to write a very similar song for his new band Type O Negative named Der Untermensch, which appeared on their album Slow Deep and Hard .
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "The Eliminator (lyrics by Peter Steele, music by Rob Kabula and Roger Miret)" | 3:10 |
2. | "Existence of Hate (lyrics by Amy Keim,music by Miret and Vinnie Stigma)" | 2:18 |
3. | "Time Will Come (lyrics and music by Miret)" | 1:22 |
4. | "Growing Concern (lyrics by Steele, music by Alex Kinon,Miret and Stigma)" | 4:10 |
5. | "Your Mistake (lyircs and music by Miret)" | 1:26 |
6. | "Out for Blood (lyrics by Miret, music by Kabula)" | 2:13 |
7. | "Toxic Shock (lyrics by Steele, music by Kabula and Miret)" | 2:27 |
8. | "Bomber Zee (lyrics by Billy Milano, music by Kabula and Miret)" | 2:28 |
9. | "Public Assistance (lyrics by Steele,music by Kabula" | 2:44 |
10. | "Shoot His Load (lyrics by Steele,music by Kinon)" | 1:30 |
Total length: | 23:48 |
"Your Mistake" was covered by Fear Factory, with Freddy Cricien of Madball, on the Demanufacture digipak as a bonus track, and by Hatebreed on their album For the Lions .
1986's Cause For Alarm LP (on Combat Core) made AF infamous. Vinnie and Roger inexplicably hired the late Pete Steele (Carnivore, Type O Negative) to write the record — as they were too fucked-up/lazy/devoid of ideas. Cause For Alarm proved divisive, for its Metal tendencies and for Steele's lyrics (like his dim view of welfare recipients on "Public Assistance").