Agnostic Front is an American hardcore punk band from New York City. Formed in 1982, the group's original lineup consisted of vocalist John Watson, guitarist Vinnie Stigma, bassist Diego Casalins and drummer Robby Crypt Crash. Stigma is the only remaining original member of the band, which currently also includes vocalist Roger Miret (who first joined in early 1983), bassist Mike Gallo (a member since 2000), guitarist Craig Silverman (since 2014) and drummer Danny Lamagna (since 2022).
Agnostic Front (AF) was founded in early 1982 by guitarist Vinnie Stigma (Vincenzo Cappuccio). [1] The group's original lineup included John Watson on vocals, Diego Caslins on bass and Robby "Crypt Crash" Krekus on drums. [2] During the band's early months, Krekus was replaced by Ray "Raybeez" Barbieri and Casalins was replaced by Adam Mucci. [2] Watson was briefly replaced by Keith Burkhardt during September/October 1982 after being arrested, but had returned by early November. [3] Before the end of the year, Watson had left again and been replaced by Jimmy "The Russian" Kontra. [4] By April the next year, Roger Miret had taken over as AF frontman. [5] This lineup recorded United Blood in June, before Mucci was replaced by 12-year-old Todd Youth (Schofield). [6] Later that summer, Raybeez left due to problems with drug abuse, with Dave Jones taking his place. [7]
Youth left at the beginning of 1984, replaced in time for the recording of the band's first full-length album Victim in Pain by Rob Kabula. [8] After the album's release, Petey Hines took over on drums for a string of shows and the recording of two tracks for the Urinal Records compilation Message from America: Hardcore Has Come of Age, but was replaced by Jimmy "The Kid" Colletti ahead of a full North American tour starting in early 1985. [9] After finishing the tour in the summer, the band expanded to a five-piece for the first time with the addition of guitarist Alex Kinon. [10] Shortly thereafter, Colletti suddenly quit, with Louie Beato (Beateaux) brought in from Carnivore for the recording of Cause for Alarm , the band's second album. [11] Prior to recording the album, Miret left AF for a few months at the beginning of 1986, during which time Carl "The Mosher" Demola stepped in. [12]
After the first few shows to promote Cause for Alarm, Beato returned to Carnivore and Kinon also left. [13] The pair were replaced by new drummer Joe "Fish" Montanaro and guitarist Gordon Ancis, respectively. [14] After a tour supporting GBH, Vinnie Stigma left AF in the summer of 1986 after clashing with Kabula, with Johnny Sanchez taking his place. [15] The new lineup completed the Cause for Alarm Tour towards the end of the year, before disbanding temporarily in an attempt to oust Montanaro. [16]
Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma formed a new incarnation of AF over the summer of 1987, enlisting lead guitarist Steve Martin, bassist Alan Peters and drummer Will Shepler. [17] After recording Liberty and Justice For... , Peters was replaced by former Youth of Today and Straight Ahead bassist Craig Setari. [18] In January 1989, Miret was sentenced to four years in prison for drug trafficking a couple of years earlier. [19] During this period, Combat Records issued the band's first live album Live at CBGB , which was recorded on tour the previous summer. [20] Miret was released early in September 1990 after the charges were overturned. [21] When the band reconvened, however, Martin announced that he was leaving to work in music publicity; he was replaced in AF by Matt Henderson and the band resumed touring shortly thereafter. [22]
At the beginning of a European tour in October 1990, Miret was refused entry to Belgium as he didn't have a valid visa; the band continued the tour, with roadie Mike Shost stepping in as temporary vocalist. [23] In January 1991, the band performed alongside Sick of It All and Gorilla Biscuits at a show dubbed the "Superbowl of Hardcore IV", which was issued later in the year on the video Live in N.Y.C. '91. [24] Later in the year, the new lineup recorded its first studio album One Voice , which was released in January 1992. [25] During the subsequent touring cycle, Miret was temporarily replaced by his younger brother (and Madball bandmate) Freddy Cricien for a string of shows in July, while he underwent surgery to treat an inguinal hernia. [26] The band's performance at CBGB in December 1992 was released in 1993 as the band's second live album, Last Warning . [27]
AF continued touring in promotion of One Voice until February 1993, after which the group disbanded. According to Miret, "After the [last] show we were totally spent. We were through — and not just with touring." [28] Vinnie Stigma, Matt Henderson and Will Shepler continued performing with Madball for several years. [28]
Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma reformed AF for a string of reunion shows starting in December 1996, bringing back former members Rob Kabula on bass and Jimmy Colletti on drums. [29] This lineup released its comeback album Something's Gotta Give in June 1998, [30] followed by Riot, Riot, Upstart in September 1999. [31]
After touring until the summer of 2000, AF briefly took a break to start writing material for a new album. [32] During this period, Kabula was replaced by Mike Gallo. [33] The new lineup released its first album Dead Yuppies in September 2001. [34] The following year, the band released its third live album Working Class Heroes, a split with Dutch band Discipline recorded in June 2001. [35] During a European tour in early 2002, Colletti was briefly replaced by former drummer Will Shepler after being shot. [36] Colletti eventually left permanently in early 2004, replaced by Gallo's brother Steve, who had previously played a few tours with the band. [37] Around the same time, the group added Lenny Di Sclafani on second guitar, although he did not perform on the band's next album — instead, Matt Henderson was brought in as a session guitarist. [38]
Another Voice was released on November 22, 2004 by Nuclear Blast Records. [39] Just before the album's release, the band played a show at CBGB which was recorded for a fourth live album, Live at CBGB: 25 Years of Blood, Honor and Truth. [40] By the summer of 2006, Di Sclafani had been replaced by Joseph James. [41] He debuted on Warriors , which was released the following November. [42] In March 2009, Steve Gallo was replaced by former Leeway drummer Jimmy "Pokey" Mo. [43] According to Miret, Gallo "was going through a lot of personal and financial issues and needed more security than [the band] could offer him", after the group scaled back their touring to allow the frontman to spend more time with his family. [44] Pokey Mo's first album as a member of AF was My Life My Way, which was released in March 2011. [45]
In May 2014, James was replaced by Craig Silverman. [46] The new lineup remained stable for over five years, releasing The American Dream Died in April 2015, [47] followed by Get Loud! in November 2019. [48] After a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Miret's cancer diagnosis, AF returned to touring in May 2022 with new drummer Danny Lamagna, who had taken over from Mo following his departure in 2020. [49] The new lineup is set to release its first album Echoes in Eternity in November 2025. [50]
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinnie Stigma (Vincenzo Cappuccio) |
|
| all Agnostic Front (AF) releases | |
| Roger Miret |
| lead vocals | ||
| Mike Gallo | 2000–present |
| all AF releases from Dead Yuppies (2001) onwards | |
| Craig Silverman | 2014–present |
|
| |
| Danny Lamagna | 2022–present | drums | Echoes in Eternity (2025) |
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Watson | 1982 (two spells) | lead vocals | none | |
| Diego Casalins | 1982 |
| ||
| Robby Crypt Crash (Rob Krekus) | drums | |||
| Ray "Raybeez" Barbieri (1961–1997) | 1982–1983 | United Blood (1983) | ||
| Adam "Moochie" Mucci | bass | |||
| Keith Burkhardt | 1982 | lead vocals | none | |
| Jimmy "The Russian" Kontra | 1982–1983 | |||
| Todd Youth (Todd Schofield; 1970–2018) | 1983–1984 |
| ||
| Dave Jones | drums | Victim in Pain (1984) | ||
| Rob Kabula |
|
|
| |
| Petey Hines | 1984–1985 | drums | Message from America: Hardcore Has Come of Age (1985) | |
| Jimmy "The Kid" Colletti |
|
|
| |
| Alex Kinon | 1985–1986 | guitar | Cause for Alarm (1986) | |
| Louie Beato (Louis Beateaux) | drums | |||
| Carl Demola | 1986 | lead vocals | none | |
| Joe "Fish" Montanaro | drums | |||
| Gordon Ancis | guitar | |||
| Johnny Sanchez | ||||
| Will Shepler |
|
|
| |
| Steve Martin | 1987–1990 | guitar |
| |
| Alan Peters (1965–2020) | 1987 |
| Liberty and Justice For... (1987) | |
| Craig "Skully" Setari | 1987–1993 |
| ||
| Matt "Wildcard" Henderson |
|
|
| |
| Steve Gallo |
|
|
| |
| Lenny Di Sclafani | 2004–2006 | guitar | Live at CBGB: 25 Years of Blood, Honor and Truth (2006) | |
| Joseph James | 2006–2014 |
|
| |
| Jimmy "Pokey" Mo | 2009–2020 | drums |
|
| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Shost | 1990 | lead vocals | Shost performed on a European tour in October/November 1990 due to issues with Miret's visa. [23] | |
| Freddy Cricien | 1992 | Cricien temporarily filled in for Miret for a run of shows in July 1992 when he underwent surgery. [26] |
| Period | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Early 1982 [1] |
| none |
| 1982 [2] |
| |
| 1982 [2] |
| |
| September/October 1982 [3] |
| |
| Late 1982 [3] |
| |
| Late 1982–April 1983 [4] |
| |
| April [5] –summer 1983 [6] |
|
|
| Summer 1983 [7] |
| none |
| Summer 1983 [7] –early 1984 [6] |
| |
| Early [6] –summer 1984 [9] |
|
|
| Summer 1984 [9] –early 1985 [9] |
|
|
| Early [9] –summer 1985 [10] |
| none |
| Summer 1985 [10] |
| |
| Fall 1985 [11] –January 1986 [12] |
| |
| January–April 1986 [12] |
| |
| April [12] –May 1986 [13] |
|
|
| Summer 1986 [13] |
| none |
| Fall [15] –late 1986 [16] |
| |
| Band inactive early–spring 1987 | ||
| Summer [17] –fall 1987 [18] |
|
|
| Fall 1987 [18] –September 1990 [22] |
|
|
| September 1990 [22] –February 1993 [28] |
|
|
| Band inactive March 1993–April 1996 | ||
| Late 1996 [29] –summer 2000 [33] |
|
|
| Summer 2000 [33] –early 2004 [51] |
|
|
| Early 2004 [51] –summer 2006 [41] |
|
|
| Summer 2006 [41] –March 2009 [43] |
|
|
| March 2009 [43] –May 2014 [46] |
|
|
| May 2014 [46] –2020 [49] |
|
|
| Spring 2022 [49] –present |
|
|
