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===Compilation===
===Compilation===
* ''Raw Unleashed'' (1995) Grand Theft Audio
* ''Raw Unleashed'' (1995) Grand Theft Audio
* ''Respect your Roots Worldwide'' (2012) Strength Records
* ''Respect Your Roots Worldwide'' (2012) Strength Records


===EPs===
===EPs===

Revision as of 07:54, 30 January 2014

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Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front live in 2013
Agnostic Front live in 2013
Background information
OriginNew York City, New York, United States
GenresHardcore punk,[1] crossover thrash, thrashcore (early)
Years active1980–1992, 1997–present
LabelsLast Warning, Rat Cage, Combat, Epitaph, Hellcat, Nuclear Blast, I Scream
MembersRoger Miret
Vinnie Stigma
Joseph James
Mike Gallo
Pokey Mo
Past membersLouie Beatto
Raybeez
Jimmy Colletti
Lenny Di Sclafani
Matt Henderson
Dave Jones
Rob Kabula
Alex Kinon
Steve Martin
Adam Moochie
Alan Peters
Craig Setari
Will Shepler
Michael Shost
Todd Youth
Rex Cartagena
Gordon Ancis
Joe Montenaro
Websitewww.agnosticfront.com

Agnostic Front is an American crossover thrash band. The band began playing hardcore punk similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before incorporating thrash metal elements into their music.

History

Early

Formed by guitarist Vinnie Stigma (formerly of the Eliminators) in December 1980,[2] with Diego on bass and Rob Krekus on drums. Agnostic Front went through several singers, two of them being John Watson and Jimmy "The Mad Russian", before settling with Roger Miret (former bass player of The Psychos[2]). They soon added Ray Barbieri, aka Raybeez (Warzone), on drums and Adam Mucci on bass. Their debut EP United Blood, released in 1983 on an indie label, has since become a collector's item. At this time, the band consisted entirely of skinheads. Although this would change over time, Agnostic Front would continue to feature skinheads as part of their line-up.

The follow-up, Victim in Pain (1984), is regarded as a seminal New York hardcore release. Dave Jones replaced Raybeez on drums and 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 The 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".

1986's Cause for Alarm was a difficult album to record, due to constant line-up changes and personnel problems. 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 (also of Carnivore)

With yet another new line-up, the band soon released Liberty and Justice for... in 1987. 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, 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; Last Warning, which was also released with United Blood EP on the end of the release. Vinnie Stigma apparently remarked that he hated Last Warning.

Later

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, who was playing with Against The Grain at the time, on bass. Their latest venture was titled Something's Gotta Give, although Miret announced in the U.K. the original title would be Today, Tomorrow, Forever. In 1999, they followed up with Riot, Riot, Upstart. 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 for their pure hardcore punk sound.

In 2001, they released the album Dead Yuppies. 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 rock 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 their long-awaited DVD "Live at CBGB". This follows the efforts of many bands that tried to save CBGB from shutting down. Even though 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 1970's 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 also been confirmed for Rebellion Festival 2012 in Blackpool, U.K.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

  • Live at CBGB (1989) Relativity Records
  • Last Warning (1993) Relativity/Roadrunner Records
  • Working Class Heroes (2002) I Scream Records split with Discipline
  • Live at CBGB - 25 Years of Blood, Honor and Truth (2006) Nuclear Blast Records

Compilation

  • Raw Unleashed (1995) Grand Theft Audio
  • Respect Your Roots Worldwide (2012) Strength Records

EPs

Music Videos

  • Anthem [Live] (1989)
  • Gotta Go (1998)
  • Riot, Riot, Upstart (1999)
  • So Pure to Me (2004)
  • Peace (2005)
  • All Is Not Forgotten (2005)
  • All Is Not Forgotten [Live] (2006)
  • Addiction (2007)
  • For My Family (2007)
  • Dead to Me [Live] (2007)
  • That's Life (2011)
  • A Mi Manera (2011)
  • My Life My Way (2011)
  • Us Against the World (2012)
  • Blitzkrieg Bop (2013)

DVD/VHS

Members

  • Roger Miret – vocals (since 1982)
  • Vinnie Stigma – guitar (since 1980)
  • Mike Gallo – bass (since 2001)
  • Joseph James – guitar (since 2009)
  • Pokey Mo – drums (since 2009)

Former members

  • Joe "Fish" Montanaro – drums
  • Louie Beatto – drums
  • Raybeez – drums
  • Jimmy Colletti – drums
  • Lenny Di Sclafani – guitar
  • Matt Henderson – guitar
  • Dave Jones – drums
  • Larry Martins - bass
  • Rob Kabula – bass
  • Alex Kinon – guitar
  • Steve Martin – guitar
  • Gordon Ancis – guitar
  • Diego – bass
  • Adam Mucci – bass
  • Alan Peters – bass
  • Craig Setari – bass
  • Will Shepler – drums
  • Michael Shost – vocals (European tour while Miret was turned away at the German border)
  • Jimmy "The Mad Russian" – vocals
  • Robbie Cryptcrash – drums
  • Daniel Pena - bass
  • John Watson – vocals
  • Todd Youth – bass
  • Steve Gallo – drums
  • Jon Sanchez – guitar
  • Rex Cartagena – bass

References

  1. ^ Agnostic Front, Madball Shred Hardcore Family Reunion | SPIN | Live | We Were There
  2. ^ a b Steven Blush (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Feral House. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-922915-71-2. 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.

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