Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore punk rock band from New York City. It was formed by Vinnie Stigma and Roger Miret in 1982, who soon added Ray Beez and Adam Moochie to form the original line-up. Their debut EP, United Blood, was released in 1983 on an indie label. It was hardcore and lyrically charged and has become a collector's item.
The follow-up was Victim in Pain (1984), now typically regarded as the band's best LP. The album pushed the band to the forefront of New York's fledgling hardcore scene, which was centered around CBGB's, where they played with bands like The Cro-Mags and Murphy's Law.
1986's Cause for Alarm was a difficult album to record, due to constant line-up changes and personnel problems. Released on Combat Records, Cause for Alarm added thrash metal influences, one of the first bands to combine thrash and punk rock. Many of Agnostic Front's supporters considered the album a travesty and a sell-out, but it vastly expanded their audience.
With yet another new lineup, the band soon released Liberty & Justice in 1987. The hardcore scene had collapsed by this time, and the album featured stripped down punk and a lack of thrash influences. It was a failure, however, compared to previous records. Miret was arrested on drug charges after releasing a live album, and spent his time in pirosn writing new songs while Stigma and the band toured Europe for the first time. The prison lyrics became most of 1992's One Voice, which sold poorly and signalled the end of the band's career. Their last was concert was at CBGB's in 1993.
Stigma and Miret reformed Agnostic Front in 1997, signing to Epitaph Records. Their comeback albums have sold well and been mostly acclaimed by music critics for their pure retro-hardcore sound. Their latest album is 2001's Dead Yuppies.
Referenced By
Epitaph Records | Hard-core punk | Hard core punk | Hardcore punk | Music of New Jersey | Music of New York | Music of Virginia | Shark Attack | Warzone
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