WHERE MUSIC LISTENS TO YOU

"Cruicified for Yourself..."

Posted over 3 years ago
Formed by guitarist Vinnie Stigma (formerly of the Eliminators) in November/December 1980 with Diego on Bass and Rob Kabula on Bass. Agnostic Front went through a few singers two of them being John Watson and Jimmy the Russian before settling with Roger Miret (formerly of the Psychos). They soon added Ray Barbieri (aka Raybeez) on drums and Adam Moochie on bass. Their debut EP, United Blood, was released in 1983 on an indie label has since become a collector's item.The follow-up was Victim in Pain (1984) and is regarded as a seminal New York hardcore release. Dave Jones replaced Ray Barbieri on drums and Rob Kabula on Bass. In 1984 Jim "the Kid Colleti joined on drums. 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, it added thrash metal influences, creating a new genre known as crossover. Many of Agnostic Front's supporters considered the album a travesty and a sell-out, but it was hailed in other corners, and vastly expanded their audience.With yet another new lineup, the band soon released Liberty and Justice for... in 1987. The hardcore scene had collapsed by this time, and the album featured stripped down punk with a lack of thrash influences, yet it contained many metal-style guitar solos. It was a failure compared to previous records. 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 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 concert was at CBGB's in 1993; Last Warning, which was also released with United Blood E.P on the end of the record. Vinnie Stigma apparently remarked that he hated Last Warning.Stigma and Miret reformed Agnostic Front in 1997, signing to Epitaph Records and recruiting Jim Colletti on drums and Rob Kabula on bass. Their latest venture was titled Something's Gotta Give, although Miret announced in the UK the original title would be Today, Tomorrow, Forever. In 1999, they followed up with Riot, Riot, Upstart which was also hailed by critics. Their comeback albums have sold well and been mostly acclaimed by music critics for their pure hardcore punk/oi! 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, Jim Colletti's side-project bands. 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!.Agnostic Front came out in 2005 with their latest album, 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.On March 7th 2006, Agnostic Front released their long-awaited DVD "Live at CBGB's". This follows the efforts of many bands to try and save CBGBs from shutting down.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnostic_Front

Comments (9)

  1. extraordinarypoems says Hey --- glad to see your longer and more informative post about a band I wrote about on the Mog last night!
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  2. RGM says Your the reason! You brought back memories of this punk band I almost joined, but worked with a lot called "Label Victims." The name is taken from a Punk lyric or song title, but it was stated "victims label" or something, it might have been from these guys. They coverd "Cruicified," they made a local name for themselves back in the late 80's in the Glendale C.A. area from playing backyard partys. I still try and keep in touch with the Guitarist, we were like Blood Brother's...
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  3. extraordinarypoems says That's awesome! I'm reading about some other bands in that same Hardcore Ink magazine I mentioned earlier. Do you know much about any of the following? Stretch Armstrong One 4 One One Man Army Blood for Blood MJ Bloodline V/A Unitas Weezer Fall Silent Brother's Keeper Alkaline Trio or North Side Kings The only one I know anything about it "Alkaline Trio," and I don't know much.
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  4. RGM says I've heard of Stretch Armstrong, haven't heard there music. Weezer is a pretty big on the west coast. I dig some of their hits, but I didn't really like the last one. Haven't heard of the other's, there are other's like Minor Threat, they are born out of what was called the straight edge Punk Movement. Great band, Straight Edge was a term used for punks around the time who had a more clean life or philosophy. At the time you had punk gangs (sounds like the Warriors huh!) Skinheads, Suicidals, Nazi Punks ect. some may still be around I don't know. You had also Unity punk bands...There's also the C.A. Venice Beach Punk Scene Of the Mid. to late 80's...I'm really into this old band called EXCEL, you can check my site for there stuff or my multiply link on my site...
    Permalink posted 12/08/2006
  5. extraordinarypoems says I will check out EXCEL. You know a lot about this kind of music. Here are some others mentioned in this issue of Hardcore Ink: The Faint Waterdown Strike Anywhere Grade Destro Above This World Spitvalves Fetish American Nightmare Nerve Agents Hoods and Thursday. I'd love your feedback/recommendations. The mag gave Spitvalves a horrible review and thumbs up to Thursday and American Nightmare.
    Permalink posted 12/09/2006
  6. RGM says Never heard of them, cool names maybe newer or from other areas. I just heard of some east and west coast bands. Some of the Sol. Cal. Stuff was reaction stuff to I thought some useless things. Like the hatred of Long hair, something I heard Rollin's had a problem with in early on singing in Blak Flag, I heard thats why he buffed up. Then you had the venice beach, and other punk gangs gangs, the Suicidals, NAZI Punks like flick "American History x," Somoan's, Unity punks, Straight Edgde. May have been more, my buddy almost got stabbed cause he had long hair at a Slayer show from a punk. It's all empty Pride, some great music, but just a jerk off for the endorphines. 90's you had this underground, I mean center of the earth scene of Christian Punk, Metal, Rock, Alternative Rock, Great Scene, I know people don't dig the Christian Churh thing, but the scene of the underground music was great in the 90's. Seemed like they fixed the blandness of the 80's...
    Permalink posted 12/09/2006
  7. extraordinarypoems says I like Christian music --- some of it, anyway. You know a lot about music. I look forward to learning from you along the MOG way. I like long hair, too. :>) People fighting over hair is ridiculous. But then so is fighting over religion, ethnicity, and a thousand other things that people like to fight over.
    Permalink posted 12/10/2006
  8. RGM says Yea me too, I like the Heavier stuff that most Main Stream Christians don't like. I agree with you about the fighting, the thing is, and life is like this, you have to see things in their proper context (If you want). Hope that makes some kind of sense, the war in Iraq is vain, selfish, like all wars and the Govt' has prostituted Christ and his Church and lay them both out to the masses for the slander. Then again look at the old testement and see the demand for a king from God. The sin of the Church today is Pride, like it was when Christ was here, when the Refomation happened... |:^[)>
    Permalink posted 12/10/2006
  9. extraordinarypoems says Deep. God is complicated. What's important is to talk about it rather than try to destroy each other over it.
    Permalink posted 12/10/2006

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