Agnostic Front

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = Agnostic Front

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Img_capt = Agnostic Front live in 2005
Background = group_or_band
Origin = New York City
Instruments =
Genre = Hardcore punk Crossover thrash
Years_active = 1980–1992
1997–present
Label = Last Warning, Rat Cage, Combat, Epitaph, Hellcat, Nuclear Blast
URL = [http://www.agnosticfront.com/ Official website]
Associated_acts = Roger Miret and the Disasters
Madball
25 ta Life
Current_members = Roger Miret
Vinnie Stigma
Joe James
Mike Gallo
Steve Gallo
Matt Penny
Past_members = Louie Beatto
Ray Beez
Jim 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

Agnostic Front is an American band that formed in New York City in 1980.

History

Early

Formed by guitarist Vinnie Stigma (formerly of the Eliminators) in November/December 1980, with Diego on bass and Rob Krekus on drums. 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 (Warzone), on drums and Adam Moochie on bass. Their debut EP "United Blood", released in 1983 on an indie label, has since become a collector's item.

The follow-up, "Victim in Pain" (1984), 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. With other bands such as Suicidal Tendencies and Stormtroopers of Death, this album would mark AF's foray into the world of crossover thrash.

With yet another new lineup, 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 in December 1992; "Last Warning", which was also released with "United Blood" E.P on the end of the release. Vinnie Stigma apparently remarked that he hated "Last Warning".

Later

Stigma and Miret reformed Agnostic Front in 1997, 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 UK 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/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, Jimmy 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!. Also that year, the band appeared in Matthew Barney's film, Cremaster 3 along with Murphy's Law.

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. Later, the track "Peace" was contributed to the mashup album , 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.

On November 6, 2007 Agnostic Front released the album "Warriors" with the hit "For My Family".

Discography

Albums/EPs

* "United Blood" EP (1983) Last Warning Records
* "Victim in Pain" (1984) Rat Cage Records
* "Cause for Alarm" (1986) Relativity/Combat Records
* "Liberty and Justice for..." (1987) Relativity/Combat Records
* "Live at CBGB" (1989) Relativity Records
* "One Voice" (1992) Relativity/Roadrunner Records
* "Last Warning" (1993) Relativity/Roadrunner Records
* "Raw Unleashed" (1995) Grand Theft Audio
* "Something's Gotta Give" (1998) Epitaph Records
* "Puro Des Madre (en espanol)" (1998) Hellcat Records
* "Riot, Riot, Upstart" (1999) Epitaph Records
* "Dead Yuppies" (2001) Epitaph Records
* "Working Class Heroes" (2002) I Scream Records split with Discipline
* "Another Voice" (2004) Nuclear Blast Records
* "Live at CBGB (Agnostic Front album)" (2006) Nuclear Blast Records
* "Warriors" (2007) Nuclear Blast Records

DVD/VHS

* "Live at CBGB's DVD" 2006
* "CBGB's Punk From the Bowery
* "LIVE in N.Y.C. '91... with Sick Of It All & Gorilla Biscuits

Members

Current members

* Roger Miret - vocals
* Vinnie Stigma - guitar
* Joseph James - guitar
* Mike Gallo - bass guitar
* Steve Gallo - drums
* Matt Penny

Former members

* Robbie Krekus - drums
* Joe "Fish" Montenaro - drums
* Louie Beatto - drums
* Ray Beez - drums
* Jim Colletti - drums
* Lenny Di Sclafani - guitar
* Matt Henderson - guitar
* Dave Jones - drums
* Rob Kabula - bass guitar
* Alex Kinon - guitar
* Steve Martin - guitar
* Gordon Ancis - guitar
* Diego - bass guitar
* Adam Moochie - bass guitar
* Alan Peters - bass guitar
* Craig Setari - bass guitar
* Will Shepler - drums
* Michael Shost - vocals (European tour while Miret incarcerated)
* Jimmy the Russian - vocals
* John Watson - vocals

External links

* [http://www.agnosticfront.com Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/agnosticfront Agnostic Front] at MySpace
* [http://www.tonguesofdestruction.com Interview with AGNOSTIC FRONT]
* [http://inkedmag.com/inked_people/41/ Inked Magazine feature on NYC Hardcore pioneers]
* [http://www.oivision.de/artists/index.php?act=artist&id=18 Agnostic Front] at Oivision.de (German)