The grandfathers of hardcore, who have been pleasing their fans for almost 40 years, were first called "Zoo Crew". But then, at the initiative of guitarist Vinnie Stigma, they took a more sonorous name - Agnostic Front.
Early Agnostic Front career
New York in the 80s was mired in debt and crime, the crisis was visible to the naked eye. On this wave, in 1982, in radical punk circles, the Agnostic Front group arose.
Vinny Stigma himself (rhythm guitar), Diego (bass guitar) played in the first line-up of the group, Rob was behind the drums, and John Watson got the vocal parts. But, as it usually happens, the first composition did not last long. Although they managed to “give birth” to the mini-album “United Blood”, recorded on Rat Cage Records.
The turnover was huge. Only with the arrival of frontman Roger Mairet, drummer Louis Bitto and bassist Rob Kobul, this endless movement stopped.
Agnostic Front's first success
Fame to the "front-line soldiers" did not come immediately. Everything changed exactly when the permanent composition of the group was established and thrash came into fashion. It was during this period that "agnostics" declared to the whole world that there was a New York hardcore. And the first confirmation of this was the 1984 album "Victim in pain".
In the next LP, "Cause For Alarm", the band's sound became more "metal". This added new fans to the team, and the circulation of the long-playing record reached the one hundred thousandth mark. But even here there were some scandals. Old fans accused the group of betraying the old style, and the townsfolk - of love for fascism.
The fact is that the lyrics for Agnostic Front were written by Pete Steel (“Carnivore”), a man of extreme right views. I had to refute and “wash off” such rumors for a long time.
Album Liberty And Justice
In 1987, the composition of the group changed again. The two leaders became closely together, and Winnie was left in command alone. Stigma was joined by Steve Martin (guitar), Alan Peters (bass) and Will Shelper (drums).
Roger Mayert's demarche was short-lived and soon he returned again. The band writes a new successful album "Liberty And Justice". But Mayert's adventures and his love for drugs lead him to jail, and for a whole year and a half the band has a new frontman - Mike Shost. Together with him, while Roger is in prison, the band goes on a European tour.
Early nineties. Break
Upon leaving places not so remote, Mayert returns to the group. Together they record the disc "One Voice" but, contrary to expectations, it goes unnoticed. The next album "To Be Continued" and the live album "Last Warning" marked the departure of the group on a sabbatical.
After 5 years. Continuation
In 1997, Stigma and Mayert began discussing a possible return to the stage and a revival of Agnostic Front. And when the top punk label Epitaph Records showed interest in the project, the long-awaited resurrection of the band became a fact.
Former members Rob Kabula and Jimmy Colletti returned to the band and very soon (1998) saw the release of a new agnostic album Something's Gotta Give. Riot, Riot, Upstart came out the following year. An album recorded in the harsh, hardcore style that is characteristic of early Agnostic Front compositions.
The fast-paced, retro hardcore set left fans and critics alike enthralled. The albums turned out to be more than successful, and the return is spectacular. In 1999, the agnostics received an MTV award, and in 2002 they appeared on the screen in the film by Matthew Barney.
Two thousandths. First decade
For quite a long time the team was stable, the members did not leave it. And only in 2001 the rotation took place, a new bass player appeared in the group: Mike Gallo.
Three years later, in 2004, the band signed a contract with Nuclear Blast, and immediately sounded different. That same year, the "frontoviki" released a new album. "Another Voice" is the eighth full-length studio album by the New York hardcore band. It was the first recording on the label. Jamie Jasta from the band "Hatebreed" acted as producer.
2006 saw the release of another live album, Live at CBGB-25 Years Of Blood, Honor and Truth. This self-titled album (25 Years of Blood, Honor and Truth) marks a return to the crossover thrash sound they played in the 1980s and continue to play today.
Agnostic Front: Our days
Despite the venerable age, the group continues to live a full life. On March 7, 2006, Agnostic Front released the DVD "Live at CBGB" which included 19 tracks.
A year and a half later, another collection of compositions, called "Warriors", saw the light of day. One of the tracks, "For My Family", became a continuation of the band's crossover thrash sound and became a XNUMX% hit.
In 2015, the album "The American Dream Died" was released, in 2019 - another one, "Get Loud!". In November, the group went on a big tour, covering not only the United States, but also European countries. For the first time, residents of the former USSR had the opportunity to hear the music of their favorite performers live.
Having become the founders of hardcore, the musicians several times left their style a little to the side, softening the sound. But each time they returned back, delighting their fans with crazy energy that does not disappear with age. Their lyrics have always raised issues that are troubling society and offer a way out.
