Agnostic Front

2009-04-15T10:56:30Z

93.86.26.132: /* Current members */

{{Unreferenced|date=March 2008}}
{{Original research|date=July 2008}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Agnostic Front
| Img = Agnostic Front Live 2005.jpg
| Img_capt = Agnostic Front live in 2005
| Img_size =
| Background = group_or_band
| Origin = [[New York City]], [[New York]], [[United States]]
| Genre = [[Hardcore punk|Hardcore]], [[crossover thrash]], [[Oi!]]
| Years_active = 1980–1992 1997–present
| Label = [[Last Warning Records|Last Warning]], [[Rat Cage Records|Rat Cage]], [[Combat Records|Combat]], [[Epitaph Records|Epitaph]], [[Hellcat Records|Hellcat]], [[Nuclear Blast Records|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 
| Past_members = Louie Beatto [[Ray Barbieri|Ray Beez]] Jim Colletti Lenny Di Sclafani Matt Henderson [[Dave Jones (drummer)|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 [[hardcore punk]] and [[crossover thrash]] band that formed in [[New York City]] in 1980. The band began playing [[hardcore punk]] similar to bands like [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]] and [[Negative Approach]], and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning [[New York hardcore]] scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded [[1984 in music|1984]] classic ''[[Victim in Pain]]'' before evolving to incorporate [[heavy metal music|thrash metal]] elements into their music. By the late '90s, Agnostic Front had signed with [[Epitaph Records]] and adopted a [[street punk]] sound before growing into a crossover [[metallic hardcore]] hybrid similar to bands like [[Hatebreed]] and [[Madball]].

==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 ''[[Last Warning|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 tis 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 (drummer)|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 (band)|Murphy's Law]].

1986's ''[[Cause for Alarm (album)|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 (Agnostic Front album)|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 (Agnostic Front album)|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 Video Music Awards|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|Matthew Barney's]] film, [[Cremaster 3]] along with [[Murphy's Law (band)|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 '[[moshcore|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 (music)|mashup]] album [[threat (film)|Threat: Music That Inspired The Movie]], where it was remixed by [[Schizoid (artist)|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" which was largely a continuation of "[[Another Voice]]"s sound.

==Discography==
===Albums/EPs===
* ''[[Last Warning|United Blood]]'' EP (1983) Last Warning Records
* ''[[Victim in Pain]]'' (1984) Rat Cage Records
* ''[[Cause for Alarm (album)|Cause for Alarm]]'' (1986) [[Relativity Records|Relativity]]/[[Combat Records]]
* ''[[Liberty and Justice for...]]'' (1987) [[Relativity Records|Relativity]]/[[Combat Records]]
* ''[[Live at CBGB (Agnostic Front album)|Live at CBGB]]'' (1989) [[Relativity Records]]
* ''[[One Voice (Agnostic Front album)|One Voice]]'' (1992) [[Relativity Records|Relativity]]/[[Roadrunner Records]]
* ''[[Last Warning]]'' (1993) [[Relativity Records|Relativity]]/[[Roadrunner Records]]
* ''Raw Unleashed'' (1995) Grand Theft Audio
* ''[[Something's Gotta Give (Agnostic Front album)|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 (Agnostic Front album)|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==
===Former members===
* Robbie Krekus - drums
* Joe "Fish" Montenaro - drums
* Louie Beatto - drums
* [[Ray Barbieri|Ray Beez]] - drums
* Jim Colletti - drums
* Lenny Di Sclafani - guitar
* Matt Henderson - guitar
* [[Dave Jones (drummer)|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)

[[Category:1980s music groups]]
[[Category:1990s music groups]]
[[Category:2000s music groups]]
[[Category:American metalcore musical groups]]
[[Category:Crossover thrash groups]]
[[Category:Epitaph Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1980]]
[[Category:New York hardcore punk groups]]

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Agnostic Front