Agnostic Front

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Agnostic Front is an American hardcore punk band from New York City.[1] Founded in 1980, the band is considered an important influence on the New York hardcore scene, as well as a pioneer of the crossover thrash genre.[1]

History

First era (1980–1992)

Formed in 1980 with Vincent "Vinnie Stigma" Capuccio (formerly of the Eliminators) on lead guitar,[2] with Diego on bass, Rob Krekus (aka Robby Crypt Crash)[3] on drums and John Watson on vocals. Despite being billed at their first concert as the Zoo Crew, Stigma introduced them as Agnostic Front, saying that the poster had been made prior to deciding on the name.[4] They soon added Ray Barbieri, aka Raybeez, on drums and Adam Mucci on bass.[5] After Watson was arrested, the band hired James Kontra as their vocalist, who eventually quit before a performance at Great Gildersleeves after a disagreement with Capuccio about how to hand out stickers.[6] Although never having spoken to him before, Stigma told some of his friends to ask Roger Miret (former bass player of the Psychos) if he wanted to be the vocalist of Agnostic Front, because he liked his style of slam dancing.[2][4] In 1983, this lineup recorded their debut EP United Blood. The EP was officially released later that year, however by that point Mucci had departed from the band, and been replaced by Todd Youth.[7]

During its initial phase, the band consisted entirely of skinheads. Although this would change over time, Agnostic Front would continue to feature skinheads as part of their lineup. This led to a belief among some that the band espoused ultra-nationalist or fascist politics, an assertion denied by vocalist Roger Miret in a 1985 Flipside interview:

"...We're skinheads. And the skinheads in England have a very bad name like with the fascists and stuff like that. But this is America not England. Just because the skinheads are fascists over there doesn't mean we got to grow our hair out if we don't feel like it.... We love our country — but not necessarily how our government works."[8]

They were later accused of racism in the song Public Assistance by Phil Donahue in a 1986 show on New York hardcore punk.[9]

The follow-up, Victim in Pain (1984), is regarded as a seminal New York hardcore release. Dave Jones replaced Raybeez on drums after a mutual agreement among the band members that Raybeez "needed time" to address a developing drug problem.[10] Dave Jones was "a kid from New Jersey" who had previously played with the band Mental Abuse.[11]Template:Efn Rob Kabula took over on bass. In 1984, Jimmy "The Kid" Colletti from Justified Violence joined on drums when the band went to tour with The Exploited later that year. The album pushed the band to the forefront of New York's fledgling hardcore scene, which was centered around CBGB, where they played with bands like Cro-Mags and Murphy's Law. Roger Miret asserts that all the songs on the album "are totally inspired by the streets of New York and my life and what was going on with my friends. It was dangerous. We did what we had to do to survive by any means necessary. It was like a war or a battlefield, and we stood our ground".Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

1986's Cause for Alarm was a difficult album to record, due to constant lineup changes and personnel problems.[12] 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. It also featured some lyrics written by Peter Steele and drumming by Louie Beato (both of Carnivore). Miret left the band for four months between the recording and release of Cause for Alarm, and was replaced by Carl Demola.[13]

With yet another new lineup, the band soon released Liberty and Justice For... in 1987.[12] 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,[12] which featured members of Madball and Sick of It All.

Agnostic Front toured with Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation and Obituary on the Complete Control Tour in 1992.[14]

The band's last show was at CBGB on December 20, 1992. The show was recorded for the live album Last Warning which was released by Roadrunner Records in 1993.[12]

Second era (1996–present)

File:-Agnostic Front live in Rome-2.jpg
The band performing in 2007

Stigma and Miret reformed Agnostic Front in May 1996 and did a few reunion shows in December 1996, signing to Epitaph Records and recruiting Jimmy Colletti on drums and Rob Kabula on bass,[12] who was playing with Against the Grain at the time. Their latest venture was titled Something's Gotta Give.[12] In 1999, they followed up with Riot, Riot, Upstart.[12] Their comeback albums have sold well and been mostly acclaimed by music criticsScript error: No such module "Unsubst". for their pure hardcore punk sound.

In 2001, they released the album Dead Yuppies.[12] 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 band.

In 2002, Miret worked on a side-project band, Roger Miret and the Disasters, looking for a sound akin to old-school punk 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 2004 with 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 mash-up album Threat: Music That Inspired the Movie, where it was remixed by Schizoid and renamed "World at War".

On March 7, 2006, Agnostic Front released the DVD Live at CBGB. This follows the efforts of many bands that tried to save CBGB from shutting down. Miret claims that "We played more shows at CBGB than any band ever, and we played more benefit shows for CBGB than any band ever" when the club did close, most nostalgia focused on 1970s punk bands.

On November 6, 2007, Agnostic Front released the album Warriors with the hit "For My Family" which was largely a continuation of the band's crossover thrash sound.

For the 25th anniversary of their debut LP Victim in Pain, Bridge Nine Records released remastered versions of said album along with their first EP, United Blood, on November 17, 2009.

The band performed on the Persistence Tour in Europe in the winter of 2009, playing again its final tour in January 2020 alongside Gorilla Biscuits and others. Also confirmed for Rebellion Festival 2012 in Blackpool, England, they played the festival again in 2014 and 2016

In 2015, the band released the album The American Dream Died via Nuclear Blast Records which consisted mostly of the bands older style of music with a modern touch. The band continued to tour extensively in Europe as well as the U.S. in support of the record.

In 2017, Stigma and Miret appeared in a documentary about Agnostic Front, The Godfathers of Hardcore, directed by Ian McFarland.[15]

In 2022, it was revealed that Pokey Mo had parted ways with Agnostic Front in 2020 and that Danny Lamagna would be their new drummer.

In December 2024, the band announced the New York Blood 2025 Tour alongside bands Murphy's Law and Violent Way.

In January 2025, the band announced The Last Warning tour with Bad Religion, with shows planned in Europe, the UK, Spain and Portugal beginning in May 2025. In April 2025, it was announced that the band would be playing at Riot Fest in Chicago in September 2025.

Members

Current

  • Vinnie Stigma – lead guitar, backing vocals (1980–1992, 1997–present)
  • Roger Miret – lead vocals (1982–1986, 1986–1992, 1997–present)
  • Mike Gallo – bass, backing vocals (2000–present)
  • Craig Silverman – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2014–present)
  • Danny Lamagna – drums (2020–present)

Former Template:Div-col

  • Rob Krekus – drums (1980–1981)
  • John Watson – lead vocals (1980–1982)
  • James Kontra – lead vocals (1982)
  • Diego – bass (1980–1982)
  • Raymond "Raybeez" Barbieri – drums (1981–1983, died 1997)
  • Adam Mucci – bass (1982–1983)
  • Dave Jones – drums (1983–1985)
  • Rob Kabula – bass (1983–1987, 1997–2000) one-off performance in 2022
  • Todd Youth – bass (1983, died 2018)
  • Alex Kinon – rhythm guitar (1985–1986)
  • Carl Demola – vocals (1986)
  • Gordon Ancis – rhythm guitar (1986–1987)
  • Joe "Fish" Montanaro – drums (1986–1987)
  • Louie Beato – drums (1986)
  • Alan Peters – bass (1987, died 2020)
  • Steve Martin – rhythm guitar (1987–1990)
  • Will Shepler – drums (1987–1992)
  • Craig Setari – bass (1987–1992)
  • Matt Henderson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1990–1992)
  • Jimmy Colletti – drums (1985–1986, 1997–2004)
  • Steve Gallo – drums (2004–2009)
  • Joseph James – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2007–2014)
  • Pokey Mo – drums (2009–2020)

Template:Div-col-end

Touring members

Timeline

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 id:bvocals   value:pink          legend:Backing_vocals
 id:lguitar   value:teal          legend:Lead_guitar
 id:rguitar   value:brightgreen   legend:Rhythm_guitar
 id:bass      value:blue          legend:Bass
 id:drums     value:orange        legend:Drums
 id:lines1    value:black         legend:Studio_album
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 at:07/26/1984 color:black layer:back
 at:06/18/1986 color:black layer:back
 at:10/09/1987 color:black layer:back
 at:03/20/1992 color:black layer:back
 at:06/30/1998 color:black layer:back
 at:09/07/1999 color:black layer:back
 at:09/25/2001 color:black layer:back
 at:11/22/2004 color:black layer:back
 at:11/06/2007 color:black layer:back
 at:03/04/2011 color:black layer:back
 at:04/04/2015 color:black layer:back
 at:04/04/2015 color:black layer:back
 at:11/08/2019 color:black layer:back

BarData = 

 bar:Watson      text:"John Watson"
 bar:Kontra      text:"James Kontra"
 bar:Miret       text:"Roger Miret"
 bar:Demola      text:"Carl Demola"
 bar:Stigma      text:"Vinnie Stigma"

 bar:Kinon       text:"Alex Kinon"
 bar:Ancis       text:"Gordon Ancis"
 bar:Martin      text:"Steve Martin"
 bar:Henderson   text:"Matt Henderson"
 bar:James       text:"Joseph James"
 bar:Silverman   text:"Craig Silverman"

 bar:Diego       text:"Diego"
 bar:Mucci       text:"Adam Mucci"
 bar:Youth       text:"Todd Youth"
 bar:Kabula      text:"Rob Kabula"
 bar:Peters      text:"Alan Peters"
 bar:Setari      text:"Craig Setari"
 bar:MGallo      text:"Mike Gallo"

 bar:Krekus      text:"Rob Krekus"
 bar:Raybeez     text:"Ray Barbieri"
 bar:Jones       text:"Dave Jones"
 bar:Beatto      text:"Louie Beatto"
 bar:Montanaro   text:"Joe Montanaro"
 bar:Shepler     text:"Will Shepler"
 bar:Colleti     text:"Jimmy Colleti"
 bar:SGallo      text:"Steve Gallo"
 bar:Pokey       text:"Pokey Mo"
 bar:Danny       text:"Danny Lamagna"

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 bar:Watson      from:12/01/1980 till:01/01/1982 color:vocals
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 bar:Miret       from:06/01/1982 till:01/01/1986 color:vocals
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 bar:MGallo      from:08/01/2000 till:end        color:bass
 bar:MGallo      from:08/01/2000 till:end        color:bvocals width:3
 bar:Stigma      from:12/01/1980 till:06/30/1992 color:lguitar
 bar:Stigma      from:12/01/1980 till:06/30/1992 color:bvocals width:3
 bar:Stigma      from:12/01/1980 till:09/01/1985 color:rguitar width:7
 bar:Stigma      from:01/01/1997 till:end        color:lguitar
 bar:Stigma      from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/2004 color:rguitar width:7
 bar:Stigma      from:01/01/1997 till:end        color:bvocals width:3
 bar:Ancis       from:07/01/1986 till:01/20/1987 color:rguitar
 bar:Kinon       from:09/01/1985 till:06/30/1986 color:rguitar
 bar:Martin      from:01/30/1987 till:01/01/1990 color:rguitar
 bar:Henderson   from:01/01/1990 till:06/30/1992 color:rguitar
 bar:Henderson   from:01/01/2004 till:05/10/2006 color:rguitar
 bar:Henderson   from:01/01/2004 till:05/10/2006 color:bvocals width:3
 bar:Silverman   from:01/01/2014 till:end        color:rguitar
 bar:Silverman   from:01/01/2014 till:end        color:bvocals width:3
 bar:James       from:01/01/2007 till:01/01/2014 color:rguitar
 bar:James       from:01/01/2007 till:01/01/2014 color:bvocals width:3
 bar:Jones       from:01/01/1983 till:12/30/1985 color:drums
 bar:Diego       from:12/01/1980 till:01/01/1982 color:bass
 bar:Mucci       from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1983 color:bass
 bar:Youth       from:01/01/1983 till:12/30/1983 color:bass
 bar:Kabula      from:12/30/1983 till:01/01/1987 color:bass
 bar:Kabula      from:01/01/1997 till:08/01/2000 color:bass
 bar:Peters      from:01/01/1987 till:01/01/1990 color:bass
 bar:Setari      from:01/01/1990 till:06/30/1992 color:bass
 bar:Krekus      from:12/01/1980 till:01/01/1982 color:drums
 bar:Raybeez     from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1983 color:drums
 bar:Montanaro   from:07/01/1986 till:01/20/1987 color:drums
 bar:Beatto      from:01/30/1986 till:08/01/1986 color:drums
 bar:Shepler     from:01/01/1987 till:06/01/1992 color:drums
 bar:Colleti     from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/2004 color:drums
 bar:SGallo      from:01/01/2004 till:03/01/2009 color:drums
 bar:Pokey       from:03/01/2009 till:01/26/2020 color:drums
 bar:Danny       from:01/26/2020 till:end        color:drums

</timeline>

Discography

<templatestyles src="Col-begin/styles.css"/>

Footnotes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Agnostic Front Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  8. ↑ Donny the Punk, "Agnostic Front," Flipside, whole no. 45 (March 1985), pg. 54.
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