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Agnostic Front return angrier than ever

by Joe Gagne

Hardcore music reached its zenith in 1988, when bands like Youth of Today and Gorilla Biscuits traded in their raw anger to preach more self-reliance and vegetarianism. Though it seemed the scene soon tapered off, when those acts disbanded, it's made a comeback in recent years, due in part to offshoots like emocore and rapcore. The recent return of hardcore veterans Agnostic Front (who also took most of the '90s off after a decade of non-stop touring) is not only a vindication for traditional hardcore purists, but also sets an important example for younger bands: the Front have remained true to their ideals throughout their 20-year existence, while many of their peers have either broken up or abandoned hardcore altogether.

Talking with lead singer Roger Miret (who, along with guitarist Vinnie Stigma, has been with the group since the beginning), you sense how happy he is that his band are playing again. "When we broke up in '93, I knew it wasn't the end," he explains. "I knew we'd be back. Only this line-up could do this kind of music." Since forming in 1982, Agnostic Front have been at the front of the movement, releasing hugely influential albums like Victim in Pain and Cause for Alarm. They disbanded six years ago, but returned last year with a solid comeback record titled Something's Gotta Give (Epitaph Records). They've just released their second Epitaph outing, Riot, Riot, Upstart, which proves that Agnostic Front (who appear this Sunday at the Palladium) are as potent as ever.

When asked about the state of hardcore music today, Miret responds: "I think it's a great scene, a growing scene, and a young scene. There are a lot of differences today, because there's a lot of MTV-generated kids channeling over to hardcore.

"I don't like to say that we're icons," explains Miret of his band's status. "We do consider ourselves founding fathers of hardcore. We took the idea of punk farther than anyone. So people know us and they come out to see us play. But at the same time, we're just another band that likes to tour and play."

The lyrics on Riot, Riot, Upstart cover standard hardcore themes: "My Life" is a classic "I'll do things my way" manifesto; "Rock Star" is a dismissal of a hardcore poser; and "Frustration" deals with the pressures of everyday life. "All those lyrics are about the politics around us, the people and the things we encounter day to day," he explains. "This record is a direct reflection of where we're at in the conclusion of the '90s."

Agnostic Front's themes may not be original, but Miret's vocals keep the songs from being formulaic or trite. His voice is gruff from years of performing, but the sheer effort he puts into his singing has you believing that he coughs up blood after each song. When he forcefully shouts "I don't care any more/Just like I never did before" in "Jailbreak," it's apparent the man means what he's singing.

The songs are timeless, in the respect they could easily fit on early Agnostic Front albums. A quick, thrashy song like "Price You Pay" would be perfect on Victim in Pain, while a track like "Sit and Watch," with its vivid imagery ("Broken glass from a stolen car/Drug dealers surround me"), compares favorably to the thoughtful songs on Cause for Alarm. The diversity the band have shown throughout their career, going from quick bursts of anger to a complex mixing of punk and metal, demonstrates why they have been so influential; you can hear Agnostic Front, from their straight-forward songwriting to their mixing of genres, in countless hardcore bands, from veterans like Sick of It All to younger outfits like H2O.

Agnostic Front turned to a member of one of those younger outfits, Lars Frederiksen of Rancid, to produce the new record. "We originally asked him to produce Something's Gotta Give, but he was busy touring with Rancid," explains Miret. "So we decided to do the next record together. He gets good performances out of us and also wants to hang out with us. He learned the music and practiced with us, and really became a member of the band." The rhythm section of bassist Rob Kabula and drummer Jimmy Colletti play their instruments with surgical precision, while guitarist Stigma pounds out monstrous riffs and even sneaks in some quick guitar solos (something rarely heard in hardcore music). The end result is a collection of songs that is guaranteed to sound as good in the pit as it does coming out your stereo.

But do the band see an eventual end to their hardcore crusade? "We'll keep going until no one wants to hear us anymore," Miret says. "We're a revolutionist type of band -- we're here for people who are going through hard times or are outcasts of society. So we're always in demand. We're here to stay." Or as Miret himself wrote in the liner notes to Something's Gotta Give: "The fat lady never sang and probably never will."

Agnostic Front appear on October 31 at the Palladium. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Call 797-9696.