** Agnostic Front

RIOT, RIOT, UPSTART

(Epitaph)

You generally know what to expect from the Epitaph imprint: its bands have a Cookie Monster punk image. The musicians may be angry, tattoo'd, and pierced, but Epipunkers are sensitive AA graduates. And most of the albums have that Lars Frederiksen production, which sounds like '80s glam-metal minus the reverb, even if Rancid's Frederiksen isn't at the knobs.

This dressing worked last year on Agnostic Front's Epitaph debut, Something's Gotta Give: the disc marked an Agnostic Front reunion, and it had the band coming off like the thug-punk equivalent of Journey, with sappy street lyrics about "believing in hardcore" lavishly accompanied by big, glossy guitars. Aside from some by-the-book Brit-punk/Oi!-style filler, Riot, Riot, Upstart is a more intimate outing for the veteran hardcore band -- intimate in a primal sense. At times listening is like witnessing a temper tantrum: "Police State," "Blood, Death & Taxes," and "Bullet on Mott St." are less songs than politically charged staccato shouts fitted with guitar riffs. So this time the Friday-night-arena-band production, featuring "spooky" sound effects and an Epitaph choir of special guests on soccer chants, isn't quite appropriate. In fact, it detracts from the Sunday-afternoon-punk-matinee catharsis.

-- Lorne Behrman

(Agnostic Front perform this Sunday, October 31, upstairs at the Palladium in Worcester. Call 800-477-6849.)