|
 |
AGNOSTIC FRONT
KEEPS NEW YORK HARDCORE ALIVE
by Jonathan Williams
Live & Tattoo Photos by Evil Jim
Group Photos courtesy of Nuclear Blast USA
From the June 2005 issue of Prick Magazine.
|
|
|
|
Agnostic Front is the type of band that keeps things simple. From Roger Miret's tell-it-like-he-sees-it lyrical approach to the straightforward pummel that has made the band legendary within the hardcore scene, Agnostic Front has been bringing the hardships of coming up on the mean streets of New York City to the ears of devoted fans since the early '80s.
And the band has weathered its share of music industry trends only to come back as strong as ever with its latest release Another Voice. At a point in human history filled with war, corruption and oppression on a global scale, there couldn't be a better time for socially driven anthems that champion the New York Hardcore lifestyle such as "Still Here," "Pride, Faith, Respect," "Peace," and "I Live It."
While it might seem like business as usual for Agnostic Front, there are a few new things on Another Voice. For one, the current lineup consists of founding members Miret and guitarist Vinnie Stigma, as well as the new faces of guitarist Lenny Di Sclafani (Agnostic Front/Madball veteran Matt Henderson also contributed to the album) and Steve Gallo, brother of bassist Mike Gallo, on drums. Others who contributed to Another Voice include some of the top names in the current hardcore scene such as Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta, who not only sings the chorus of "Peace is not an option!" on "Peace," but also shares production credits with Zeuss, who has helped bring bands like Shadows Fall and Sworn Enemy to the forefront of today's hardcore movement.
|
|
"This record's a little bit different," says Steve Gallo. "A little heavier than anything we've really done before. That's probably because of the changes in the lineup. I'm a different player and more into heavier type of stuff. Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed produced it with us. We tried to do, like, a second part to [1992's] One Voice with Another Voice. It's kind of in that vein and heavy like that."
And even though some of these guys have only been in the band for a short time, everyone's voice was heard while recording the new record.
"They worked on writing [the songs] and I just kind of put my own style and my own thing to them and they were happy about it and collaborated," says Steve. "There were ideas already set out for what they wanted me to do. But I just kind of went out there and played it and we all came to an agreement with everything. Everybody came up with ideas for everything also. We all put our minds together."
Stigma agrees that recording the new songs was a collaborative effort.
"Especially when you see the two brothers fight," he jokes. "It's great and I wait for that. They collaborate all right. I think they're from Collabria."
|
 Vinnie Stigma (guitars). |
|
|
Aside from being a member of one of the bands that started the entire hardcore movement, Stigma is also one of the owners of New York Hardcore Tattoos with Jimmy G of Murphy’s Law. His attitude toward tattooing mirrors the no-nonsense approach Agnostic Front takes to making music.
"Come on, who can't tattoo?" says Stigma in his hardened New York accent. "What is this, the Mona Lisa? I mean, sure there's good tattoo artists, but come on, who are we kidding? I own a tattoo shop, I shouldn't be saying this stuff. Hey, they're all famous. If they're famous, what am I, chopped liver?
"I don't have pretty tattoos," he continues. "When I was tattooing it was tattoos, not body art. I'm from the old school. I've tattooed over 30 years, so I've seen the tribals come and go, the different colors. I remember the old days when you had to make the piece of plastic to put the graphite on your arm and use Vaseline. To me it's like hearing a record that's not produced so well. It sounds raw, it's hard, there's a flavor to it. When you clean it up too much, it's too pretty and too soft sometimes. Tattoos are street art, so it should look like that."
|
 Roger Miret. |
|
With his own shop, Stigma tries to keep some of that old-school flavor alive today.
"It's kind of a renegade shop," he says. "Do they call them parlors? I still call it a parlor. Yeah, it's a parlor, not a boutique.
"A lot of bands come by and get tattooed and hang out," he continues. "Even if they all get a small piece, we barbecue for them and take care of them. I like hosting bands because I know how it is on the road. And I've got good parking, too. That means a lot. In New York, that's pretty cool."
Things have obviously changed in the industry since Stigma did some of his first tattoos, such as Miret's Agnostic Front chestpiece. And just as things have changed in the tattoo world, Stigma has also seen some changes in the world of hardcore and punk rock. He even admits to altering his own playing to keep up a little.
"I had to drop down to D," he says. "I had to change my style a little, I had to do a little throwback. It evolves just like tattoos. There are trends in music. It's the same thing in culture, in life, so you gotta roll with it. We do our own thing, but we add a little flavor here and there. You gotta keep up, you know what I mean?"
Despite a few changes, you can still expect nothing but the honest truth from Agnostic Front. And from the sound of it, it's everyone else who will be struggling to keep up with these purveyors of punk and hardcore.
|
|
|
Agnostic Front will be on tour through June and July.
For more information, go to www.agnosticfront.com, www.hardcorenyc.com or www.nuclearblastusa.com.
For more Evil Jim photography visit www.eviljimsrecords.com
back to top
|
|
|
