Although their trailblazing days are far behind them, one can always rely on Agnostic Front to drop a no frills hardcore album whenever they damn please. When looking back on their catalog, there’s never been an album that saw them tailor their sound to accommodate mainstream tastes. Sure, 1998’s reunion album, Something’s Gotta Give, was more anthemic than usual for the band, perhaps slightly catering to the Warped Tour demographic, but it was far from a neutered pop punk bandwagon attempt. It was pure AF through and through, and with the exception of the crossover-dominant Warriors (2007), they’ve largely been making the same album ever since. Their latest, Echoes in Eternity, is no exception.
Before we dive into the specifics of these hardcore lifers’ 13th studio album, let’s establish some basics. Agnostic Front didn’t just play hardcore punk in their early ’80s heyday; they singlehandedly laid down the foundation for the genre and aesthetic as we know it. Yes, when it comes to today’s ever-growing hardcore/crossover/beatdown crop, it can all be traced back to AF and fellow game-changing New Yorkers, Cro-Mags. Their influence can be heard more prominently in today’s hardcore than fellow era spearheads Black Flag, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, and perhaps even Bad Brains…and honestly, that’s a beautiful thing. After 45 years as hardcore’s underdogs, the time has come for AF to shine, and by shine I mean like a black eye.
Since we last heard from AF, the band has encountered two life-changing events. For one, founding guitarist Vinnie Stigma turned 70. Now this isn’t crazy when you consider the vast amount of classic metal and hard rock acts regularly touring and recording today who boast at least one septuagenarian in their ranks. However, if you’ve seen AF live, and witnessed the way Stigma still gets in the mosh pit like it’s CBGB’s circa ’83, this milestone becomes all the more impressive. On a more serious note, frontman Roger Miret battled cancer in 2021…and being the hardcore warrior he is, beat it to submission and is now cancer-free. This rejuvenated spirit can be heard in the ever-empowering lyricism and signature proto-tough guy vocal delivery of Miret on Echoes in Eternity.
Whether it’s breakneck hardcore bruisers like “Way of War”, “Evolution of Madness”, and “Obey”, bouncy Madball-esque groove-fests like “Matter of Life & Death” and “Turn Up the Volume”, or classic punk street anthems like “Sunday Matinee” and “Eyes Open Wide”, AF covers all the bases one wouldn’t just want from a quality hardcore album, but expect. It’s certainly old school enough to appeal to the OGs, but tough enough to hang with the kiddos any day of the week, teaching them how it’s done. The strongest moments come in the form of the crossover-crazed, Cause for Alarm tinged “Tears for Everyone” and “Hell to Pay”, as well as the blink and you’ll miss it thrashcore assault of “Art of Silence”: A homage to the Victim in Pain days if I’ve ever heard one.
If Echoes in Eternity‘s 12 other songs were in the vein of the last three that I mentioned, we’d be having serious album of the year considerations at hand. Instead, we’re given an AF album that again, pales in comparison to their ’80s prime, but is yet another muscular entry into their no-nonsense canon. Echoes in Eternity isn’t just a flickering sign of life, a metaphorical faint heartbeat or shallow breath. No, it’s the musical equivalent of a full speed marathon run, proving that AF is alive, well, and not going anywhere anytime soon. Moniker aside, thank God!
6 out of 10
Label: Reigning Phoenix Music
Genre: Hardcore Punk
For fans of: Madball, Cro-Mags, Terror