AGNOSTIC FRONT – My Life My Way

The worldwide Hardcore scene, and in particular the scene in New York, wouldn’t have developed the way it did without the guiding hand of pioneer bands like Agnostic Front. Since 1980 these guys have been feeling their way into being one of the legends of the genre, and they eventually reached the point when they deserved that title. With so many albums under their belts, Agnostic Front has released yet another album, titled My Life My Way, which has helped maintain their status as one of America’s top Hardcore acts. My Life My Way is a true combination of Old School New York Hardcore and Metal following the American spirit.  It was produced by the great hands of Erik Rutan & Freddy Cricien of the band Madball, and was mastered by Alan Douches.

My Life My Way is a simple release actually. It is straightforward Hardcore / Punk / Metal without too many complexities. My Life My Way isn’t something deep and probably wasn’t meant to be deep in the first place. Agnostic Front, as any Hardcore band around, is all about keeping the flow and about fast moving material. Music is their rapid lane to freedom. Although their occasional simple solo licks and some of the passages present their Metal flavors, their Hardcore comes in the form of well-made massive grooves, the unending whining voice of Roger Miret, and their ultra-spiking catchy tunes. Of course, after a short time with Hardcore songs, as in contrast with Punk, one will get the idea very fast that the riffages tend to be similar to one another. That negative aspect somewhat hurts Agnostic Front on this album, but not in a way that will ruin the listening experience.

The material might not be diverse, as is the case on any of their albums, but it is quite fun. Agnostic Front presented a series of tracks with a very high potential, with blinks to 80s Hardcore, 90s Punk and other similarities to Post-Metal stuff. They show their Metal prowess with “More Than A Memory” that resembles S.O.D., later day Anthrax, and the late 80s M.O.D. In their best Hardcore performances, they hammer with a fast pace in Spanish on “A Mi Manera” and in anthems like “Us Against The World”, “Until The Day I Die”, and “Now Or Never”. In general, Agnostic Front didn’t necessarily show progress in Hardcore music, but they were able to mass good songs in the spirit of the mixture they have been working on for years. My Life My Way is Agnostic Front’s way or the highway… just make sure you pick right.

Tracklist

1. City Street
2. More Than A Memory
3. Us Against The World
4. My Life My Way
5. That’s Life
6. Self Pride
7. Until The Day I Die
8. Now And Forever
9. The Sacrifice
10. A Mi Manera (My Way)
11. Your Worst Enemy
12. Empty Dreams
13. Time Has Come

Lineup

Roger Miret – Vocals
Winnie Stigma – Guitars
Joseph James – Guitars
Mike Gallo – bass
Pokey – Drums