One of the most powerful bands to emerge from the cinders of punk... one of the most powerful bands ever. Greg Ginn, a madman and a thorough disciple of the guitar, brought this band into being in 1977 in the depths of L.A. outside of the reaches of the excesses of the '70s. He'd had enough of the "California" sound of the Eagles, the over-production of Steely Dan and ELO. It was time to create a new sound. Fueled by the simplicity and immediacy of the Ramones first album, he pulled together a small group of people who could barely play their instruments and began a pattern of musical deconstruction that exploded on a brand new scene that was just beginning to form. Controversy and opposition were the bedfellows of the band from the beginning: the law were not welcoming the emergence of the punk scene on the west coast. The fact that Black Flag survived those first four years was amazing in its own right. Singers kept quitting, occasionally during shows. But the band persevered, even acting in an instrumental capacity in between singers. It became common during these periods for people to jump on stage and act as the stand-in vocalist for the band. Dez Cadena, 1980-1983 The band finally settled into a stable unit with Ginn on guitar, Chuck Dukowski on bass, Robo on drums, and Dez Cadena as the permanent vocalist. It was with this line-up that Black Flag first ventured out on its first US tours. By December of 1980, the band was making its way across the USA for the first time. They played their first dates in New York City and Washington D.C. In the audience at each show were D.C. youths Ian MacKaye and Henry Garfield. They spoke to the band and ended up hanging out with them. Flag came east again during the summer of 1981. It was at a show in New York City that Henry ended up getting on stage and singing with the band for one song. Unbeknownst to Henry, Dez had been wanting to give up the mic to move over to rhythm guitar. Jumping on stage to sing left an impression on the band, so they ended up calling Henry back to NYC from D.C. and asked him to 'jam' with the band. After taking the train ride up and practicing with the band for a few hours, the others talked it over and decided that Henry would be the new vocalist. He quit his job, sublet his apartment, sold nearly everything he owned, and joined the band on tour several days later. This line up only lasted until their tour of England in late 1981, but long enough to record the first album, Damaged. Ian and Henry, 1982 Interview during the Damaged sessions, 1981 Dukowski, Rollins, Cadena, Ginn It was after their tour of the UK that they lost long time drummer Robo. Bill Stevenson of the Descendents filled in for a show or two, but a succession of replacement drummers (including future Danzig drummer Chuck Biscuits) came before he took over as the full time drummer. Flag were kept from releasing a sophomore album due to legal difficulties with the label that were originally scheduled to release Damaged. SST had taken it upon themselves to release the album themselves once MCA (in charge of distributing the Unicorn label) deemed it "An Anti-Parent Record" and unsuitable for corporate release. By doing so themselves, however, they violated a contract and wound up with thousands in legal bills andinjunctions against them for the next two years. Despite this, they released a compilation of formerly unreleased takes without the Black Flag name and ended up in more legal troubles... it was determined to still be Black Flag. More bills. Rollins in action Dukowski, Rollins, Ginn, Chuck Biscuits, Cadena Fall, 1982 By the time My War was released in 1983, Stevenson was in, but Dukowski had left the group. Ginn performed bass duties himself for the recording of the album under the name Dale Nixon. Kira Roessler was brought in by the end of the year as the new bass player.1984 began an incredibly intense period of activity for the band. They released two albums that year, the split Family Man (half early Rollins spoken word, half Flag instrumentals), and the aggressive Slip It In. They toured insanely, going to great lengths to tour as many places in as little time as possible. Intensive tours into the depths of Europe and throughout the United States ensued. They even went to the length of playing three shows in three states in the space of 24 hours... lengths bands today will usually not go to. 1985 was even more active. Three album releases, including Loose Nut and In My Head interrupted by the instrumental Process of Weeding Out. Soon after, Stevenson and then Kira left the band. Kira, 1985 Rollins, 1985 Anthony Martinez and C'el were taken on as the new drummer and bass player respectively and another shakedown of the United States was undertaken. Also on the bill were groups Painted Willie and the Ginn led instrumental trio Gone (including future Rollins Band rhythm section Simeon Cain and Andrew Weiss.) The three legs of the tour were probably the most ambitious touring of their career. It would also be their last. In mid-1986, Ginn called the members of the band and told them he was quitting Black Flag. So ended the near ten year career of one of the most dynamic bands to come out of punk. Ginn concentrated on running SST Records. A year later, the Rollins Band had already begun touring.
Gorilla Biscuits was a New York straight edge hardcore punk band on Revelation Records. Gorilla Biscuits all started out when Arthur met Civ because they were both living in New York and going to the same high school. They were both into hardcore from hearing Agnostic Front. They got into it and started going to shows at CBGB's on the weekends. This was where they met people like Ray Cappo and Porcell.
Walter wanted to start a band and asked Civ to sing. Civ had no interest in singing and always had to face the floor or wall while doing it. The guys from Token Entry hooked them up with a show and needed to know the name of the band. The drug of choice in their neighborhood were these big ludes which people called "gorilla biscuits" because they were so huge, mainly meaning "ape shit". They were just going to call themselves that until they changed it, but it pretty much stuck.
The start was kind of rough. They made crappy demo tapes which included the song "Slut", on it. They were cheap tapes bought at a dollar store which had no cases, so they just cut and pasted some stuff onto a piece of paper and copied them. The first shirts were blue with a gorilla riding a skateboard. they were done using a black magic marker and a ink blotter. At the first Gorilla Biscuits show Civ wore camo pants and a green hooded sweatshirt.
Later, Jordan Cooper, the front man of Revelation Records, who then lived in CT, put out a Gorilla Biscuits 7" which later became a hardcore hit along with other hardcore classics. The almighty G.B. then toured the States and Europe twice. The first time they went to Europe they were getting spit on and stuff thrown at them. By the second time they went there a straight-edge scene had started and it was better. On their final U.S. tour, Start Today, had just hit stores two days before. It was great for the band. Sadly enough, they played their last show later that year in Buffalo, New York. Now pretty much all the members are in CIV. Civ now owns a tattoo studio in New York City and is also the singer for CIV. Walter went on to form Quicksand and after that helped produce CIV's first album, Quicksand has recently gotten back together. Arthur went to CIV also.
Guitarist Walter Schreifels' later musical endeavors include Quicksand, Rival Schools, and Walking Concert. Civ became the singer for eponymic hardcore punk group CIV and is currently the owner of a Long Island tattoo studio called Lotus Tattoo.
The band played a reunion show on August 14, 2005 at CBGB in New York, New York as a benefit to save CBGB from financial problems.
In 2006, it was reported on Punknews.org that the band had plans to reissue their seminal recording, 'Start Today The album was originally released in 1989 and will be remastered and feature in depth liner notes written by Walter Schreifels, it will also feature a DVD of the CBGB's reunion show from August of 2005.
Also set for 2006 is a month-long reunion tour which will feature an exclusive 7-inch only available on tour stops.
Legendary Hardcore/Thrash titans, AGNOSTIC FRONT, are back with another testament to the bands flawless legacy! Recorded at the now infamous Planet Z Studios in Hadley Massachusetts by Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall), Warriors is the yet another landmark in hardcore’s history. Produced this time around by vocalist Roger Miret’s little brother, Freddy Cricien (Madball, Hazen Street), the bands message of family and unity has never come across stronger in their music. Warriors is a statement of strength in the face of adversity and few bands make a statement louder than AGNOSTIC FRONT.
In today’s civilization, people continue to suffer undergoing the grief, corruption, oppression and exploitation without a way to elude their troubles. Many have lived through these problems for ages, and the moment one tries to fight for what they believe is right, the elite brings them down and their voices are disregarded. For over a decade, AGNOSTIC FRONT has helped get these messages across to the populace to help solve these problems through socially driven music known as “hardcore.” In their latest offering, the band gives power and strength to these ignored voices. As one of the original hardcore bands that lived and breathed the problems that controlled their everyday New York City lifestyle since 1983, they have been amongst the most venerable and notorious outcasts of this hardcore movement.
These rarely confronted and always respected leaders of hardcore were established as one of the meanest-sounding bands in the emerging punk genre, helping to initiate the term "hardcore," and placing an entire uproar on the New York map by association. From the start, AGNOSTIC FRONT released a catalogue of fast and violent punk tunes consisting of distinctive and aggressive drumming, bass work, and a non-stop barrage of chaotic shouting. AGNOSTIC FRONT’s uncontrollable drumming and fuming guitars fill every minute like an onrushing storm of flailing limbs and incinerating transistors. The heavier paced balance between the energy and discipline of their earlier punk roots strikes a taut and vivid rock barrage that moshes in close formation. "It's social politics," Roger states. "The day-to-day reality of waking up, reading the newspaper, and walking around the neighborhood. It's a hard stare on why the world is still one fucked-up place, and we tackle the very real shit that's going down: gentrification's running rampant, street justice, world destruction, working wages, and backs are still being stabbed."
Long outliving their now-legendary contemporaries like Minor Threat, SSD, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag, AGNOSTIC FRONT could easily live off their laurels, but their fight is yet over! Throughout their storied history, AGNOSTIC FRONT have been anything but a ravishing group of individuals living prosperously and content. In fact, the band is more akin to have experienced growing up in adverse streets, undergoing arduous times, serving time in prison, become inflicted with murdered friends, the list would go on perpetually. But while there are definite vestiges of the past affecting them, they manage to continue and expose the conflicts they had to undergo in a compellingly evocative approach by relating it to their views of the world today.
AGNOSTIC FRONT continues to be living embodiment that "hardcore for life" isn't an empty slogan or a musical dead end. No one is born with tattoos. No one's born hardcore. But when the ink or the music sets in, you're changed. Their latest offering reaffirms that AGNOSTIC FRONT as a band, still operates like a musical razor blade. Regardless of their history, the proof is simple: AGNOSTIC FRONT’s anthems are hard, cutting, and the remarkable music continues to broaden with every release. “We support UNITY! We despise ignorance and hatred within our scene. The only people we should be at war with is those who oppress us, not with each other. Unite! Fight the system! Not ourselves! Believe – Hardcore
