New York, NY · NYHC

Agnostic Front

1 upcoming festival

The godfathers of NYHC — Lower East Side scripture since the early '80s, with 'Victim in Pain' still the blueprint for every two-stepping hardcore band that followed.

Agnostic Front came together in New York in 1981 and became one of the defining bands of the New York hardcore scene that grew around the Lower East Side and CBGB's matinees. Fronted by Roger Miret with guitarist Vinnie Stigma, the band's early records set out a template of short, blunt songs, gang vocals and breakdowns built for moving crowds.

Their 1984 album Victim in Pain is widely treated as a foundational NYHC record, while later work pushed further toward crossover thrash and metal. The band has continued performing and recording across four decades, and remains a reference point for hardcore bands on both sides of the Atlantic.

NYHC