Agnostic Front – Get Loud! (Nuclear Blast)

Friday, 27th December 2019
Rating: 8/10

Agnostic Front has hung around longer than they or anyone else expected, so, they’re in a reflective, but no less frenetic mood on Get Loud!, their 12th full-length and first since 2015’s The American Dream Died. There’s a certain tightrope older bands need to walk when playing music designed for younger individuals, but with Agnostic Front, there’s little to suggest they’re ready to become cranky old dudes yelling at kids from their front porches — Get Loud! delivers a message on the personal and societal front while remaining true to its hardcore origins.

There was, of course, a time when Agnostic Front leaned more on the metal side of things, which was around their unheralded 1992 One Voice. While one would be curious to hear what Agnostic Front circa 2019 would sound like with thrash elements and guitar solos, you get pretty much everything you could ask for with Get Loud! The anthemic, circle pit-inducing “Spray Painted Walls,” “I Remember” (a cut that reflects on the band’s early days and perseverance) and “AF Stomp” is fresh, stout reminders of what hardcore punk laced with metal can bring. Frontman Roger Miret, like always, is head-first into everything, his patented vocal spew still purposeful, ready to assail and confront, just like he was during the band’s halcyon days.

The longevity of Agnostic Front, as well as Madball, suggests that hardcore remains immune to the trends buzzing over them like vultures. Truth is, the other “core” scenes could learn a lot from bands like Agnostic Front. With loyalty only to the scene they helped create, Agnostic Front delivers a resounding message of unity and stability on Get Loud!

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