Agnostic Front - Echoes In Eternity

Agnostic Front defines the New York City Hardcore scene. No matter the lineup, as long as you have Roger and Vinnie, then you know you are in for the legit depiction of the band.  Since their first EP in 1983, they have never made the same album twice, with a great deal of this due to the ever-evolving vocal approach of Miret that ranges from screaming to tough guy barking to almost rapping. This time their experience shines through in the larger guitar sound which has been mined in the studio and which slaps with a surprising amount of youthful energy this late into their career. 

The formula that works best for them is in place when the album kicks off, the guitars locked in a rapid-fire attack with anthemic hardcore gang vocals is the choruses and there are more melodic nuances, thanks to the older, wiser songwriting. On Matter of Life and Death they dip into a sound that brings to mind the origins of nu-metal, which emerged from hardcore when hip-hop elements crept in. They are joined here by DMC, which is effective, though perhaps not as groundbreaking as it would have been if this had occurred in the 90s. It does grow on you though after a few listens.

The production on the album also bears a faint resemblance to some of the sounds heard on '90s metal albums, which can be heard in the more thrashing chug of 'Tears For Evereyone'. Some of the hip-hop attitude from the previous song lingers in the staccato punchiness which is another example of their songwriting prowess and as heard on the vocals here. 'Divided' is more melodic than you might anticipate from them while there are also tracks like 'Sunday Matinee' that are just typical fun punk anthems. The bands strengths on the album seem to lie more in the moments of metallic tension as is heard in 'Turn Up the Volume'. Though this takes other forms by the time you get to 'Shots Fired' it feels more like a Biohazard album. The thrashier 'Hell to Pay' also falls under this mood, even when it finds its groove while 'Evolution of Madness' charges along a similar punk path to some of the previous songs. 

'Skip the Trial' is another thrasy punk song with a similar approach to gang vocals to what's previously heard. More metallic moments like 'Obey' works better than just trying to appease the punk kids and has contains perhaps the album's best lyrics; finally 'Eyes Open Wide' concludes the record with a mighty metal chug. Echoes in Eternity is far better than expected from a band who might be dismissed as past their prime, proving they are NYC Hardcore even in 2025.

Review by Wil Cifer