My Life My Way

After nearly 30 years of recording, longtimers Vinnie Stigma and Roger Miret continue to run the show, along with return bassist Mike Gallo and new recruits Joseph James (guitar) and Pokey Mo (drums). Agnostic Front have survived various lineup changes and flirted with a few musical styles (namely metal) since their early days as New York hardcore pioneers. But from the third quarter of their career on, they have stayed consistent, blending thrash, metalcore, and Oi! styles. Madball/Cannibal Corpse producer Erik Rutan brings out the finer traits of all three styles for My Life My Way, while simultaneously making the band sound as big and heavy as sonically possible. Roger Miret's distinctive vocals -- which are delivered in more of a yowl than a growl -- are straining but remain powerful, and even (gasp!) melodic at times. Other than the occasional big hook, there are only a few departures from the usual steady riffing. “A Mi Manera” is sung entirely in Spanish, and the killer cut “That’s Life” revives the haphazard fury of the early years in under a minute-twenty, as Miret yells “Who fucking cares!?” Agnostic Front's devoted fan base, that's who. ~ Jason Lymangrover