The first Hardcore record I ever got was Agnostic Front’s Cause For Alarm. I was in high school and I had never heard anything like it before. It was the early days of the crossover scene and until this point I had been listening to metal exclusively. That quickly changed. The short songs, the vitriol of the lyrics, the breakdowns instead of the guitar solos, all lead me to a new musical revelation.

Twenty nine years later and this band still gives me that feeling of awe. The thing is, the line up of the band now, musically, is the best it has ever been. Of course, there is the place for Kabula, Henderson, Shepler, Martin and even Setari, but when push comes to shove, Stigma, Miret, Gallo, Pokey, and Silverman are the tightest arrangement Agnostic Front has ever boasted. In addition to the lineup, you absolutely have the best production of any AF record in existence. The bass sound on The American Dream Died is absolutely huge. Add that to the best vocal recording Roger has ever benefited from and the perfect balance of drums versus guitars, you have a monster recording.

Lyrically, it is amazing to me that Roger Miret can still be so angry. With tracks like “Police Violence”, “American Dream”, and “No War Fuck You”, it is hard to tell the decade between The American Dream Died and Liberty And Justice. Add to that the general feel of the album, and the listener is transported to a time somewhere between Liberty And Justice and One Voice. Pepper that with a track like “I Can’t Relate” that is purely a United Blood era feel, and you have the strongest Agnostic Front album in ages.  If I had one negative for the album, it is the track “Attack”. It just isn’t up to snuff with the rest of the tracks. It just seems week when butted up against the rest of the tracks.

While I love what I consider the “middle era” albums like Something’s Gotta Give and Dead Yuppies, they aren’t the album you reach for when you are in the mood for AF. The American Dream Died is going to be one of those records. Add in guest appearances from Sick Of It All’s Lou Koller, Roger’s little brother Freddie Madball, and Toby H2O, and you have a complete and timeless hardcore record. One that skips the trends, the pigeon holing, and the nonsense and goes directly for the street wise punk record that started this scene, band and legend.

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