Victim In Pain

A crucial early document of New York hardcore punk, Agnostic Front’s debut LP slammed out 11 tracks in 15 minutes. Guitarist Vinnie Stigma was the band’s leader, and his savage punk-unto-metal riffs give songs like “United And Strong” and “Your Mistake” a convulsive energy further amplified by Dave Jones’ crude, pounding drums (the D-beat rhythm on “Power” is absolutely devastating). Singer Roger Miret was untrained, to say the least, but his simultaneously hoarse and nasal yawp was pure Bowery, and seemed to come straight out of an open manhole. They were often painted as right-wing goons, but the chorus of “Fascist Attitudes” is “Stop now, before it’s too late.”