VIA PRESS RELEASE | It’s been 35 plus years since their Lower East Side NYC inception, but astoundingly Agnostic Front are still just as vital as the thriving punk movement they helped create. It’s befitting that another worldwide movement, Record Store Day, now in its 11th year, has chosen The Godfathers Of Hardcore, filmmaker Ian McFarland’s powerful documentary about AF, as its Official Film for 2018.
For those of you unfamiliar with NYC Hardcore, Agnostic Front were a viper’s tongue of resonant energy. Crested by the distinctive voice of Roger Miret and revved on by guitarist, Vinnie Stigma, the band can be seen/heard as a defining timbre of angst, disillusionment, and existential struggle. From CBGB hardcore matinees to stages around the globe, AF were the educators for young fans of the genre. And possibly more than any other subset of punk rock, those kids would stick around.
Now, as illustrated in McFarland’s already celebrated film, one can identify a whole new generation of hardcore fans, all of whom recognize Agnostic Front as one of its most seminal trailblazers, however, the film also portrays the profound and nuanced friendship of its 2 most enduring members…
Miret, a Cuban refugee from an abusive home, and Stigma, a second gen NYC Italian found common ground in the visceral expression of punk rock. While AF claimed legendary status fairly early on in their trajectory, Vinnie and Roger’s long history proved complicated, leaning on each other through a variety of challenges that ranged from incarceration to serious health issues. Much of the courage, conflict, reflection, and resolve between the two compadres is at the center of The Godfathers of Hardcore, as is the music, additionally rounded out by Aaron Drake’s brilliant score and contributions from contemporaries such as The Stimulators, Iron Cross, and Reagan Youth, among others.
The film’s score, composed by the aforementioned Aaron Drake, is pressed on vinyl by Wargod Collective, in a gatefold package, complete with a poster and will be released as a Record Store Day exclusive on April 21, at record stores in the US. (NOTE: This RSD 2018 exclusive release features Drake’s original score and none of the other above stated artists.)
“The Hardcore scene mirrors many of the ideals that we celebrate every Record Store Day: perseverance, dedication, camaraderie; The Godfathers of Hardcore is the perfect fit for this year’s Official Film,” says Shellie Olszewski of Park Ave CDs in Orlando, where filmmaker McFarland will be doing in-store event on April 7. Check recordstoreday.com for more events and screenings at record stores throughout the year.
