Cause for Alarm (album)
Cause for Alarm is the second full-length studio album by New York hardcore band Agnostic Front. It was released in 1986 on Relativity/Combat Records and follows 1984's Victim in Pain. The album is still available on a split release with Victim in Pain on the same disc.
| Cause for Alarm | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Recorded | Systems II (Brooklyn, New York) | |||
| Genre | Hardcore punk, crossover thrash | |||
| Length | 23:48 | |||
| Label | Relativity, Combat | |||
| Producer | Norman Dunn | |||
| Agnostic Front chronology | ||||
| ||||
Overview
The addition of a second guitarist Alex Kinon led to a more metallic approach, although the songs still had mostly a hardcore sound. One other line-up change was the replacement of Dave Jones by Louie Beatto on drums. The band would further explore the metal sound on their next album, 1987's Liberty and Justice For...
Controversy
Several critics, including Phil Donahue,[1] Jello Biafra and the fanzine Maximum Rocknroll,[2] have criticized Agnostic Front for the controversial lyrics of the song "Public Assistance", written for the band by then-Carnivore frontman Peter Steele.[3] Steele went on to write a very similar song for his new band Type O Negative named Der Untermensch, which appeared on their album Slow Deep and Hard.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Kerrang! |  [5] |
In 2005, Cause for Alarm was ranked number 302 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Eliminator" | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Existence of Hate" | 2:18 |
| 3. | "Time Will Come" | 1:22 |
| 4. | "Growing Concern" | 4:10 |
| 5. | "Your Mistake" | 1:26 |
| 6. | "Out for Blood" | 2:13 |
| 7. | "Toxic Shock" | 2:27 |
| 8. | "Bomber Zee" | 2:28 |
| 9. | "Public Assistance" | 2:44 |
| 10. | "Shoot His Load" | 1:30 |
| Total length: | 23:48 | |
"Your Mistake" was covered by Fear Factory, with Freddy Cricien of Madball, on the Demanufacture digipak as a bonus track, and by Hatebreed on their album For the Lions.
Personnel
- Agnostic Front
- Roger Miret – vocals
- Vinnie Stigma – lead guitar
- Alex Kinon – rhythm guitar
- Rob Kabula – bass
- Louie Beatto – drums
- Production
- Recorded at Systems II, Brooklyn, New York
- Produced by Norman Dunn
- Engineered by Mike Maricano
- Written by Peter Steele[7]
References
- "A Brief History of Conservative and Libertarian Punk". Reason. May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- "KFTH - Agnostic Front Page". Homepages.nyu.edu. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- "Steele Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Agnostic Front Cause for Alarm review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
- Miller, Paul (September 18, 1986). "Hardcore Hardware". Kerrang!. Vol. 129. London, UK: Spotlight Publications. p. 20.
- Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten (in German). Rock Hard. 2005. p. 91. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
- Blush, Steven (October 2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Feral House. p. 294.
1986's Cause For Alarm LP (on Combat Core) made AF infamous. Vinnie and Roger inexplicably hired the late Pete Steele (Carnivore, Type O Negative) to write the record — as they were too fucked-up/lazy/devoid of ideas. Cause For Alarm proved divisive, for its Metal tendencies and for Steele's lyrics (like his dim view of welfare recipients on "Public Assistance").