Cause for Alarm (album)
| 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 | ||||
| ||||
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.
Overview[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
| 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[edit]
| 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[edit]
- 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[edit]
- ^ "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").
