Hey Mike, congratulations on the new album "The American Dream Died", your 11th full length, quite the achievement it has to be said. How do you keep finding the inspiration to write new material?

This time around we decided to speak out against what's wrong today in this country. We want to make people aware what's going on and to bring to their attention that we're a nation on fire, that something has to change or there will eventually be another world war. We've always been a pro American band and we're proud of where we come from, but we don't like the people who are running this country to the ground. Love the country, hate our government! This is what inspired us lyrically for this record. 

How did you find the recording process this time round?
 

We recorded in Orange County, California at BuzzBomb Sound Labs, with Paul Miner. Great guy and we could have not found anyone better to record and engineer this album. He's very easy to work with and incredibly fast when it comes to getting work done behind the boards. I think we tracked the record in 7 days. No longer than a week. It's the fastest session experience I have ever had in a studio. There's a few reasons why it went so smooth and were able to finish in this time. For one thing, Paul really knows his studio and works incredibly fast editing and whatever else goes into the recording process using pro tools. He's a real wizard behind the boards. We came in very prepared and made sure we all knew are parts before entering the studio. Also there are 8 tracks that we recorded live together in the studio to get that raw old school feel that we called the Sunday Matinee Sessions. This saved a lot of time cause we did not have to record each song separately.  The other half of the record we did in a more traditional way.

 

Which aspect are you most proud of now that the album is complete?

I have to say it's great to hear the feedback that we've been getting about the record. So the reviews that we have been getting cannot be any better and it's great to hear how much everyone is liking what we've created this time around. 

Agnostic Front lyrics have always been somewhat topical, is music the best way for your voice to be heard when there's a point to be made?
 

We are familiar with the phrase the pen is mightier than the sword, but in the case of The American Dream Died I think the voice is mightier than the pen.  Would you agree with the assessment given the desire for immediate gratification?

 

If you want people to hear what you have to say, the message gets across much faster via voice rather than pen. In today's society, we’re used to instant gratification what with smart phones and the internet.  If something happens on the other side of the world, we know about it in seconds.  Lots of people won’t take the time to read an entire article but listening to a song takes minutes and can be done while multitasking, so I believe there’s a much better chance of people hearing your message this way.

 

Your career now spans over 30 years, has the industry changing had much of an effect on you as a band?

I think it has an effect on every band that's been around for as long as we have and even younger bands as well. It's hard to make any money these days off of record sales because nobody is really buying music. We have to give up T-shirt designs to our label so we're losing out on merchandise as well. We sacrifice a lot being in a band and they're just making things a lot harder. We have to work 10 times harder now just to survive and we all need second jobs. 

Over the years the band have had a number of lineup changes, does new blood help revitalise you creatively?

This time around I think it definitely did. Adding Craig (Silverman) to the lineup brought a new life into the band. I can't say that we took a different approach when it came to writing this new album, but with the Spark of new life in the band things came together well and we wound up putting together the best record that we've done in a long time. 

How does it feel to be regarded as one of the real pioneers of the hardcore scene? Many of the new bands really look up to you and your style.

It's an honor to be a look at this way. We put in a lot of hard work and dedication to get where we are today, this was just not handed to us. We broke a lot of ground and things were not easy when we started. We had to fight our way for acceptance, especially with the way that we looked and the way we dressed. 

You've been signed to Nuclear Blast now for over ten years, seems like the perfect match for you so far?

They're the best label for us to be on. We work hard together as a team. That's the most important thing when the band and label both do their part. They get our music in stores everywhere, put adds out all the magazines and we tour hard to support each record. The owner Markus has been a big fan since he was a kid and we have great relations with everyone at the label.

 
Have any of the newer bands on the scene really caught your eye in recent years?

 

Yea I really like Backtrack, Coldside, Heavy Chains and Suburban Scum. Hard working bands with the right attitude. Playing as many shows as possible to spread their message. I would definitely check out these guys if you're into hardcore. 

 

What is your opinion on streaming services such as Spotify?

 

I think spotify is good for finding new music. I use it at times but if I like the band I will support them and buy their music. Everyone thinks they're just entitled to get music for free. That's bullshit and it's killing the music industry. Making it harder for bands to survive.  

When can fans expect Agnostic Front to be hitting UK shores?

I'm not sure when we will be back in the UK. We have a tour lined up on October but I'm not sure if we will be going through there yet. I know we usually hit the UK every other year or so and with the release of this new record I'm sure we will be through there sometime soon. 

We're sure there is barely a square inch of the earth Agnostic Front haven't set foot on over the course of your career - so where is the best venue/city you've played a show?

My favorite city in the world to play is Prague in Czech Republic. It's one of the most beautiful cities I ever seen and they have such a great music scene there.  We don't always get a chance to play there but when we do it's always amazing. My favorite venue to play is SO36 in Berlin Germany. Every time we play there it's just incredibly intense and with the sickest crowd response. Berlin is like our second home.

 

Would you rather play festival shows or intimate gigs?

 

Festivals definitely have a different vibe from club shows. To me I enjoy a smaller venue show because it is way more intimate and Hardcore shows are all about crowd participation together with the band. So the closer the crowd is to us the more intense of a show we will most likely have. That doesn't mean that I don't enjoy playing big festivals. Over the past 14 years that I've been in this band I have played some pretty incredible festivals. Where there were crowds from 30 to 40,000 people in front of us jumping up-and-down to our music and mosh pits bigger than you could imagine. That's a high in itself just watching all those people enjoy what you're bringing to them. So I have to say I do enjoy small club shows better but I'd be crazy to say that I did not enjoy playing festivals.

What do you guys get up to when you want to wind down after touring?

 

We enjoy spending time with our family and friends. I work as a barber when I'm not on tour with the band. I love both my jobs so I'm very lucky to be doing what I love for a living. But all I want to do when I get back from tour is to relax at home and eat pizza! 

Should fans expect anything other than "hardcore for life" from Agnostic Front?

This is our life and we will never conform or change for anyone. We're leaders not followers and proud of this scene that we helped create 30 something years ago. 

 

Thanks for your time Mike and we hope to see you over here in the very near future.