In a recent interview, Roger Miret, frontman of hardcore punk pioneers Agnostic Front, discussed their latest album, Echoes in Eternity, amid a busy touring schedule. The record, influenced by personal hardships like COVID-19 and cancer, features a collaboration with RUN-DMC's Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels. Miret highlighted the album's fresh elements and the band's enduring passion after 45 years.
Agnostic Front, the New York hardcore legends, released their new album Echoes in Eternity in 2025, marking a significant chapter for the band. Speaking from his home in Arizona on December 1, 2025, frontman Roger Miret shared insights into the record's creation and the band's ongoing momentum with interviewer Mikko from Chaoszine.
The year 2025 has been demanding for Agnostic Front, with extensive touring keeping the group active. Miret noted, “It’s been great, it’s been busy. We’ve been on tour… on tour a lot and we haven’t stopped.” An east-coast tour was set to begin on December 4, followed by a European tour in February 2026, focusing on middle and southern Europe and the UK. The band also plans appearances in 2026 summer festivals, potentially reaching Scandinavia, where the album notably charted in Sweden's Top-100 for the first time.
Production differed from past efforts, involving longtime tour manager Mike Dijan as producer and an unofficial sixth member. Miret explained, “He was in the rehearsal space with the guitar playing with us... It was a very different thing this time.” Recording spanned locations: basics in New York City, vocals in Arizona, and mixing by Chris “Zeuss” Harris. Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels from RUN-DMC contributed to “Matter of Life & Death,” an idea stemming from his admiration for the band's documentary The Godfathers of Hardcore. The track, originally demoed differently, was tailored for DMC, who recorded it freestyle in two takes in Long Island. Its live debut is scheduled for December 6, 2025, at Irving Plaza in New York City, coinciding with guitarist Vinnie Stigma's birthday.
Personal challenges shaped the lyrics. Miret, reflecting on COVID-19's two-year hiatus and his cancer diagnosis, said, “Going through hardships has strengthened me to get through this recording session and to make a solid, a really strong record.” Songs like “I Can’t Win” and “Shots Fired”—the latter tied to his 2018 biography Grit, Guts and Glory—draw from these experiences. At least four or five tracks reflect this period.
The album blends familiar and innovative sounds, incorporating elements from the band's discography while adding fresh twists. Miret emphasized growth: “We can’t be doing the same records over and over again... I just like to grow.” Influences from younger acts like Turnstile, Knocked Loose, Raw Brigade, and Violent Way inform their evolution, maintaining relevance in the global hardcore scene.
After 45 years, the band's core—featuring Miret, Vinnie Stigma, Mike Gallo (25 years), Craig Silverman (10 years), and Danny Lamagna (nearly seven years)—remains driven by passion. Miret affirmed, “We’re genuine, we love what we do.” He closed by thanking fans: “You fuel us, we bring the fire.”
