Christmas may be canceled in Raleigh because Agnostic Front made such a noise that Santa may be too frightened to visit.
The Pour House in Raleigh, NC, welcomed iconic New York hardcore legends Agnostic Front on a rainy December evening. Raleigh has a very strong punk and metal community, and nearly every walk of life, from young to old, skinhead or mohawk or boy’s regular, male and female, and all those in between, were in attendance to get up close and personal with hardcore royalty.
The venue was very full when opening band Violent Way took the stage. Keeping the Oi! style of hardcore punk alive, Violent Way began and ended hard and fast, without a breath of rest in between. Still a relatively young band, forming around 2020, Violent Way had plenty of fans who rushed the stage, sang along, and immediately raised the intensity within the Pour House. The setlist included a new song, “A Need For Something More,” from an upcoming album, which they confirmed during the show. Old songs “Choke,” “Don’t Worry About Me,” and “Forever Be Unheard” were included in the furious set. Vocalist and guitarist Nick Terlecky was the first of the night to show that the line between stage and audience was thin. Tonight’s show wasn’t constrained to the stage; it filled The Pour House.
Raw Brigade is a straight edge punk band from Bogota, Columbia. Whatever little border remained separating stage and audience was melted away as the temperature in the room rose to hot and sweaty. House security gave up trying to stop the stage divers because there were so many and they refused to stop. The incredibly active mosh pit grew to take up over half of the front dance floor. Performing half on stage, half leaning forward and holding himself up on fist-raised dancers, vocalist Carlos Chavarriaga ignited a hardcore pipe bomb in The Pour House, and all hell broke loose. Skinheads dominated the front row, dancing violently, singing loudly, throwing fists, and had a better time than a young child opening gifts on Christmas morning.Raw Brigade’s music was furious, NYHC-styled punk rock that supported the sound and legend of Agnostic Front incredibly well. However, Raw Brigade’s greatest strength was their ability to mentally unhinge the entirety of the audience. With the level of crazy Raw Brigade unleashed, the only reason the Pour House wasn’t physically demolished was that Raleigh’s punk rock community came to sing and dance, not destroy. Raw Brigade’s set could have been easily interpreted as violent and frightening, but it was one of the best examples Raleigh has seen of what pure hardcore punk passion looks like.
The intensity in The Pour House had been so high for so long before Agnostic Front took the stage, it felt like a brief turbo lag between when Agnostic Front began playing and when the audience intensity kicked in to hit the highest peak of the evening. Vinnie Stigma, the sole original member of Agnostic Front and the man every punk rock fan wishes was their father or grandfather, immediately charmed the Pour House with his innocent, child-like smile and gigantic presence. The stage was lined with family and friends. Members of both opening bands were in the audience, crowd surfing and stage diving. There was no longer any distinction between artist and fan. The Pour House was just one big hardcore family celebrating an incredible evening of music.The setlist included fan favorites “Friend or Foe,” “For My Family,” and “Gotta Go.” Unique in the setlist and by fan request, the band treated Raleigh to “Toxic Shock” from their 1986 album Cause for Alarm, which sounded powerful and locked in, despite the band not having performed it for quite some time. Throughout the show, Vinnie Stigma continued to engage the audience, shake hands, and offered fans his guitar to touch between songs as if it were a sacred object. Unquestionably, the focal point on stage was Stigma, who received multiple renditions of “Happy Birthday.” Vocalist Roger Miret also voiced his thanks to Vinnie for allowing him to “join his band.” Love, respect, and community were on full display, including when members of Raw Brigade and Violent Way returned to the stage to sing and play with Agnostic Front on several songs.
Old punks never die, and while most stand in the back, Vinnie Stigma and his Agnostic Front companions reject the idea of leaving the stage. Strong as ever, and fans loyal as ever, Agnostic Front brought together a true gathering of hardcore musicians and fans to celebrate and have fun. The Echos to Eternity Tour, after a brief pause in January, continues until August 14, 2026, with a tour of Europe.AGNOSTIC FRONT
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