New York, NY · NYHC · hardcore

Madball

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NYHC royalty — Freddy Cricien's bark over the crossover riffing that defined the Lower East Side sound, hardcore lineage in the literal family sense.

Madball's origins trace to Freddy Cricien performing with Agnostic Front as a child, picking up the nickname "Agnostic Fred" and later "Madball" from guitarist Vinnie Stigma. The band's first show, in 1988 in New Rochelle, was originally booked as an Agnostic Front gig before circumstances turned it into Madball's own debut, with Cricien, half-brother of Agnostic Front's Roger Miret, still in his early teens.

Madball released its first EP, Ball of Destruction, in 1989, followed by Droppin' Many Suckers. When Agnostic Front went on hiatus in 1992, Madball became the members' main project, and bassist Hoya Roc, previously of the band Dmize, joined the following year. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the group released its debut full-length, Set It Off, in 1994.

Their sound leans on short, mid-paced songs, chugging metallic riffs and gang vocals, a template that helped shape beatdown hardcore and left a mark on metalcore.

Records such as Set It Off, Demonstrating My Style and Look My Way remain touchstones. The band briefly disbanded in 2001 before reconvening the next year, and has since built a catalogue of nine studio albums and four EPs, touring more or less continuously across Europe and the United States.

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