Madball

Madball was founded in 1988 and featured most of Agnostic Front's members. Madball consisted of Agnostic Front's vocalist Roger Miret on bass, Vinnie Stigma on guitar, Will Shepler on drums, and then 12-year-old vocalist Freddy Cricien, Miret's younger half-brother.^[1] Madball's first few performances consisted of previously unused Agnostic Front songs. Madball's first release was the Ball of Destruction EP in 1989. After years of playing regional shows in and around the New York area, a second guitarist, Matt Henderson, joined the band. By then, they recorded and released the EP, Droppin' Many Suckers, for Wreck-Age Records.^[1] One year later, Miret left the band and was replaced on bass by Jorge "Hoya Roc" Guerra — a good friend of Freddy Cricien — who was looking for a new band as his band, Dmize, was breaking up. The new incarnation of the band was signed by Roadrunner Records in 1994 and released a pair of full-lengths; Set It Off in 1994^[1] and Demonstrating My Style in 1996. Touring steadily, the band built a sizable fan base outside their hometown.^[2]

1995 saw the band participating in the N.Y.H.C. documentary. Extensive interviews were conducted with Freddy as well as a performance on July 29, 1995, at the now-defunct "Coney Island High". Freddy's brother, Roger, broke several vertebrae in his back at that show, requiring him to be in traction for the better part of a year.

Consisting of Cricien, Henderson, Guerra, and new drummer John Lafata (former drummer in Neglect), the band recorded Look My Way, which was released in early 1998. Hold It Down followed two years later. The band announced their dissolution in 2001 but decided to reform in late 2002 with a new line-up featuring Brian "Mitts" Daniels and Rigg Ross. They began touring and recording at the end of 2002. Since then, Madball has come out with: Best of Madball in 2003, N.Y.H.C. EP (EP) in 2004, Legacy in 2005, and Infiltrate The System in 2007. In 2009, Rigg Ross left to join Skarhead and was replaced by Ben Dussault.

Along with bands such as Agnostic Front, Vietnom, Bulldoze, Resistance, H₂O and Boston/New York Hip-hop group Special Teamz (Slaine, Ed O.G., Jaysaun, DJ Jayceeoh), they comprise a part of New York's DMS Crew. Vocalist Cricien and bass player Hoya are also in the band Hazen Street, along with members of H₂O and Cro-Mags.

In 2010, after the departure of the Ferret Records owners from the label, Madball followed them to their new and present label Good Fight Music. In February 2010 Madball signed a deal with Nuclear Blast for the European release of their new studio album, Empire, produced by Erik Rutan.^[3] Jay Weinberg, son of E Street Band and Max Weinberg 7 drummer Max Weinberg, joined Madball for the album and for touring.^[4]

Madball then dismissed Weinberg in September 2010, citing personality conflicts.^[5] Weinberg said that he had already quit the group by that time, due to lifestyle issues.^[6] Born From Pain drummer Igor Wouters replaced Weinberg for live performances.

On March 10, 2014, the band began recording its eighth studio album, Hardcore Lives, which was released in June of that year.^[7]

In October 2017, Brian "Mitts" Daniels had exited Madball.^[8] Madball released their ninth studio album, For the Cause, on June 15, 2018.^[9]

In January 2019, Madball announced that their touring guitarist, Mike Gurnari, would become an official member.

In August 2023, Jorge "Hoya Roc" Guerra announced his intention to leave the band. Guerra cited the band's decrease in activity and the resulting financial hardship as his reasons for leaving. He made it known that he would remain with the band through their two upcoming European tours.^[10]

Madball are a hardcore punk band.^[11][12] The band's music put an emphasis on a metal-influenced groove, breakdowns and use of lyrics based on street life, as opposed to the speed of punk rock and the riffing of crossover thrash which were dominate in the genre when they began.^[13][14][15] This difference led to them helping to define the sound hardcore would take on in the 1990s, as well as the beatdown hardcore genre.^[13][14] They have also been categorised as tough guy hardcore.^[16][17]

They have cited influences including Sick of It All, Agnostic Front, the Bad Brains,^[18] Cro-Mags,^[19] Killing Time, Breakdown,^[20] Discharge,^[21] hip hop music^[22] and funk music.^[23]

• Madball live at With Full Force 2018
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  Freddy Cricien
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  Jorge Guerra
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  Mike Justian
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  Dominik Stammen

Studio albums

• Set It Off (1994)
• Demonstrating My Style (1996)
• Look My Way (1998)
• Hold It Down (2000)
• Legacy (2005)
• Infiltrate the System (2007)
• Empire (2010)
• Hardcore Lives (2014)
• For the Cause (2018)

EPs

• Ball of Destruction (1989)
• Droppin' Many Suckers (1992)
• N.Y.H.C. EP (2004)
• Rebellion (2012)

Compilations

• The Best of Madball (2003)

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Madball.

• Official website
• Madball on Myspace
• Madball at AllMusic