Madball

Madball's name is inseparable from Freddy Cricien's. Young brother of Roger Miret, singer of Agnostic Front, he fell into the Hardcore pot early in his life and made his debut on stage when his brother invited him to sing on the scene of the New York CBGB's when he was only seven years old. His future is already set. Freddy Cricien performed his first concert with Madball in 1988. At that time, the band composed of Vinnie Stigma (Guitare), Roger Miret (Basse), and Will Sheppler (Batterie), the stripper of Agnostic Front songs that he played very little on stage (Discrimination Me , United Blood , Last Warning ). A year later, Madball released its first production, Ball Of Destruction, an ep composed of old Agnostic Front and personal compositions that will later be found on the album Set It Off. For three years, the band foamed around New York before laying, in 1992, a second ep, entitled Droppin' Many Suckers , for which Madball was joined by Matt Henderson (Guitare). A year later, Roger Miret left the troupe, replaced by Hoya Roc, figure of the local hardcore scene (ex-Dmize) and old friend of Freddy. Madball quickly acquired a reputation as a stage monster that earned him the title of Roadrunner Records (Sepultura , Machine Head , Biohazard ), on which three albums will be released Set It Off (1994), Demonstrating My Style (1996) and Look My Way (1998). Then followed a series of concerts on all continents with bands such as Black Sabbath or Slayer. The highlight is reached at the Dynamo Festival in Eindhoven where Madball plays in front of 120,000 people. In 2000, Madball signed on the label Epitaph ( Nofx , Pennywise , Rancid ) but a year later, shortly after the release of Hold It Down . After a two-year break, Madball reformed around Freddy and Hoya, joined by Mitts (ex-Skarhead, Rag Men) on guitar, and Rigg Ross (ex-Skarhead, Rag Men, Hatebreed) on drums. In 2004, the band recorded a four-track album, N.Y.H.C. EP , before returning with a real album in 2005 Legacy , and then chained with Infiltrate The System (2007) under the same line-up. Rigg Ross left the quartet the following year and was replaced by Jay Weinberg for the recording of Empire, released in 2010 at Nuclear Blast Records and Good Fight Music. Jay is thanked shortly afterwards, Mike Justan replaces him, then four years pass between festivals, concerts and tours with including Sick Of It All, Vision Of Disorder, Comeback Kid, Terror, Code Orange Kids, Your Demise or Walls Of Jericho. Proof of their vivacity, Madball returns in 2014 with the album Hardcore Lives .