Madball
Singer Freddy Cricien (b. Florida, USA), brother of Agnostic Front's Roger Miret, was unsurprisingly influenced by his imposing sibling. So much so that when he put his own band together after following the New York legends across the country, Madball would operate in a similar, all-out hardcore vein. In fact Cricien had made his debut at an Agnostic Front show at the age of seven, when visiting his New York-based brethren, getting up on stage to offer a rendition of the Animals' It's My Life. Eventually he would move to the US capital, spending many of his evenings at the city's home for hardcore, CBGB's. In fact, it would be Vinnie Stigma of Agnostic Front who would give him his nickname, ‘Madball’, after harassing the young Cricien to the point at which his face resembled such an object, in the back of the tour van. When Madball was put together, it included Vinnie on guitar, with brother Roger on bass and Will Shepler on drums. Their first release, Ball Of Destruction, was unveiled in 1989 on In-Effect Records, and is now a genuine rarity. However, there was a three-year gap before a second 7-inch, Droppin' Many Suckers, this time for Wreck-age Records. It prefaced a switch to Roadrunner and a long-playing set which, predictably, accented machismo and power over subtlety, but was an energizing collection for all that. It saw the debut of the current line-up; Cricien (vocals), Shepler (drums), Stigma (guitar), Matt Henderson (guitar), Hoya (bass).