Agnostic Front "Cause For Alarm" LP

1986 Cause for Alarm is regarded by many as the definitive crossover album. A sonic "peace-pipe" of sorts, it exposed many metal fans to punk rock for the first time, and vice versa, with songs like "Time Will Come," "Toxic Shock," and "Public Assistance" combining metal's tightly wound precision with punk's raw energy surge. Opening track "The Eliminator," on the other hand, is pretty much straight-up speed metal, and, as if to assert their new direction, the band also re-recorded first album favorite "Your Mistake" in a significantly more metallic version. Understandably, many among the band's original fan base felt betrayed by Agnostic Front's daring new direction, and Cause for Alarm remains a hotly debated album to this day. Whatever your position, however, there is no denying its irresistible, nearly overwhelming power.