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title: Madball created: 2026-04-07 updated: 2026-04-07 type: band tags: [band, hardcore, nyhc, era-1990s, era-2000s, era-2010s] sources: [raw/articles/madball-history.md]

Madball

New York City. Formed late 1980s by Freddy Cricien (vocals, half-brother of Roger Miret of agnostic-front) as a side project — Freddy would sing a few songs at Agnostic Front shows. Evolved into a full band: Freddy Cricien (vocals), Matt Henderson (guitar), Hoya Roc (bass), and various drummers. One of the hardest-hitting NYHC bands of the 90s.

Key Releases

  • Set It Off (1994, Roadrunner) — Debut. The album that established Madball as more than an Agnostic Front spinoff. “Set It Off,” “Down by Law.” Hard, fast, street.
  • Droppin’ Many Suckas (1996) — Heavier.
  • Look My Way (1998) — “Hold It Down.” Peak NYHC.
  • Hold It Down (2000) — Continued the formula.
  • Infiltrate the System (2007), Empire (2010), Hardcore Lives (2014), For the Cause (2018) — Consistent output.

The NYHC Second Wave

Madball represented the 90s NYHC wave — harder, more metallic, more street-oriented than the 80s youth crew. Where Gorilla Biscuits were about positivity and community, Madball was about toughness and survival. Freddy Cricien’s lyrics drew from street life, and the band’s sound was heavier than anything in the youth crew tradition.

The NYHC Second Wave

Madball represented the 90s NYHC wave — harder, more metallic, more street-oriented than the 80s youth crew. Where Gorilla Biscuits were about positivity and community, Madball was about toughness and survival. Freddy Cricien’s lyrics drew from street life, and the band’s sound was heavier than anything in the youth crew tradition. Madball, alongside Sick of It All, Biohazard, and later H2O, defined what NYHC sounded like in the 90s.

Freddy Cricien

Freddy Cricien (half-brother of Roger Miret of Agnostic Front) started singing at Agnostic Front shows as a teenager. His vocal style — aggressive, rhythmic, with hip-hop cadences — was more modern than the classic NYHC scream. Cricien also became involved in Hare Krishna spirituality (alongside other NYHC figures), which added a philosophical dimension to his lyrics.

Legacy

Madball kept NYHC’s street-level authenticity alive through the 90s and 2000s. While other NYHC bands went more melodic (H2O) or commercial, Madball stayed heavy. Their influence on later heavy hardcore (Terror, Trapped Under Ice, Knocked Loose) is significant.