Personnel: Roger Miret (vocals); Roger Miret & the Disasters (background vocals); Rhys Kill, Randy Rost (vocals, guitar); Roy Valencia (vocals); Pete Sosa (drums); Ben Barnes, Todd Huber, Neil Ward, J.P. Otto, Todd Hamilton, Kyle Barron, Julie Kranzberg, Josh Walters, Drea Doll, Jason Lantzer, Johnny Rioux, Marcus Hollar, Steve Jenkins (background vocals).
You can certainly say that Roger Miret has led a full life. Few can claim they lent a major hand in the creation of hardcore (as the lead singer of Agnostic Front), and are still rocking decades later. But Miret fits this description, as evidenced by the 2011 release by Roger Miret & the Disasters, titled Gotta Get Up Now. For those expecting the tough-guy hardcore of Agnostic Front, you're looking in the wrong place, folks. But for those in search of an upbeat, good time, modern-day punk rock record, Gotta Get Up Now fits the bill. That said, the album is not as raw sounding as you'd expect from a hardcore punk veteran (it possesses a surprisingly glossy production) and contains more than a passing resemblance to such punk revivalists as Rancid. But Miret's enthusiasm for punk rock shines throughout the album's 14 tracks, which is an undeniable adrenaline rush from beginning to end. Case in point, such stand-out selections as the album-opening "Stand Up and Fight," as well as "We're Gonna Find a Way" and the title track, while "Tales of a Short Haired Boy" contains a gang chorus that brings to mind Miret's hardcore days. And Miret appears to still have an appreciation of a good, old-fashioned brouhaha, as evidenced by the lyrics of "Bare Knuckle Brawler" (as well as its obvious song title). The fact that Roger Miret is still kicking out the jams as enthusiastically as he does throughout Gotta Get Up Now is quite an accomplishment. ~ Greg Prato
