Life of Agony
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Life of Agony | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Brooklyn, New York |
|
| Genre(s) | Hardcore (early), Hard rock | |
| Years active | 1989 - 1999 2003 - present |
|
| Label(s) | Roadrunner Records, Epic Records | |
| Associated acts |
Spoiler NYC Among Thieves Stereomud Freax Absolute Bloom Supermassiv Keith Caputo |
|
| Website | www.lifeofagony.com | |
| Members | ||
| Keith Caputo (vocals/keyboards) Alan Robert(bass/backing vocals) Joey Z.(guitars/backing vocals) Sal Abruscato(drums) |
||
| Former members | ||
| Whitfield Crane (vocals) Dan Richardson (drums) Eric Chan (drums) Mike Palmeri (drums) Kenny Pedersen (drums) |
||
Life of Agony or LoA is a hardcore/hard rock band from Brooklyn, New York.
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[edit] History
The band was formed in the summer of 1989 by singer Keith Caputo, bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. After playing with several drummers, they enlisted Type O Negative drummer Sal Abruscato before recording the debut album River Runs Red (1993) after they signed to Roadrunner Records.
River Runs Red was followed by the more emotional Ugly (1995), but drummer Abruscato left Life Of Agony after the accompanying tour. His successor was ex-Pro-Pain & ex-Crumbsuckers skinsman Dan Richardson.
Vocalist Caputo departed the band following the release of Soul Searching Sun (1997). He claimed his heart was no longer in the type of music Life Of Agony produced. The band then toured with ex-Ugly Kid Joe singer Whitfield Crane and went back into the studio, only to realize they did not want to continue under the Life of Agony banner without Caputo. In 1999 they decided to split. A live CD with LoA's unplugged performance at the Dutch Lowlands Festival from 1997 was released in 2000.
On January 3 and 4 2003, the original line-up reunited for two sold-out shows at New York's Irving Plaza. Both shows were recorded, and released on CD/DVD later that same year. The reunion resulted in several more shows and appearances on European festivals, as well as the recording of 2005's Broken Valley, the band's first new material since 1997.
Life Of Agony also toured with Megadeth, Dream Theater, and numerous other metal bands during 2005's Gigantour.
[edit] Music
Life of Agony is a cornerstone of the New York heavy music scene, respected by peers and fans alike. According to the group members themselves, they were influenced by bands as diverse as Radiohead, Metallica, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath. While you can hear those various influences in Life of Agony, you can hear touches of LoA in some of today's more popular bands.
Caputo and Robert write all of the songs, but they had never written songs together before Soul Searching Sun. Up until then, Robert wrote the majority of the music and lyrics and Caputo wrote select ballads, mostly, almost entirely about his parents and homelife, particularly his mother.
Perhaps the most striking difference between the River Runs Red and Ugly albums of the mid-90s and 2005's Broken Valley is the change in Keith Caputo's vocal style, which gradually changed from a deep operatic bass to a lighter, more conventional rock style later in the band's career.
The band continues to perform and make music together as well as pursuing individual projects. Caputo recorded several solo records with European musicians and has toured overseas to support those albums.
Robert, Life of Agony's primary songwriter, started Spoiler NYC in 2006. The group recorded an album called Grease Fire in Hell's Kitchen. Many reviewers praised the old-school approach to their street punk sound.
"River Runs Red" was used in "Initiation", a 2006 episode of The Office.
[edit] Tragedy
While touring in 1995 in support of "Ugly", a fan died after falling from the stage while apparently trying to stage-dive. A security guard and, to a lesser extent, the band were implicated in a lawsuit which was eventually dropped with no charges filed. At subsequent concerts the band were mindful of the potential for fans to injure themselves, often trying to cool down the mosh pit between songs if things were rough.
The Pro-Pain song "Death on the Dance Floor" was written about this tragedy.
[edit] Discography
| Album Cover | Date of Release | Title | Extra info |
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1993 | River Runs Red | Studio album |
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1995 | Ugly | Studio album |
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1997 | Soul Searching Sun | Studio album |
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1999 | 1989-1999 | Compilation album |
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2000 | Unplugged at the Lowlands Festival '97 | Live album |
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2003 | The Best of Life of Agony | Compilation album |
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2003 | River Runs Again: Live 2003 | Live album |
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2005 | Broken Valley | Studio album |
