My first experience with this band was sometime when I was in middle school. I remember going through suggestions based on what I was listening to. Listed under “similar to Type O Negative” was Life of Agony’s debut album River Runs Red. Released in 1993 off of Roadrunner Records, I was amazed and left utterly emotional. The music had hurt my soul, the lyrics had spoke to me not from the headphone speakers, but from inside. Angry and sorrowful, the album has a concept of the last week of life of a teenage boy who later commits suicide. I listened to the album through and through. The thrash and hardcore inspired beats intertwined with sheering guitars and melancholy melodies the guitar strung in with Keith Caputo’s unique vocal style. A vocal style that was loud with rage but strife and ridden with grief. The entire album has earned it’s place permanently in my top ten.In fact, the album Is so highly recommended by me I suggest If you are reading this to find a way to listen to It as soon as you finish. Now for the next album, 1995’s ugly. It was a bit of a sophomore slump. The album was good but just not as good as River Runs Red. It was more melodic and sounded a little more mainstream than some would’ve liked. But by the time 1997’s Soul searching sun came around the bend, the band sounded like a completely different entity. All the heavy rage in the vocals were gone, replaced by a more sultry and soft voice. The guitars went from heavy and calculated metal riffs and solos to a slightly more second generation punk sound that would’ve appealed to fans of Green Day and Eve 6 as well as perhaps some later generation grunge. This alienated many fans as a new direction is often labeled as selling out. Also it seemed like the heavy double bass drums on countless Metal albums seemed to give way to a more conventional rock drumming style. The band would not release any new material as a unit until 2005’s Broken Valley. For typical fans, if Ugly was not a early sign of changing winds and Soul Searching Sun the obvious new beginning it was, Broken Valley was even more in the new direction than it’s predecessors. It’s alternative sound was very high quality, But all forms of extreme metal were definitely gone now. Keith was also I believe if memory serves correctly transitioning to Mina Caputo. Other members of the band were busy with other musical endeavors before and after the albums as well as other projects outside of music. Joey Z’s guitar playing shines out still despite the change. The band would again be inactive until 2017’s A Place Where There’s No More Pain. The newest effort sounds very much like Alice In chains as far as vocals. The overall band sound seems to have taken the latest rock trends and made a dark new metal sound that is very pleasing. The band still plays Songs off their first album live but something is missing. It sounds like a cover. The new sound is more them now. I prefer the original but I also think their new sound is best for them. A very underrated gem of a band.
Alternative Darkness 