Life Of Agony was:
Keith Caputo - Vocals
Alan Roberts - Bass
Joey Zampella - Guitar
Sal Abruscato - Drums
Life of Agony was formed in 1989 in NYC’s underground hardcore scene. It took them several years to hone their songwriting and playing capabilities. In 1993, they released their debut, "River Runs Red". Their honest and straight-forward lyrics, often dealing with suicide and other serious subjects, melded well with their hardcore music. They grew quite a fan base while touring over the next two years.
In 1995, LOA released "Ugly". Their sophomore album showed how the band had tightened up their music to a truly professional level. "Ugly" was full of violently aggressive, yet lyrically sensitive music. Many fans were able to catch LOA’s unique sound as they went on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, and Anthrax later that year.
Despite some uncertainty from singer Caputo, Life Of Agony completed their third album, "Soul Searching Sun", in 1997. The title was a pretty accurate description of the album, as it turned out. Songs like "My Mind Is Dangerous" and "Weeds" portrayed the band’s ability to play a 5 minute melody, while "Hope" and "Neg" drew on the music of the old days.
As far as what happened next, well, that’s a big etchy. The band had toured in support of "Soul Searching Sun", but in 1998, LOA broke up. In 1999, Roadrunner Records released "1989-1999", a collection of live songs and B-sides.
1993 - River Runs Red
--- Life Of Agony’s debut album was up front hardcore rock. Songs like the title track and "Underground" truly show how LOA owned their instruments and could rock as hard as any other band of the day.
1995 - Ugly
--- "Ugly" is a mix of LOA’s hardcore roots and melodic skills. Songs like "Let’s Pretend" and "Seasons" are examples of their softer capabilities, while "I Regret" and "Damned If I Do" show off their HC/metal side.
1997 - Soul Searching Sun
--- The band’s third and final full-length was an album full of ballads from a one-time hard rock band. It’s hard to complain, though, because one listen to the songs "Weeds" and "My Mind Is Dangerous" won’t allow you to label them sellouts. Caputo gets deeply personal on the 13 track classic.
1999 - 1989-1999
--- Roadrunner Records used demos and outtakes to put this one together. It includes live versions of "Lost At 22" and "I Regret", as well as never before heard songs like "Colorblind" and "Here I Am, Here I Stay".
On August 22, 2000, the album "1997- Unplugged At The Lowlands" is going to be released. It features, obviously, an unplugged set from 1997, as well as unreleased bonus tracks. More info to come once this one is released.