Life Of Agony
Broken Valley

THE REVIEW

It might be useful to talk about groups like Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, Foo Fighters, and Stone Temple Pilots to give an idea of the melodies, riffs, and atmospheres that influence this welcome return to the scene by Life Of Agony, after a full eight years since the artistically unsuccessful "Soul Searching Sun". Keith Caputo here sets aside his vocals chasing the perfect pop rock of his solo albums to recreate with his bandmates that mix of modern metal infused with New York hardcore and spiced in every track with melodies reminiscent of artists like the late Scott Weiland and Layne Staley. Songs like the opening "Love To Let You Down" or "The Day He Died" roll on an exhilarating carpet of metallic rock full of catchy embellishments. At other moments, the same catchiness compromises with layers of sonic tar and lyrics drenched in the slime of life ("Wicked Ways" and "Junk Sick" above all). Of course, the feeling that Life Of Agony is derivative is always lurking, and it is also understandable for those who know the group's history, emerging in 1993, during the heyday of grunge heroes. But it never seems that the ears are listening to forced tributes; here, there's only attitude, compositional skill, and healthy desperation. No desire to please or be fashionable. This is demonstrated by the second half of the album, made of gloomy chords and slow, biting melodies that find their manifesto in the title track, where a chorus in pure Alice In Chains style sticks to a desolate atmosphere with an epic and ancestral flavor. Recommended for those who avoid reassuring and conventional traditional metal and want to let a different needle than usual pierce under their skin.