Life Of Agony - Ugly/Soul Searching Sun

by Simon T Diplock

A two-for-one you can't turn down

"These were albums lumped in with lots of other hardcore chaff upon their release but a look back reveals just how melodic, emotional, and oh, so distinctly removed from New York tough-guy stuff they have always been."

Handy this. Because Life Of Agony have been due a reappraisal for a while, and now, thanks to Roadrunner Records, the New York quartet’s second and third albums- the best of their career- are available together for a nifty low price.

The new package means looking back to 1995’s ‘Úgly’ and remembering just how impressive Keith Caputo’s low, gothic drawl can be (seriously, dude might be a morose motherfucker but he can definitely sing), just how nakedly honest tracks like ‘Lost’ are, and just how huge their cover of the proto-emo classic ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’should’ve been, is simple. This was an album lumped in with lots of other Brooklyn hardcore upon its release but a look back reveals just how melodic, emotional, and so distinctly removed from New York tough-guy stuff it always has been.

It would be 97’s ‘Soul Searching Sun’ though, that would properly turn LOA into true rock misfits. And now its easier to hear why, with the gnarly wail of ‘Hope’ butting up to the soft, piano-led balladry of ‘Desire’ and the radio-ready rush of ‘Weeds’- a song that continues to cry out to be recognized as a rock classic more than a decade after first appearing. It might not be an easy album to digest, or fit neatly into any rock critic’s genre boxes, but this look back shows it should be considered much more special than anything self-important types like Oasis and U2 produced around the same time.

If you already own both these albums then, despite what Roadrunner might wish, there’s no reason to invest here. But if you’ve never heard them, or your copies have suffered from a lack of appreciation over the years, this look back reveals a twofer you can’t turn down.

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