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 LIFE OF AGONY - Keeping It in the Family
By Adrian ‘The Energizer’ Bromley
Ask Life of Agony guitarist Joey Z. about second chances and he’ll probably tell you they don’t come around often, but when they do, take them.
“Things came back around full circle and I’m lucky to be a part of all of this again,” says the guitarist about Life of Agony’s reunion and the release of their new album Broken Valley (Epic). “The whole reunion stemmed from these shows we played on January 1st 2003 at Irving Plaza in New York City. Originally we were supposed to play a surprise New Year’s Eve show, but that fell through and we were pumped so we announced the show and went with it. Both shows sold out quickly and it was a rush to have been a part of that.
“Eventually we [singer Keith Caputo, bassist Alan Robert and drummer Sal Abruscato] went back to our other bands that we were working on and that was that,” he continues. “No one was really happy with what they were doing. There was magic in the air when we played those shows and we knew we needed to just get back together again. We’d stayed in touch and talked about it and when my band [Stereomud] fell through in regards to the label and management it just made total sense to go back to LoA and get things going again.”
Everyone was ready to go?
“Yeah, I was pretty much the last one,” he laughs. “I was the only one signed to a label so it was tougher for me. I worked it out and got everything squared away and I’m really, really, really happy to being myself again.”
As you are aware there have been a lot of reunions in the past few years—Iron Maiden and Judas Priest are prime examples. What do you think about all of that, and how is this different?
“Well, we were always a family. It was never a business thing with us. That was kind of bad and good. We just missed playing together and being around each other. I am sure lots of bands get back together for other reasons, whether it be monetary reasons or this and that. We got together because of the sheer love and passion we have for our music and for each other.”
Much like their classic album River Runs Red (1993) and Ugly (1995), Broken Valley is a headstrong album that showcases very honest emotions. Like classic LoA material, this doesn’t pull any punches or candy-coat things. This is life as we can all relate to it—good or bad.
“This is a very real record,” blurts out the guitarist.
No doubt. The band has always showcased that quality, thanks largely in part to Keith’s vocals and Alan’s lyrics.
“Those two bring so much to this band. Keith has a way with his voice and the way he delivers the words and Alan has the knack to be able to take everyone’s struggles and fears and pain and put it into words that anybody can relate to. I think it has always been a big positive for this band. We can take all of this negative energy and turn it into something positive through the music. I think people get that with the band and it puts us on the same level as the listener.”
So tell me about the recording of Broken Valley and how it felt to come back together after all these years and make it happen again.
“It felt fucking amazing to get back together! It was a lot of fun. We’d tour over the last little while in Europe and came back home to New Jersey and start some writing. Once we settled in and all these things around us started bugging us—like traffic and just parts of society—then we packed up and got away from it all. We rented a house in Woodstock, New York and locked ourselves away there. It was just us in the middle of the woods. All we did was cook, eat, play, and sleep for like a whole month.”
And just like that the album was written?
“Yeah, it was wild. It was something special as well because we were able to work as a band together without any distractions. We bonded again—musically and spiritually. We became brothers again.”
He adds, “Then when it came time to go into the studio we were strong again. That was a key element in making this album a success. It was a jam session during the day, take a break and light up the BBQ and then go back to work.”
It’s been eight years since the band last put out an album. I know you said the band was solid going in, but how has the band’s music changed over this time period?
“This feels like LoA even more than ever now. The band sounds awesome on this album. This is the original lineup back together again and I think this record is closer to the classic LoA sound than we had on Ugly or Soul Searching Sun [1997]. When Ugly came out we weren’t balanced—we just weren’t together mentally or spiritually. The magic just wasn’t there. And then Sal left and we got Dan Richardson on drums and Soul Searching Sun was recorded and it was just a different band.”
I guess good times are here again for LoA?
“For sure, bro,” he concludes. “River Runs Red is a classic album in many people’s minds and we’ve always tried to get that feeling back in our recordings, and I think Broken Valley comes close. I know I’m feeling it.”
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