June 2005 Archives

Aww, yeah!!! FINALLY!!! After a seven-year wait, and countless prayers to the rock and roll gods, our beloved Brooklyn, NY, band, Life of Agony, reunites and delivers an all-new studio record which not only guarantees to rock your socks off, but pummel you straight into the ground with nothing, but killer music and pure emotional goodness!!!

Okay, so, let’s get right to the heart of the matter, shall we?

How does the album compare to my preliminary review? What?! I already reviewed the record?! Hehe, yeah, but it was only based off the thirty-second samples that are on top of the band’s website. I know, I’m insane, what else is new?

All right, enough chit-chat, let’s dissect this beast!!!

Overall Review. Number one, thank the Lord this is not a sequel to any of the previous records. If anyone was looking forward to this record based on that assumption, please be prepared to pull your head out of your bum, thanks. Number two, talk about a true slap in the face!!! I’m sorry, slapping is too “nu-metal,” it’s more like whipping out the Doc Martens and STOMPING all over your face! Thirdly, and I really don’t know how this happened or where it came from, but my mental visuals have changed dramatically since the preliminary review.

I’m extremely speechless over this record. It’s neck ‘n’ neck with Ugly as far as being my favorite LoA disc, so that alone can tell you I have very deep connections with this recording. Also, rest assured that Broken Valley continues the legacy we all know, love, and embrace from their past releases. It is extremely passionate, personal, and highly emotional. It’s just solid proof that once Life of Agony formed, God broke and dissolved the mold for future bands to be remotely like them. You’ll sense that a lot throughout.

What you have here is a very strong, quite insane, touching, musically and vocally powerful disc. I can say, however, that above every quality listed, the one true shining star of Broken Valley is the extreme presence of confidence. Out of every studio album Life of Agony released, you don’t sense the security more than you do here. It’s as if when they went into the studio, it was all balls-to-the-wall and no-holds barred, and it totally places you into mental spaces you have never been to before. You’d easily be able to detect the maturity that has grown within these four since the very beginning. It’s absolutely wonderful to hear a freshly-refined Life of Agony.

Allow me to briefly mention my mental visuals: I ask, is there some sort of militant, almost war-like, vibe going on, and I mean musically? I detect this most from Sal’s drumming, but I’ll dive into those details in a lil’ bit.

And now, let me do what I accomplish best: Crack open each tune and really examine what’s going on.

Love to Let You Down. Here’s what I would call “Phase One” of the album. That’s right, people, one song in a visual phase all by itself.

As stated in my preliminary review, this track delivers the big kick-to-the-nuts to start off the record. Don’t think for a moment the vibe this tune gives off is going to be consistent, because it won’t. Your only consistencies are the superb musicianship and the stupendous vocals, because there’s going to be lots of changes as the record takes you all over the place. And you know what? It works so perfectly. It takes you by surprise until you’ve listened to the whole album a few times and truly absorb what’s being offered. No doubt this is definitely a super track, and an excellent opening number.

Lyrically, my very first impression—I’m talking when just a mere taste was offered on the LoA website—still remains to last ‘til today. It really reminds me of KISS’ song, “Psycho-Circus.”

Now don’t start flipping out or whatever, this is not a biased remark. In so many different levels, both tracks speak volumes of a similar theme—stepping out of the shadows, and bringing forth a reincarnation of something grand and sacred, obviously “the Second Coming” of both bands’ original line-ups. It’s a huge presence which comes about in a very beefy drive, so ultimately, it’s going to kick a whole lotta arse.

On a brief side note, it’s nice to see that MTV 2 finally decided to premiere the music video for this song on the May 28, 2005, edition of the now-very diluted hard rock/heavy metal music video program they attempt to have the balls to resurrect and still call Headbangers Ball.

Last Cigarette. Changing gears is nothing new within Life of Agony albums, and as we strongly jump into track number two, you’ve got another very pungent song, with a hint or seasoning of punk going on. If you heard this song and don’t recognize the same, hey, that’s cool—go write your own review and express what you feel. I would say this tune has around three different flavors, and I ain’t talkin’ chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. I hear punk, genuine hard rock, and some sort of groovy psychedelia going on for a few moments as it hits the two-minute mark. I have to take back what I said in my preliminary review about not really digging this song as much as I do now. It really makes me hyped up big time.

Musically, I love Joey Z.’s guitar playing a lot here; it’s very in-your-face, and it really makes you want to keep those Doc Martens on while you stomp on some more faces, preferably the ones who think the band isn’t good, muwahaha!!! Vocally, Keith really delivers hardcore, and he adds the overall punchiness of the tune into the mix.

Wicked Ways. Our Broken Valley train seems to semi-shift here, as if one half of the train is riding on a slower, more mellow side, and the other half is still on a very heavy side. It’s really a super combination, and very well done.

By this point, each track is in a phase by itself, so technically we’ve entered “Phase Three.” I am really diggin’ this song; even the beginning with the heavy duty bass presence Alan provides reminds me of Ugly’s “Unstable.” Keith starts singing the opening line—Sooner or later, I thought that a savior, would come to save us all—and as this kicks in, you have a tiny hint that this is either going to kick up a notch, or perhaps a few hundred notches. Intriguingly, the band has chosen to proceed with the notches in parts. You have the slow basic groove first, then it grows a lil’ more intense, so by the time Joey’s solo comes up, everyone is putting out more than 110%. I love the fact that this track is extremely BEEFY, and it really stands out on its own.

Oh, by the way, there’s no more annoying snare drum popping going on as previously stated in the preliminary review. Bad Maya!

I would have to say this is my first real favorite track thus far, and as crazy as it may be, this is where the whole war/battlefield visuals I have going on in my head makes its presence known.

Don’t Bother. It seems the conductor moved the train completely onto the heavy track again, and what a grand choice it was.

One really outstanding aspect thus far—especially dominating this tune—is these killer solos Joey has been putting out. Wow, what kind of magic hat did he pull those from?! Killer shit, indeed; this record is making me love hard rock all over again.

All of my preliminary review comments still stand as far as this tune is concerned, including the whole Stone Temple Pilots reference. (I guess it would be wise to get a full view and perspective by reading both reviews, eh?)

I’m so overwhelmed; there’s just so much emotional change going on, it’s no wonder I mentally overload every time I listen to this album. I’m loving every single iota, and you know what, people? It’s a real shame other bands can’t sound as juicy as this!

Strung Out. All righty, we’re on track number five, and it looks as if our train ride is going to be on a very long, straight path. Someone hand me a blanket, pillow and my digicam—I’m going to look out the window and take some pics.

Do you hear it? What? Yes, no, maybe? Come on, this is CLASSIC Life of Agony, especially overall. Somehow it also evokes some very deep emotions within yours truly; I seriously could shed a tear to this tune very easily.Everyone is in true top form on this piece.

What’s really wild is this song starts off the final phase of the album; this is the beginning of Phase Four of Four. It’s also the longest phase, and now, the war/battlefield visuals begin big time. I don’t know why, but as the train begins to ride on this very long, almost slow motion-like ride, I feel like I’m riding through the ruins of a concentration camp, and looking at all the damage and destruction left behind. My mental war/battle is way too far ahead now; I’ll take some pics to remember this by.

I absolutely love how this track ends, as our sad “militant” drumming begins around 3:56, 3:57, minutes in, and the chorus—If this world has let ya down - then leave it / If you’re lost among the crowd - defeated / If you can’t see past your frown and cheated / You’re feeling like there must be more to life than this—I fucking love, Love, LOVE IT!!!! It really speaks to me in volumes, and fits so perfectly.

Junk Sick. I’ve left the scene of destruction, and during the last song, my mind has already been somewhat warped from the images I’ve snapped, and honestly, to enter track number six right now just feels so right. It allows me to reflect on everything I’ve just witnessed.

Musically, my first thought when this track begins is the band, CkY, although it’s present for the first five seconds. It immediately fades away, and then I rejoin Life of Agony. And to think a friend of mine told me he despises this song?! What in the fuck is wrong with him?!?!

In my preliminary review, I mentioned this song could be another Caputo-penned tribute to one or both of the parentals, but for now, I’m going to retract that as I utilize this track for my own mental experience dealing with my visuals; what I’m going through after seeing the war aftermath and dead bodies everywhere. It’s very, very eerie. I previously wasn’t into this tune ‘til just now. I just realized how awesome it works for me. It’s so drawn out, and killer descriptive; another superb track has been brought to the table.

The Calm That Disturbs You. After going through some more mental anguish of the not-too-pleasant kind, “Phase Four” continues with a total shift in gear as we enter track number seven. Once again another classic, heavy duty, Life of Agony song has bestowed upon me, and as it goes on, the train I’m riding seems to have crossed paths with the tail-end of this war I’m trying to view, or document, or possibly could be living through. Honestly, I have not one clue of how I even arrived here, or by this point, why there’s barely anyone else on board.

There’s slews of emotion, and fast, heart-pumping action going on within this song. Aside from the fast and groovalicous playing, we have Keith going vocally crazy in several parts, and altogether it makes me insane. It feels like maybe overall I’m having some sort of flashback, or perhaps the train is riding right through the bloody action, and I’m being forced to witness it all.

And, like the song, it’s over abruptly, yet clean, as it cuts out sharply, very much like watching the war outside this window.

No One Survives. After a few moments of riding away, the train seems to be making some sort of distant left turn—away from the war. Whoa, what intensity this album has brought me so far.

We’re now presented with track number eight, so appropriately titled, no?

I’m really surprised a track like this is on the record, but it works so well with the whole theme I have going on. It’s just Keith and the piano on this one, and a very, very short track it is: Only one minute and thirty-four seconds. Somehow, on the train, this tune is be played over the loudspeakers, as if it’s telling me I won’t make it to the end; this journey will not finish peacefully for me.

Justified. In a way, track number nine is really the pinnacle of this album, and somewhat to my whole mental visual.

I’m not sure what kind of mindset I’m in by this point, but this song is about to set it for me, whether I want it to or not.

I totally dig the guitars right before the chorus kicks in, and of course, the lyrics are very evoking as well. I’m quite amazed on how long this song is, as it clocks in at six minutes and twenty-one seconds.

With the repeated usage of the word “sacrifice” throughout this song, it feeds my mental visual big time, as now I can continue to reflect on what’s been going on, because soon the train is going to hit the station, and I have no idea what to expect.

Another intriguing aspect of this tune is the last forty seconds, where you have Keith and Sal performing this song in a demo-like setting. I’m assuming Keith is on piano, and Sal is drumming, and yet again, the militant vibe makes its presence.

The Day He Died. Emotionally, this is the killer tune. As we’re hitting up track ten, we’ve got another classic Caputo tribute to one of the ‘rents, this one obviously to his father.

After going through some intense, mental, and emotional songs already, this is the one tune that, no matter how hard I try not to, I’m always going to bust out crying, especially towards the end when Keith will sing harder and faster as everything hits up to a climax to explode like an orgasm. I detect a very blunt approach to all this, and it’s really smacking me around to a point where I have to force myself to listen to the entire thing.

How does this fit into my mental visual? It can easily go out to all the fathers who are out on that field right now; the ones fighting for God only knows, and how many wives, children, family, and friends they are in big risk of leaving behind. Musically, it’ll transform your emotions in a skewy way, because you’re going back to the rawness experienced within the first few tracks. And because of the subject matter at hand, it just really fucks with my mind big time.

A very tough song to listen to, but still sounds wonderful, and perhaps one of the most blunt pieces ever on the album.

Broken Valley. Okay people, this is where it all really comes fucking together—the biggie—the real fucking climax of everything we’ve heard from the opening notes of “Love to Let You Down” onwards.

Ultimately, this is my baby of the album; this is the definitive song. Perhaps one can use it to accept something tragic that has happened to them, such as the death of a close friend or family member. And even if that’s not the intended purpose, right now I don’t care. Musically and vocally, it’s how it speaks to me.

You can also sense a world of influence from John Lennon ad Pink Floyd here, and I love the drumming going on behind that influence. You could say my V. I. P.’s for the record is Sal—exceptional drumming throughout—and Joey Z., for the exceptional guitar work. Don’t fear, people, Alan and Keith also stand out heavily, as this is really another standout vocal performance up and down the scale, and Alan has brought back some real tight Ugly-esque bass playing. All four guys make up the star as a whole, as it should always be.

As for my visuals, I may have been pondering all sorts of crazy war depictions that I’ve seen on this train ride. I’ve captured many a photo, but what’s really odd is that this song takes it a few steps further, and changes the vision to the point where everything changes from a war aftermath to the ruins of Chernobyl. Have I been in Ukraine this whole time? I don’t know, but I am starting to get tired from all the emotional overload; perhaps a nap is in order ‘til I arrive at my destination.

Room 244. As I fall asleep, everything cuts out to black, and then I wake up to the last track on this audio masterpiece.

Indeed this is an instrumental, but what’s so eerie is I could find myself hearing someone say, “Thank you for listening to Broken Valley. We hope you found this record to be an excellent addition to your collection, and we look forward to seeing you soon as we tour the ‘States all summer long.” That’s not on the actual record itself, mind you, that’s how my visual ends.

And there you have it, people: My insane, yet very different review of this superb recording. I never thought it would hit me as profoundly as it did, but it has tapped into areas I may have been keeping under lock and key for quite some time.

What does that mean in the end? Well, fans of LoA have waited a long time for this, and in every way possible, it is exactly where the band should be, musically, mentally, and lyrically. It truly owns my soul.

With that in mind, check out the thirty-second samples below, and come June 14 (Europeans can get it as of May 30, 2005!), go to your local record store and buy this album. It’ll change your life, as it did mine.

(I dedicate this review to my friend, George Daudelin , who unexpectedly passed away on Saturday May 28, 2005. He encouraged me to buy River Runs Red in the summer of 1994, thus ultimately leading me to write this review. Not only was he a diehard Life of Agony fan, but we shared a passion for KISS as well. One of the most loving human beings I have ever known, he will be sorely missed.)