Life of Agony

Life of Agony’s debut CD River Runs Red was groundbreaking. Still to this day, I feel like this band was cut off at the knees long before their time to fade was even a possibility. Their potential stopped dead. This live double disc, birthed from Alan Robert, Sal Abruscato and Keith Caputo putting their differences aside, revisits what made Life of Agony something special. Recorded at two shows in New York City in January 2003, River Runs Again: Live 2003 is more than just musicianship. It is about a vibe — a feeling from the audience, an admiration. Sure the guys don’t sound exactly as they did when they first came on the scene, but that isn’t what this disc needed to do. River Runs Again: Live 2003 serves as a reminder of what this band has already done. Tracks like "This Time” and "Bad Seed” on disc one and "Through and Through” on disc two still make my spine shutter with delicate tempo changes and blood curdling lyrics. This collection is capped off with three distinct views of the post-Life of Agony years for each of the members. These side projects couldn’t be much different. So I guess Life of Agony fans should be thankful for this live record. Who knows when this group of individuals will again be able to agree on a musical direction?