Life Of Agony/Keith Caputo

I've got Broken Valley, and it's a decent album, quite obviously influenced by Velvet Revolver though. Love To Let You Down is a fantastic song, there's a few other really good ones on there, but I can't remember what they're called off the top of my head, I haven't listened to it for a few years. Been meaning to listen to their earlier stuff for year but never really got around to it so far.

Bit bemused that Keith Caputo is choosing to live as a woman though!

Broken Valley was awesome, but probably their weakest album overall I reckon. Check their earlier stuff....sensational.

since you and i seem to have similar taste in music (apart from Crue ), i trust your judgement this is killer stuff and i'm giving these guys a go. i just need to be guided so i don't pick their worse album, which i mostly likely would otherwise what should i listen to first?

You won't be dissapointed...I hope! Probably try "Soul Searching Sun" first, it would be their most melodic album. All their stuff is killer though, they started out quite a bit heavier and were part of the hardcore scene with their debut "River Runs Red", but got progressively more melodic from there. If you want to look at Caputo solo, then his first album, "Died Laughing" is a good starting point. Let me know what you think!

thanks for the suggestions, i think i'll try the band albums first. i will let you know what i think. Soul Searching Sun it is then

Awesome. I look forward to hearing your opinions!

so i have listened to Soul Searching Sun a few times now and i don't know if you agree with me but my first impression was it is really grungy. it took me a bit by surprise as i was expecting something slightly heavier and not so grunge influenced. i pretended to like grunge when it was big, but honestly i never really did like it. so i struggled a bit especially with the start of the album with Hope, which is actually a good song but not my cup of tea, and Gently Sentimental, which i feel is the grungiest track off of the album and thus my least favourite.

on the plus side, i really like Weeds, Tangerine, Lead You Astray and my favourite My Mind Is Dangerous. i think the album got better from
Tangerine onwards.

you mentioned something like the band going a different direction with SSS so i was curious and checked out the first few songs off the other two albums. although considerably heavier than most things i'm used to, i found them more enjoyable and much less foreign to my melodic rock trained ears going by the songs i listened to, i reckon Ugly could be my favourite of the lot, although i have yet to listen to it properly. i'm happy i checked SSS out though, i really think there's potential there to be a grower

Glad that you had a listen. It really is a grower as an album, you need to give it a bit of time, but once you do you might find yourself hooked. SSS was definitely their least heavy album. The tracks you listed above are pretty much my faves as well, especially "My Mind Is Dangerous" - Caputo's vocals are brilliant on that track. Desire, Angry Tree and Heroin Dreams are brilliant as well.

"Ugly" is probably my favourite Life Of Agony album overall, however I think Caputo's vocals really start to shine on SSS. I don't know if you are someone who gets into the lyrics of songs much, but check out the lyrics to tracks on Ugly such as "Let's Pretend" and "How It Would Be". Caputo's mother died of a heroin overdose when he was one and a lot of his lyrics relate to that. His father passed away from a heroin overdose a few years back as well, so he has had quite a tormented upbringing.

Have a listen to the below and check out the lyrics...so heartfelt. There is a heavier version on "Ugly", but I think the definitive version is an acoustic version on Keith Caputo's "Died Laughing Pure" album (acoustic renditions of his first solo album, with a couple of other tracks and a brilliant version of Annie Lennox's "Why?"). Unfortunately, I cannot find the version I have anywhere on You Tube....the below version is nowhere near as good but gives you an idea.


His solo stuff is a lot more mellow than the LOA stuff, but it just gets me in a way that no other artist does. Some of his tracks just give me the chills.

Angry Tree yesss, i forgot that one, really liked it.

i like doing a bit of a background check on the bands i'm listening to so i have a better understanding of them. besides of what you wrote here, i also read Keith's bio on his page and also checked the band on Wiki. he's had such a sad life story, i would imagine it gives him plenty to write about. Let's Pretend contains some really intense lyrics indeed. especially when you know the story behind them. i checked the album version and his vocals make the song sound like a lament. it did make me feel sad.

i admit i paid little attention to the lyrical part in SSS. i generally concentrate more on it once i know the musical part of the songs better. i still want to give SSS a couple more listens before i move on to the previous 2 albums.

I'm glad you are giving it a decent listen. If you like them/him half as much as me you'll still friggin' love 'em!