Remembering the first time that I had ever heard Life Of Agony brings back great memories. Upon getting an advance copy of River Runs Red from Roadrunner Records, I was immediately awe-stricken by the combination of melody and sheer power that the band espoused through fantastic music like “This Time” and the starkly moving title track. That cassette was played over and over again until it was virtually unlistenable from degradation. A record revolving around a very serious concept, “River Runs Red” struck a deep emotional chord within me, and that album holds up to this very day as a fantastic achievement in the annals of heavy metal. In 2005, LOA has returned with a brand new record, this time for industry powerhouse Epic Records, which will no doubt resonate with fans as deeply as their classic debut. It was a tremendous honor to speak with guitarist Joey Z and bassist Alan Robert about the band’s latest achievements. As a part of this summer’s Gigantour concert extravaganza, Life Of Agony is one intensely talented group of artists that you most definitely do not want to miss…
Erin Fox: The band was away for a little while and now you’re back on tour with Mudvayne. Tell us a little bit about coming back from the break in the action…
Joey Z: We had a bunch of years away from each other, which turned out to be a really good thing, actually. It allowed us to realize how much it means to us to actually be together. We did some preview shows in January 2003, a couple in New York and they sold out immediately. We were still doing other projects; we were still playing in other bands and stuff. So we played those shows and it was like magic all over again. Shortly after that, we re-grouped, reformed for good; we got back together again solidly. It was three or four months after that show in 2003. It was April or May of 2003. (Speaking to Alan) That was your wedding, right?
Alan Robert: Yeah, June 14th.
Joey Z: Yeah, June. Ever since then, we went to Europe; we did American tours. We just did our own tours, this is the first support tour we are doing, with Mudvayne. We wrote the record and it was really, really special. The writing process, coming back together after all of these years, the original LOA, the original guys.
Erin Fox: I haven’t gotten to hear the new record yet. What can fans expect from it? Is it a return to the “River Runs Red” style or have you moved in a different direction?
Joey Z: Expect the unexpected, once again. It’s taking all of the great qualities of our old material; it’s definitely apparent what band it is. But, at the same time, it’s another new dose, a new dose of LOA, a more mature direction. It’s still heavy lyrically, musically. It’s heavy but I don’t want to give people the wrong idea. These days a lot of people consider heavy to be Slayer, Mudvayne, and Slipknot.
Erin Fox: LOA was always very heavy but also very melodic as well…
Joey Z: It’s definitely very melodic, it’s definitely accessible. We’re a hard rock band, that’s the best way to put it. We had a great time making this record. We escaped to Woodstock, New York. We got a house and built it there, secluded ourselves in the woods.
Erin Fox: What was that like for the band?
Joey Z: It was cool. Especially that we had a timeframe to do this record, we didn’t want to lose momentum. We thought about it; put our heads together with some ideas. Woodstock was a great way to get away from all of the distractions of the big city. Trying to write a record, it’s pretty tough so basically, it was a good idea that we did that. We cooked for each other, you know, we lived together in this house, so that was pretty cool.
Alan Robert: It was our first time doing something like that, ever.
Erin Fox: So you had never been in a situation where you had felt that type of closeness before?
Alan Robert: Well we had toured together, but when you tour it’s different.
Joey Z: A lot of people around…
Alan Robert: There’s different things, distractions. You’re playing every night…
Joey Z: Everyone is in and out. But this was just the four of us in the middle of nowhere.
Erin Fox: So it was a fun experience for the band?
Joey Z: Oh yeah, it was fun. It was challenging, because we had to write songs. It’s not like go there, barbecue, smoke some weed and drink all the time. Yeah, we would do that stuff after playing for ten or eleven hours and that’s hard work. We take our music very seriously, we take our band very seriously and we take every album very seriously. So, it was challenging and once Greg, the producer came in for preproduction, we transcended to a new level as musicians, because he pushed us to try harder and pushed us to be better. It was tough, just like every album is for every band; everyone out there knows how it is. But, we definitely matured a lot as a band collectively.
Erin Fox: So as a band, you’re happy to have the type of producer that will push you and becomes involved with the band and the music on a very close level?
Alan Robert: That is the weird thing with producers, because up until you read them and you work with them, they’re actually just a name on a list that have made some great records that we like. You really don’t know who did what, what input they had into it and it’s actually like throwing the dice. We really lucked out with Greg, because he became a fan. He had probably never heard of the band before until he started working with us and he really got into our circle really quick. He fit in really good with what we were doing.
Erin Fox: Is this an album where the band wanted particular songs to stand out, or did you set out to make a record that was the complete package, from beginning to end?
Alan Robert: Yeah, we definitely wanted to make that record, that nothing is skipped.
Joey Z: Yeah, you don’t skip at all.
Alan Robert: We cut those songs out.
Joey Z: With this album, we did things much differently than we had done in the past. We had more communication. If one person doesn’t like something, a vocal or a riff, whatever, we move on. We either change it or we get rid of it and it’s just a constant forward, positive motion. Because if someone doesn’t like something, there’s a reason. They’re not feeling it, why are you going to force it? Back in the day, we would force each other to like our shit, because no one would talk about it.
Alan Robert: We’d be in the studio, for instance, writing “Ugly”, and not say two words to each other.
Joey Z: Because no one wanted to ruffle anyone’s feathers…
Alan Robert: There would a lot of uncomfortable silence, and now, maybe we talk too much.
Erin Fox: It seems like the time that you spent away from each other ended up as a really positive factor.
Alan Robert: Yeah, we grew up a lot, we learned a lot about how to relate to each other. Now, we know each other a lot better.
Erin Fox: For all of the kids who didn’t have the opportunity to hear the band back in the Roadrunner days, what can they expect to see this summer?
Joey Z: This crowd is a really, really different crowd for us. So far, we have had a bit of a rough start. Mudvayne are great guys and we’re really happy that they wanted to have us out here, because they wanted the bill to be diverse, not the same thing from every band. Being that the kids don’t know who we are, they don’t know one song and we’re going on right before their band, it’s kind of hard for them to swallow, I guess, and it’s a bit hard for us to swallow because we’re not used to getting reactions like that. As a matter of fact, we’ve never gotten reactions like this, in our fifteen year career. They don’t know we’ve been around fifteen, sixteen years. Most of the time, it’s like a little eighteen year old kid, giving the finger, saying “you suck” and I think it’s more of a thing where they’re copying each other. One or two do it and it starts spreading.
Alan Robert: They think it’s funny
Joey Z: They think it’s funny and we’re starting to laugh about it a little bit. We figure that it’s just that they don’t know. Just a bit of ignorant thinking. On the other hand, we’re proud to be here for the people that want to hear it and who are giving us an open chance. I can tell you that not every person in that crowd is leaving thinking “Oh, those guys suck.”
Erin Fox: I’ll bet that when the show’s all done, a lot of those kids are still going to go back and talk to their friends and brag that they checked you guys out.
Alan Robert: The weirdest part about it, last night in Chicago, there was this one kid in particular. He was in the front, before we even played a note; he had his middle finger in the air…
Joey Z: Yeah, when our intro was coming on…
Alan Robert: He probably had never heard one note form us, but he was already anti- and all that, you know? When we ended the show, he still had his middle finger in the air, but now, he’s banging his head. I think they’re a little confused, too. They want to be tough and not like anything new, but at the same time, they can’t help but move by the end of it. So, I think we’re winning people over whether they know it or not.
Erin Fox: What are the band’s plans as far as touring goes after the Mudvayne tour wraps up? Will you be going out on your own or be picking up another tour?
Joey Z: As soon as our brand new record comes out, we’re going to tour; we’re definitely going to keep at it. Hopefully we can tour for as long as we can, hopefully for a year and a half. We’re going to go over to Europe. We do very well in Europe and we love it over there. The fans are really excited about the record over there and can’t wait, so we’re excited to go over there.
Erin Fox: They audiences in Europe are well known for being open minded and not as superficial about their music. They seem to enjoy it at face value.
Joey Z: Part of it with American crowds is that they are fed what they should like.
Alan Robert: No one goes and searches out the music they like here. In Europe, they don’t rely on the radio to find out about new bands. Radio doesn’t exist over there like it is here. So it’s really more of an underground thing over there and I think that it means more to people because they actually have to go and put a little bit of work into finding these bands. So we can go and play with Slipknot over in Europe and do great, even though the bands are so different. We’ve played with hip-hop bands, we played with Cypress Hill. The people over there are just more open to all kinds of music and musically diverse.
Erin Fox: In America it is definitely too oriented around singular scenes, as opposed to the kids just accepting the groups at face value for what they are. The metalcore scene of today has replaced the old hardcore scene, where you have a group of kids who will only listen to one style of music. I think it’s great that you are coming from a different approach and exposing kids to another style of art, it’s really cool.
Joey Z: Again, it’s just tough on us. We love go up there and want to enjoy our songs and that’s the bottom line. When you have the crowd chanting or shouting and fingers, it’s a little harder to enjoy your songs. It’s harder to get into it, because you’re really looking for a vibe. If the vibe is negative, basically it makes us want to play harder, in the end it does. But at the same time, I don’t want to say that it’s particularly enjoyable to play to a crowd that has that closed mind and just won’t open up to you.
Erin Fox: What type of show do you find to be your favorite?
Alan Robert: We could play in front of a hundred kids in a little dive and it could be the best show.
Joey Z: It’s all about the vibe. If the vibe is hot and the energy is there, it’s always good. You play better, you get into it more. You fucking sweat and you’re just drilling the guitar, beating the shit out of your instrument. It makes for a rewarding night, when you go “Wow, that was great.” Whether it’s in front of fifty-three thousand or like Alan said, a hundred in a fucking dive somewhere.
Alan Robert: As long as it’s memorable.
Joey Z: Yeah, like “That will be one to remember”, those kinds of shows.
Erin Fox: So what was the one most important reason for you guys to get back together and start making music again?
Alan Robert: For me, LOA was something that started when I was a kid, we were all kids. It’s something instilled in me. It’s in our bones, it’s in our blood. When it wasn’t in our life, I missed it. Now that I have it again, I’m even that much more pumped up about it.
Joey Z: Yeah, me too.
Alan Robert: It’s like a second chance to accomplish something where we didn’t really accomplish all of our goals.
Joey Z: I agree. That’s basically how I feel. I feel like myself again. That’s the best way I can describe it. I feel like me again. I lost myself for a while there. Just going down the wrong path, negative energy starts surrounding you. This brought a light back into my life and the positive vibes. So I am very happy to be here. The music is so true and the lyrics mean so much to me. We’re just really happy to be back.
