CoC : Life of Agony - Soul Searching Sun : Review

Life of Agony - _Soul Searching Sun_
(Roadrunner, 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10)

Whoa! What a different record than the band's previous LPs, their 1993 classic debut _River Runs Red_ and 1995's ill-received but still hard-hitting _Ugly_. Over the last few releases, the band has lost their hardcore roots and geared their music more towards a hard rock outfit. But that doesn't make the band worse. Does it? No. In fact, LoA have actually become really strong songwriters and musicians as the years have gone along. I mean, coming from a brutally honest debut LP like _RRR_ and the soul-searching opus of _Ugly_, the band has needed to grow better to keep up to par with their past writing accomplishments. The songs on _SSS_ are not only catchy and memorable (i.e. "Heroin Dreams" and the wicked first single "Weeds") but saturated in maturity. Some may write this band off as 'sellout' or 'posers,' but I say LoA still have what it takes, and just because they have softened their blows doesn't mean they still can't do the damage.

(article published 14/9/1997)

ALBUMS
8/11/1995	A Bromley	4	Life Of Agony - Ugly

GIGS
11/10/1996	A Bromley	Type O Negative / Life of Agony / Manhole	A Night of Negativity
9/6/1996	E Crvich	Overkill / Life of Agony	Overkilling the Masses
13/12/1995	A Bromley	Anthrax / Life of Agony / Deftones	Caught in a Mosh With 'Thrax