Photos and words by Keith Perks
STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Alt-metal vets Life of Agony finally got back on the road with its Lost at 2022 Northeast Tour that started in Teaneck, New Jersey. The band had several stops throughout the Northeast, including the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg on Jan. 29.
It was exciting to hear LOA were heading back out on tour. There’s a friendship and love for music that you can see, hear and feel when you watch this group on stage. The chaotic energy and battering basslines of Alan, the powerful riffs and soaring solos of Joey Z, the machine gun-like assault of Veronica on drums, and of course the swagger and ferocity of Mina on vocals all put together are ingredients for a show that you walk away from feeling like you were given a gift. And you were. This band has been doing this for 30 years, and damn it if they aren’t playing harder and heavier than they ever were. Their hearts are in it. They want these shows as much as we do.
LOA has been around for decades, and it’s an honor to cover their shows. They are true veterans of the music scene, and it’s been amazing to see them grow and spread their music across the globe. We were very happy to have them back at The Sherman.
Friends and rapcore trailblazers Dog Eat Dog opened that night with Kings Never Die (ex-members of Dog Eat Dog, Subzero, Mucky Pup) in support at other various stops.
Life Of Agony tore through a 16-song set list of fan favorites, opening with the heavy hitter “River Runs Red.” The energy as you would expect was full throttle from start to finish, weaving in and out of songs such as “Scars,” “Seasons,” “Lost at 22,” “Bad Seed” and ending with three “River Runs Red” staples, “Through and Through,” “Underground” and “This Time.”
It had been some time since the band had toured because of the pandemic. Unfortunately for so many LOA fans, Covid hit Mina and Veronica, and the remainder of the tour had to be canceled.
The good news is they will be back out soon in support of Glassjaw for a selection of its tour stops, and Highway 81 Revisited hopes to cover one of those as well.
In 2019, LOA released its sixth studio album, “The Sounds of Scars,” on Napalm Records, which was praised by outlets as a “very emotional and hard-hitting” album. The album received excellent reviews praising both the musicianship of the band and also Mina Caputo’s voice and writing. It was produced by Sylvia Massy (System of a Down/Tool) and LOA’s Joey Z, and it was mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Metallica, Soundgarden). This album follows the story set from the band’s hugely popular first release, “A River Runs Red.”
A documentary film, also titled “The Sound of Scars,” was released in 2021. It was directed by Leigh Brooks and includes interviews, archival footage, photographs and lost interviews. The documentary won tons of praise from outlets like Kerrang, CNN, Psychology Today, Loudwire and countless others calling it “poignant,” “honest,” “unflinching” and “absolutely amazing.”
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