Life of Agony Books an “Up Close and Unplugged Tour” for This Winter


Long-running New York City Metal band Life of Agony has booked a limited-date special tour An Intimate Evening with Life of Agony: Up Close & Unplugged. The dates kick off on February 16, 2024, in Munich, Germany, and will end on February 24th in Dusseldorf, Germany. Dates are already selling out in the few weeks since the tour was announced. The shows will feature a showing of the acclaimed LOA documentary Life of Agony:The Sound of Scars, a Q&A with the band, and then a stripped-down acoustic set with Mina Caputo, Joey Z, and Alan Robert. The band is said to be working on a new album, their first since 2019s The Sound of Scars (Napalm Records). Tickets are on sale at the link below. Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Life of Agony – Dog Eat Dog – Empire Fallen: Live at The Sherman Theater


Life of Agony made a stop in East Stroudburg, Pa. On their Lost at 2022 tour, featuring Dog Eat Dog and local opener Empire Fallen for the Lost At 2022 Tour. Despite a sizeable snowstorm that pounded the entire region, loyal fans of LOA gathered patiently outside The Sherman Theater comparing stories and recalling how many times they had seen the band since 1993 when the Brooklyn based band was supporting their first album. So now tonight, after 2 years, the LOA familia were not gonna let a snow storm or any other act of God stop them from being reunited with this band that has been the soundtrack of so many of their lives

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Mina Caputo Releases New Album “The Mones”


 

Life of Agony frontwoman and Rock and Metal legend Mina Caputo has surprise-released her latest solo album, The Mones exclusively via Caputo’s Bandcamp. Caputo has been a solo artist for many years and has released 17 albums either as a solo act or inside bands outside of LOA. Mina’s ability to marry her powerful voice with vulnerable, yet hero lyrics is her calling card. Mones contains 12 more tracks that further this legacy. The album features bass performances from John Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) and Rick Boston (Joe Cocker). Mones was produced by Mina and Andy Kravitz, with Mastering and Artwork/layout by her LOA bandmates Joey Z and Alan Robert respectively, with an album cover photo by Michael Anthony Alago. Stream and purchase the album here.

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Watch Never Before Seen Outtakes of Metallica with Michael Alago from “Who The F*ck Is That Guy” Documentary


 

Michael Alago recently released his memoir I Am Michael Alago: Breathing Music. Signing Metallica. Beating Death. (BackBeat Books), written by Alago with Laura Davis-Chanin (with a foreword by Mina Caputo of Life of Agony and John Joseph of Cro-Mags) and you can read our review here. Michael is the music industry legend that signed Metallica to Electra Records and helped guide them on the path to being the biggest band of all time. He also played a role in the careers of White Zombie, Cro-mags, Metal Church, Flotsam and Jetsam, and more. The Drew Stone documentary Who The F*ck Is That Guy: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago (just wrapped on Netflix after an unprecedented 3 years, now on Amazon Prime and YouTube) grew awareness of him beyond music documentaries and VH1’s Metallica Behind The Music. Now you can see never before seen outtakes of Michael with Metallica after they filmed their segments for the film, posted to Drew Stone’s YouTube. Continue reading


Within Temptation to Stream Iconic “Black Symphony” Concert This Week


Within Temptation will stream their first arena show with orchestra on social media: watch Black Symphony live at Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena on Thursday, April 30, at 7.30 PM UK time, on the band’s Facebook, YouTube or Twitch channel. For the first time in their career, Within Temptation bundled their strength with the Metropole Orchestra (led by Jules Buckley) and a 20-voice classical choir, lifting the band’s fast-driven and bombastic tracks to an even higher level. Within Temptation performed the spectacular show on February 7 2008 to 10.000 fans, surprising them with appearances by special guests Mina Caputo (Life Of Agony), Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering) and George Oosthoek (Orphanage) while covering every hit from their discography up to 2008, including Mother Earth, Stand My Ground and All I Need. News is expected soon from the WT camp about upcoming activities, hopefully, that will mean new music. Continue reading


BOOK REVIEW: Michael Alago and Laura Davis-Chanin – “I Am Michael Alago: Breathing Music. Signing Metallica. Beating Death.”


Everybody has a story.

There are many words of wisdom born from the soul of Michael Alago that he has shared in his memoir. Most know him as the music industry legend that signed Metallica to Electra Records and helped guide them on the path to being the biggest band of all time. The Drew Stone documentary Who The F*ck Is That Guy: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago (now on Netflix and Amazon) shined a light on him that he deserved for decades. But there is so much more to his story, to the person than bands he signed, and who whom he rubbed shoulders with. The film was a terrific introduction to his life and times and why he deserves the credit he does. The book slowly peels back the years, all the wonderful and terrible things that life can bring and all the in-betweens. A lot of formative times with his family growing up in Brooklyn, dear friends, loves and losses. A terrific tapestry of experiences, stories, and reminiscences. There are many standout movements, including instances of Michael being surrounded the greats of the music and art world; Jerry Brandt, Bill Graham, Danny Fields, Bob Krasnow, Robert Mapplethorpe and many more. It’s cool enough to have met those people, but what really matters is listening and learning from greatness when it comes across your path. He did just that. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Life of Agony – The Sound of Scars


Older, wiser, better, stronger. That could very well be the 2019 tag line for Life of Agony. Since the bands’ return a full-time band from their hiatus, the have continued to evolve and improve, year over year. Anybody can get on stage, take a paycheck for nostalgia’s sake. No, not this band. Their approach to new music has been inspired. Their comeback album, 2017’s A Place Where There’s No More Pain (Napalm Records) was a powerful reminder of what made this band vital in the first place. Now on The Sound of Scars (also Napalm), the band returns to the scene of their original triumph, to continue the tale. Continue reading


Life Of Agony Is In The Studio Demoing Songs For Their New Album


In a post to Twitter today Life of Agony’s Mina Caputo revealed that the band is in the studio, right now, working on pre-production of new music for their next album. The bands’ next album will be their follow up to their 2017 release A Place Where There’s No More Pain, out now via Napalm Records. The album will be their first album with new drummer Veronica Bellino, who took over the drum throne in 2018 and toured the world with the band. Ghost Cult chatted with bassist/vocalist Alan Robert last fall and he gave fans an idea of the many plans LOA is working on for what sounds like a busy 2019. You can see that interview below. Continue reading


Life of Agony and Sick Of It All Team Up For December Shows


Life of Agony and Sick Of It All will join forces in December for two concerts dubbed “Two Sick Nights Of Agony”. The bands had somehow never played together in the 30-year history of each group, but now will co-headline December 14th at The Paramount (Huntington, NY) and December 15th at The Stone Pony (Asbury Park, NJ). Billy Bio, the new band featuring Billy Graziadei (Biohazard, Powerflo) will open both nights. Tickets go on sale on Friday, October 5th at 9:00 AM Eastern.Continue reading


Life Of Agony Discusses New Album, Maintaining Their Common Bonds


Life Of Agony drops their highly anticipated new album A Place Where There’s No More Pain via Napalm Records on April 28th. In this exclusive interview between Ghost Cult’s Keith Chachkes and LOA’s Mina Caputo, Joey Z and Alan Robert, the band discusses the long process of creating new music, their new record deal, how their band dynamic has changed over the years, their hometown record release show at Irving Plaza, what their fans mean to them, and more! Videography by Omar Cody for OJC Photography. Continue reading