Ugly (Life of Agony album)

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Ugly
Life of Agony-Ugly.jpg
Studio album by
Life of Agony
ReleasedOctober 10, 1995
RecordedSystem Two, Brooklyn, NY
GenreAlternative metal
Length53:10
LabelRoadrunner
ProducerSteve Thompson
Life of Agony chronology
River Runs Red
(1993) 		Ugly
(1995) 		Soul Searching Sun
(1997)
Singles from Ugly
  1. "Lost at 22"
    Released: 1995[1]
  2. "Let's Pretend"
    Released: 1996[2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic4/5 stars link

Ugly is the second album released by American hardcore / alternative metal band Life of Agony. The band incorporates a more alternative metal/hard rock element to the strictly hardcore/metal sound heard on their 1993 debut, River Runs Red. Ugly still features the band's trademark heavy riffing (e.g. 'I Regret', 'Damned If I Do', 'Fears'); however, elements such as "gang" backing vocals and double-bass drumming have been replaced by slower, more melodic moments (e.g. "Let's Pretend") and even acoustic guitar (e.g. bonus tracks "Coffee Break" and bonus Bob Marley and the Wailers cover track, "Redemption Song"). Lead singer, Mina Caputo, opted for a more natural vocal delivery, eschewing the baritone howls heard on the previous record.

The majority of the album was written by and even performed by the band during the extensive touring in support of their debut album.

Ugly was produced by Steve Thompson and recorded at Systems Two in Brooklyn, NY. Thompson also mixed the album with longtime partner Michael Barbiero. The pair were brought onto the project because of their previous work with Guns N' Roses ("Appetite For Destruction") and Metallica ("...And Justice For All").

Ugly was released by Roadrunner Records in 1995. Sal Abruscato left the band after the album's tour in 1996 due to, "creative differences", but later rejoined for LOA's first reunion in 2002. Abruscato would ultimately leave the band for the second time in 2018. While most fans consider "River Runs Red" to be Life Of Agony's definitive work, many consider "Ugly" to be an underrated, alternative metal "classic".

Reception[]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic praised the album writing in his review "For listeners unaccustomed to blistering, noisy metal, Life of Agony will be agonizing. However, fans of the genre will find the band to be among the best of the mid-'90s, capable of spitting out razor-sharp riffs. What makes Ugly work is the band's grasp of sonic texture -- they can make even their quiet moments menacing."[3] Critically, the album performed well, but did not repeat the sales of River Runs Red; this can most likely be attributed to the album's considerable change in sound.

Track listing[]

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Seasons"Mina CaputoSal Abruscato, Caputo5:41
2."I Regret"Alan RobertRobert, Abruscato, Caputo4:22
3."Lost at 22"RobertRobert, Abruscato4:00
4."Other Side of the River"RobertRobert, Joey Z.4:06
5."Let's Pretend"CaputoCaputo4:02
6."Ugly"RobertRobert, Abruscato, Caputo5:53
7."Drained"RobertRobert, Abruscato4:11
8."How it Would Be"CaputoCaputo4:36
9."Unstable"RobertRobert, Abruscato4:32
10."Damned If I Do"RobertRobert, Abruscato, Caputo3:44
11."Fears"RobertRobert, Abruscato2:41
12."Don't You (Forget About Me)"Keith Forsey, Steve SchiffForsey, Schiff6:11
European metal box edition bonus tracks[4]
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
13."Coffee break"CaputoAbruscato, Caputo5:09
14."Redemption song" (Bob Marley cover)Bob MarleyMarley4:02

Personnel[]

Life of Agony

Additional musicians

Technical personnel

References[]

  1. ^ "Lost at 22" (single). Life of Agony. Roadrunner Records. 1995. RR PROMO 144.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ "Let's Pretend" (single). Life of Agony. Roadrunner Records. 1996. RR PROMO 166.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/ugly-mw0000178349
  4. ^ Ugly, catalog number RR.8924-9, barcode 016861892494
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