Hardcore Garage band LIFE OF AGONY was founded in Brooklyn during 1989. The founding trio of vocalist KEITH CAPUTO, guitarist Joey Z and bassist Alan Roberts went through a variety of drummers prior to settling on erstwhile TYPE O NEGATIVE man Sal Abruscato just as a deal was struck with Roadrunner Records for the debut 'River Runs Red'. This outing put the band firmly and squarely in the Metal / Hardcore camp and a solid year's worth of touring included a tour of Europe in January 1994 on a package billing with THE SPUDMONSTERS and PRO-PAIN. Fans would be somewhat nonplussed when LIFE OF AGONY returned with 1995's alternative tinged 'Ugly'. However, 'Ugly', which closed out with a raucous cover version of SIMPLE MINDS 'Don't You (Forget About Me)', gave the band their nearest shot at a hit, just grazing the American Billboard top 200. Following this release Abruscato was replaced by erstwhile CRUMBSUCKERS drummer Dan Richardson. European dates in the Winter of 1995 saw support from SOULS AT ZERO and PIST. ON.

Frontman Keith Caputo's first post LIFE OF AGONY project was the band ABSOLUTE BLOOM. In a shock move LIFE OF AGONY announced their new singer as Whitfield Crane, formerly with tongue in cheek Rock act UGLY KID JOE and this version of the band hooked up with the 1998 roving 'Ozzfest' festivals. News emerged in January of 1999 that Crane was asked to leave and Alan Robert had assumed the lead vocal role. Joining LIFE OF AGONY later in 1999 was former STILL RAIN and STUCK MOJO bassist Corey Lowery. Studio rehearsals intended to get material together for a new album with Alan Roberts failed to gel and the band splintered. Richardson and Lowery soon announced a brand new band venture billed as AMAZING DISGRACE, later re-titled STEREOMUD, recording two albums for Columbia.

Crane founded MYSTRESS, subsequently entitled PALE DEMONS and later still billed as MEDICATION) in 1999 with ex-MACHINE HEAD and SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader, ex-SOULFLY drummer Roy Mayorga and former OZZY OSBOURNE and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bassist Robert Trujillo.

Keith Caputo, following a brief flirtation with a band project name BRANDY DUVAL, re-emerged with a solo album 'Died Laughing' before formulating the Dutch based band BELLA MAJESTIK. Roberts meantime teamed up with guitarist Scott Roberts of THE SPUDMONSTERS, ex-AGNOSTIC FRONT and MADBALL drummer Will Sheplar and vocalist Robb Brock to found AMONG THIEVES. By mid 2002 drummer Sal Abruscato was touting his new band on the live circuit, SUPERMASSIV, a unit comprising of guitarist Rob Hudson, and former URANIUM 235 members guitarist Matt Brown and vocalist Billy Kelly. However, SUPERMASSIV had folded by September.

None too surprisingly word arrived that the classic LIFE OF AGONY line-up of Keith Caputo, Joey Z, Alan Robert and Sal Abruscato were set to reunite for a New York show in January 2003. The show, at the Irving Plaza, sold out within a matter of minutes from tickets becoming available. The band soon added a second gig. These dates would be captured on tape for a live album, mixing being in the hands of the BIOHAZARD pairing of Danny Schuler and Billy Graziadei. KEITH CAPUTO also readied a further solo album entitled 'Perfect Little Monsters' with further material, recorded with Florida based band FREAX, also set to emerge.

LIFE OF AGONY's comeback live outing 'River Runs Again' closed out with four studio tracks from associated acts with 'Consequence' by AMONG THIEVES, 'Were What I Say' from KEITH CAPUTO, 'Big Pop Food' courtesy of FREAX and SUPERMASIV's 'Fake'. A lengthy European tour had the band out on the road throughout August and September. The band would be back on US soil for an extensive round of dates in January of 2004 supported by FLAW and APARTMENT 26.

LIFE OF AGONY demoed up four songs, 'Love To Let U Down', 'The Day He Died', 'Justified' and 'The Calm That Disturbs You', that Summer, scoring a new deal with major label Epic Records in September. Following three weeks of pre-production in Woodstock the band relocated to Los Angeles to craft the record 'Broken Valley' with producer Greg Fidelman. Backed by release of the single 'Love To Let You Down', the band launched into a US tour during March of 2005 backed up by MUDVAYNE, BLOODSIMPLE and AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE. Tragically, the tour was marred by the death of AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE guitarist Bryan Ottoson, found dead in his bus bunk on 19th April, prior to the group's scheduled appearance at the Plex in North Charleston, South Carolina.

LIFE OF AGONY subsequently hooked up with Dave Mustaine's 'Gigantour' nationwide Summer festivals, forming up a billing alongside MEGADETH, FEAR FACTORY, DREAM THEATER, SYMPHONY X, NEVERMORE, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, DRY KILL LOGIC and BOBAFLEX. The album 'Broken Valley', arriving in June, sold over 7,600 copies in its first week of US sales to land at number 146 on the Billboard charts.

Whitfield Crane returned in early 2006 fronting ANOTHER ANIMAL, this project a collaboration with Shannon's fellow GODSMACK members guitarist Tony Rombola, bass player Robbie Merrill and drummer Shannon Larkin. Meantime, Joey Zampela joined up with the high profile CARNIVORE reunion.

LIFE OF AGONY headlined the Jägermeister Stage at the U.K.'s Damnation Festival, taking place Saturday, 24th October 2009 at Leeds University Union.