By the start of 1999 ‘Life of Agony’ were effectively finished, arguments having torn the band apart from the mid-90s onwards. However the decision to do a couple of reunion shows in 2003 inspired them to give it another go, and led to the recording of their first studio album in 8 years – ‘Broken Valley’. The question is, after such a gap, do ‘Life of Agony’ still have a place in the metal scene? And the answer to that would have to be a resounding yes, as ‘Broken Valley’ is by far one of my favourite releases this year, an irresistibly catchy, foot stomping, head banging, jump around the room, gem of an album.

Blending a ‘Queens of the Stone Age’ stoner vibe and ‘Velvet Revolver’ style rock with hints of ‘Audioslave’, ‘Broken Valley’ manages to sound a bit like all those bands while transcending all their recent releases so completely it’s like comparing a Michelin star restaurant to a McDonalds. And if that combination of bands puts you off, don’t let it – this album deserves your attention!

Opening with the single ‘Love To Let You Down’, an up-tempo track that is surely one of the best on the album, it’s immediately followed by another absolute cracker – ‘Last Cigarette’ – a song that demands you jump around the room to it (an urge I will admit to having given in to on a number of occasions!) Meaty sound production means the wonderfully scuzzy guitar sound is prominent and the driving force of the album. Blended with Keith Caputo’s strong vocals, this makes the album a pleasure to listen to in terms of production as well as tunes.

Of course it’s almost impossible for every track to be up to the same high standards as the openers, and the album is a little less memorable around the middle section, but there isn’t a single song on the album that I don’t at least like, and so many that I love that it’s hard to find anything to criticize. Tracks are generally fairly short and punchy – average length being around 3.30 minutes, and are generally more up-tempo, with a few exceptions like the moody title track ‘Broken Valley’, which, combined with album closer, the instrumental ‘Room 244’, end the album on a suitably epic note.

With such a gap between this and their last album, ‘Life of Agony’ must have wondered if they still had a place to come back to in today’s metal scene – however with this album they have settled themselves firmly on the radar again and gained themselves a whole new generation of fans (myself included).

Standout Tracks:  Last Cigarette, Love To Let You Down, The Day He Died.