180-gram black vinyl. In the early '90s, Life of Agony was a straight-up Hardcore Metal band. They built up a loyal following with their debut River Runs Red, by incessant touring and word of mouth, with little MTV or radio airplay. On their second album, 1995's Ugly, the band chose a different musical path - they melded their Hardcore with the melodic Alternative Rock of Stone Temple Pilots and Alice In Chains. Longtime fans or the record-buying public were mildy aroused, and the group was now faced with a new dilemma; should they stay true to their newly decided musical direction, or conform to their fans' expectations of what Life of Agony's music should sound like? The group chose to stick to their guns and do what their hearts told them to on Soul Searching Sun.