Life of Agony has a long history of paying homage to the films that helped shape their teenage years. Back in 1995, the band covered Simple Minds’ Don’t You (Forget About Me) on the group’s Ugly album; the song was made famous by the movie The Breakfast Club. In 1997, on their album Soul Searching Sun, a music video for the song Desire incorporated visuals reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. That tradition continues with a brand-new original track titled The Crow (In Memory of B.L.), which pays tribute to the fallen star Brandon Lee, who tragically lost his life during the filming of the cult-classic, released 30 years ago.
Life of Agony’s The Crow (In Memory of B.L.) was recorded in New York City at the legendary Sear Sound studio, best known for hit albums by David Bowie and John Lennon, as well as at The Nest Studio, in Long Island, NY. The song was recorded, produced, and mixed by LOA’s guitarist Joey Zampella (who also co-produced the group’s last album The Sound of Scars). The song was mastered by Grammy-award winner Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers).
With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of Brandon Lee’s Crow film, and all of the controversy surrounding the new Bill Skarsgård remake, Life of Agony felt inspired to go back and give respect to the ‘94 film that made such a huge impact on them during their early years.
“There’s something very special about the original Crow that made it timeless, and there’s a reason that it resonated with us as kids,” explained LOA bassist Alan Robert. “It was an absolute tragedy… Brandon Lee was killed the year we did our first album River Runs Red, and by the time The Crow came out in ‘94, he was already a legend. Brandon completely embodied the role, made it iconic, and lost his life in the process. It was just so incredibly sad and affected us deeply. He was such a charismatic character and in the very beginning stages of his career. Director Alex Proyas captured lightning in a bottle.”
A music video for Life of Agony’s The Crow (In Memory of B.L.) was filmed and edited in New York by Derek Soto of Sinestra Studios with motion graphics created by The Dor Brothers. The clip was produced by Chris White (Doors, Portals, V/H/S Viral) and Life of Agony.
"We thought that creating a song and a sound that would seamlessly fit on the original film's soundtrack would be a perfect way to honor Brandon and his legacy," said LOA guitarist Joey Zampella.
Photo credit: Marissa Ann / Scryer Photo
Meet Life of Agony's Alan Robert at Chiller Theatre (Sheraton Parsippany, NJ) in THE MORRIS ROOM!