Agony (band)

Agony
Agony in 2009. L–R: Alfonso Pinzón, Carlos Marín, César Botero, Andrés Jaramillo, Cello Dias
Agony in 2009. L–R: Alfonso Pinzón, Carlos Marín, César Botero, Andrés Jaramillo, Cello Dias
Background information
OriginBogotá, Colombia
Genres
Years active1993–2002; 2007–present
SpinoffsDia de los Muertos
Members
Past members
  • Ernesto Velasco
  • Ernesto Robayo
  • Héctor Lozano
  • Carlos Reyes
  • Juanes
  • Cello Dias
  • César Botero
Websiteagonyreborn.com

Agony is a Colombian extreme metal band formed in Bogotá in 1993 by Alfonso Pinzon and Ernesto Robayo.[1]

History

The band was founded in 1993 by Alfonso Pinzon and Ernesto Robayo, two university friends who shared a common interest in heavy metal.[2] They recruited two other members, guitarist Andrés Jaramillo and bassist Héctor Lozano.[2] Ernesto Velasco was added last, after auditioning as lead singer.[2] This configuration of the band recorded a self-titled demo tape in 1994, with seven songs.[3]

Robayo and Velasco both left by the end of 1994 and were replaced by Carlos Marín (guitar) and César Botero (vocals). This lineup recorded the concert album Live All the Time in 1995,[3][4] the first live metal album ever recorded in Colombia.[5] It featured covers of Pantera's "Strength Beyond Strength" and Sepultura's "Propaganda". That year, Agony participated in the inaugural edition of the Bogotá rock festival Rock al Parque.[3]

Agony's first studio album, titled Millennium,[3][6] was released in 1996 and included new bassist Carlos Reyes. In 1999, the band relocated to Los Angeles, California.[2] Shortly after, Reyes left and was briefly replaced by Juanes.[2] Marín also exited the group around this time.[citation needed]

Agony's second album, Reborn, came out in 2002, after which Botero departed, and the group went on hiatus.[2] In 2004, Jaramillo and Pinzón formed another metal band, Dia de los Muertos. In 2006, Agony reissued Millennium,[7][8] and a year later, they headlined Rock al Parque for the fifth time.[3][7]

The band's third album, The Devil's Breath, with Cello Dias on bass, was released in 2009.[9] It was mixed by Canadian guitarist and producer Logan Mader.[2]

Band members

Current

  • Alfonso Pinzón – drums
  • Andrés Jaramillo – guitar
  • Carlos Marín – guitar

Past

  • Ernesto Robayo – guitar
  • Ernesto Velasco – vocals
  • Héctor Lozano – bass
  • Carlos Reyes – bass
  • Juanes – bass
  • Cello Dias – bass
  • César Botero – vocals

Discography

Studio albums

  • Millennium (1996)
  • Reborn (2002)
  • The Devil's Breath (2009)

Other albums

  • Agony (demo, 1994)
  • Live All the Time (live, 1995)

References

  1. ^ "Agony: Metal sin drogas ni locuras" [Agony: The Thrash Metal colombian band.]. eltiempo.com (in Spanish). 10 October 1995. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Agony: Metal sin drogas ni locuras" [Agony: Metal without drugs or madness]. living-metal.com (in Spanish). 19 May 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Rock al parque". rockalparque.gov.co (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Agony prepara reedición de su álbum en vivo "Live All the Time"" [Agony prepares reissue of its live album "Live All the Time"]. factormetal.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Las 10 mejores bandas de metal colombianas" [The 10 best Colombian metal bands]. vice.com (in Spanish). 2 November 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Reseña: Agony – 'Millenium'" [Review: Agony – 'Millenium"]. vanguardiadisidentesite.wordpress.com (in Spanish). 22 March 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b "La banda de metal Agony regresa hoy en el cierre del primer día de Rock al Parque 2007 – Archivo – Archivo Digital de Noticias de Colombia y el Mundo desde 1.990". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 2 November 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  8. ^ "Agony re-edita "Millenium"" [Agony reissues "Millenium"]. metallivecolombia.com (in Spanish). 14 October 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Agony – The Devil's Breath (2009) » Vasiliska.com – We Love Music". Vasiliska.com. 31 March 2010. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2010.