Life of Agony

The Big Apple. The City that Never Sleeps. NYC. Call it what you will, but it’s hard to argue this: The U.S.’ biggest city has produced a ton of incredible bands over the years. And this, of course, includes all things heavy. New York City has been home to countless musical revolutions, from Broadway revues and the Greenwich Village folk scene, to the first eclectic wave of punk that hit CBGB and Max’s Kansas City in the Seventies, to the hip-hop innovators and NYHC matinees of the Eighties, to the garage-rock revival of the early Aughts and beyond. But out of those, what is the greatest single heavy band to come out of the five boroughs? The one that made it there before conquering everywhere else? We asked our readers this very question, and they ranked their favorite New Yorkers accordingly. Life of Agony A flood of votes came in for the classic River Runs Red-makers, whose method of groove comes across as a moody blend of NYHC aggression, downcast alternative melodies, and metal heft — all of which supporting the familiar boom-crooned pensiveness of vocalist Keith Caputo. Since emerging out of Brooklyn at the tail end of the Eighties, their soul-searching sound has connected with countless heavy music fans, including the many fans who voted for them here. Sick of It All You want the truth? Sick of It All are one of New York’s most cherished heavy institutions, and the votes this week only serve to confirm this. Formed by brothers Lou and Pete Koller, the band were integral in defining the chunk-forward metallic groove of NYHC, though gang-sung classics like “Step Down” also suggested that SOIA had a knack for anthemic songcraft. Scratch beyond the surface and you’ll find street-smart toughness, mosh-bounced killers, and heavy hooks that are built to last. Helmet Though Helmet leader Page Hamilton was born in Oregon, his iconic alt-metal band cut their teeth in the NYC scene with drop-tuned, game-changing guitar brutalism. Hamilton had studied jazz guitar at the Manhattan School of Music, which informed how he incorporated gorgeously sophisticated chord phrasings and cerebral shred into his band’s otherwise concrete-crushing rhythmic slam. Records like Meantime and Betty still resonate with their heavy, yet harmonically-rich aesthetic. Hardly “unsung,” Helmet remain favorites among our readers Anthrax Formed in the belly of a borough, Anthrax strike a unique note as the Big Apple contingent of thrash’s otherwise California-based Big 4. The Queens-made kings of East Coast thrash have maintained a hell of a presence since forming in the early Eighties, delivering metal-codifying anthems across an incredible career. Throughout, Anthrax have crafted a songbook that balances aggressively rhythmic, pit-inducing intensity (see “Caught in a Mosh,” most obviously) with moments of prankster levity, rap-metal crossover and undeniable shred. It’s all put them on a global stage for five decades running — Anthrax’s “madhouse” extends well beyond the borders of NYC. Type O Negative Let’s just say our readers have a Type. By leaps and bounds, the Drab Four came out on top this week — Black No. 1 with a bullet, if you will. That glory all comes down to the way the Brooklynites managed to transcend their crossover heritage — as Carnivore — and blossom into a rosewater-and-rust-scented goth-metal juggernaut. The romance. The brooding. The legendarily horny and hypnotizing baritone of one Peter Steele. They may have hated everyone, but metal fans from NYC and beyond will always blow bloody kisses Type O’s way. Indeed, they still love them to death.