The Best Worst album of 2005

Life of Agony - Broken Valley

This album plays like a coked up Stone Temple Pilots (a smack band) that's darker and heavier than STP ever was. It's catchy, it's interesting, and there's ALMOST nothing not to like about it.

However, I reccommend that NOBODY buy this CD, since it installs the notorious Sony rootkit onto Windows-based machines. I still can't get it off my machine, and have resolved to re-install Windows to do so (it's been over 2 years anyhow since I installed).

The rootkit sends information about when you listen to the album and such back to a central Sony server and opens up large secuity holes that might be exploited. Sony issued two patches, the first didn't remove the rootkit, but rather removed the program hiding the rootkit's existence. The second leaves the computer open to other security risks. Microsoft's AntiSpyware tool allegedly removes the stuff, but I haven't gotten it to work.

Sony has taken a very unapologetic stance on the entire issue, in essence saying, "Our software was faulty, but our intention to protect our digital rights was necessary and correct." Screw them.

So I encourage you, dear reader, to see Life of Agony live, to STEAL THEIR ALBUM "BROKEN VALLEY" OFF OF THE INTERNET, and to not buy any Sony CDs that are marked that they include "Digital Rights Management," which is a funny name for a trojan horse if you ask me.