River Runs Red is the debut studio album by American alternative metal band Life of Agony, released on October 12, 1993, by Roadrunner Records.

[6] In June 2017, Rolling Stone named River Runs Red number 58 on its list of the "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".

[7] Rolling Stone noted that the tracks are "sung passionately in a unique baritone" and that they are set to "a pastiche of gloom metal and hardcore punk".

[7] Jason Anderson of AllMusic described the album as a "unique combination of New York hardcore, metal, and a touch of spooky grunge vaguely reminiscent of Alice in Chains.

For example, the album's first theatrical track, "Monday", establishes that the main character's mother (possibly step-mother) is verbally abusive and neglects her infant child.

The main character locks himself in the bathroom and breaks the fourth wall by turning on a radio that begins playing River Runs Red.

In addition to the standard album, this release included four bonus live tracks recorded at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, on February 25, 1994.

[5] The song received significant airplay on popular, NYC area, college radio station, WSOU, which helped introduce the band to a larger audience just prior to the release of River Runs Red.

[10] On April 29, 2008, Roadrunner Records issued a limited, two-disc CD/DVD titled River Runs Red – The Top Shelf Edition.

Additionally, the set included a DVD featuring the music videos for "Through and Through" and "This Time", as well as two live performances from the Dynamo Open Air Festival in 1995.

River Runs Red – The Top Shelf Edition remains the only CD release to feature the original album in remastered form.

"[13] Jon Hadusek of Consequence of Sound praised the storyline and called the album, "a worthy successor to River Runs Red.

[6] Jason Anderson of AllMusic gave River Runs Red a highly positive review, saying the album was "passionate, serious, and heavy" and that it was "one of the early '90s' better metal debuts."