Everybody likes a bit of Pain now and then and I am no exception. Sadomasochism aside I am of course talking about Peter Tägtgren and his band that is not Hypocrisy. This is perhaps the alter ego of this workaholic producer and some may even describe Pain as his disco band due to its high beat retro synthesized flavour. Don’t let that put you off in the slightest though, there is a healthy dose of heavy metal rocking through this infectious monster and who cares if Pain dabble with the past and take the Atrocity route with some bizarre choices of covers (remember Eleanor Rigby). I was slightly confused as everywhere is listing this as having come out in 2007 on Roadrunner Records so I am assuming it is now seeing light of day in England due to the welcome establishment of Spinefarm UK.
‘Save Your Prayers’ lurches in like a drunk truck driver playing knock the cone down. It bounces with a colossal heaviness and when the chorus sweeps in with Mr Tägtgren cleanly yelling with his unmistakeable vocal bombast it is impossible not to be caught up in things and head-bang like a loon. ‘Nailed To The Ground’ sounds like all the best bits of Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, sure it is accessible and even to a certain extent commercial. Just try not singing along to it though.
‘Zombie Slam’ is a standout track on the album perhaps for the wrong reasons as the melody running through this is culled wholeheartedly from Sisters Of Mercy ‘Temple Of Love.’ Pain are not the first band to liberally dip into the Sisters back catalogue and they won’t be the last, but honestly it is just so damn obvious here. That aside I would love to see a video of this set to all the best gore shots from Romero and Fulci’s walking dead epics. The title track sounds excellent, it has that fantastic Hypocrisy sounding shimmer behind it that sends shivers down my spine and could quite honestly almost have been one of their numbers with the austere keyboard sound brooding through it.
‘Clouds Of Ecstasy’ has the sort of melody and musical poppy beat behind it that I am rather expecting from the new In Flames, in fact if it’s like this number I might even just end up enjoying it. There is plenty here with a huge sense or purpose and some songs such as ‘Computer God’ simply set out to flatten you, this number in particularly sounding like Kraftwerk if they had been a heavy metal band, a dance floor stomper of a track. By contrast the weak sounding lighters out ballad ‘Just Think Again’ strikes as completely unnecessary filler. ‘Bitch’ finishes things off like a sharp slap round the face and sneaks the theme from Halloween into things for good measure and then of course there are a couple of covers.
Despite the last album I heard properly by Depeche Mode being ‘Black Celebration’ I instantly recognised that ‘Behind The Wheel’ could only be a song originally by them. Pain have completely and faithfully caught the essence of the band and this is a cover that has really made me want to go back and listen to some of the originals again. Although similarly I always thought ELO were pompously overblown there is no denying that ‘Here Comes The News’ is another cracking cover even if I did think it was a Buggles or Landscape number on first airing.
Extinction Psalms? Well maybe not quite although some of them certainly have their moments and this is well worth checking out. Pain have been living up to their name on tour getting a kicking in Germany and having their tour bus turned over by the police for good measure. If they survive catch them on tour with Nightwish.
http://www.pain.cd
http://www.myspace.com/officialpain
