Pain was one of the bands I absolutely wanted to see at Graspop Metal Meeting 2024 and they caught me and transformed me into a fan! Once again A Scandinavian band! What a powerful gig it was and now I’m reviewing their newest album! Enjoy this trip together with me!
I Just Dropped By (to say goodbye) starts with a bomb: mixing metal with electronics and vocals on fire! Feel the energy: raw and pure! And yes, I remember this song from their gig! This is the modern version of Nine Inch Nails!
Don't Wake The Dead sounds a bit softer, but has a catchy chorus and a strong flow in the sound. It’s the kind of song you’ll still remember the next day.
Go With The Flow is just what I wrote about the previous song. I can steel feel the strong feedback from the crowd as I feel I am living that momentum again! Feel the power, just feel it and scream along!
Not For Sale adds a bit of Ice-T to their sound. I adore the lyrics, the electronic touch and the fact that this song is a bit different from the previous ones. "Suck my balls! I am not your slave! I'm not for sale!" Sing-a-long! Feel the power of the lyrics! What a blast!
Party in My Head is yet another hard hitter with a catchy chorus and a real party track! Be ready to sing-a-long! One of my favourite tracks on this great album! However, the more I listen to it the more it reminds me of another track but just can’t drop a name yet (maybe by far: Keep on rocking from Neil Young in the melodic part?). Still: it’s a blast!
I Am is a slow track with an emotional baggage in the beginning but once the drums hit in the song explodes. It’s the kind of song that sounds like waves of the ocean: it comes and goes (with variation in the tempo).
Push The Pusher has some kind of Rammstein minded sound and was one of the songs that made me crush on them during their gig! I adore the mix between the heavy guitar sound and the electronics (just as I adore the break who give you some time to catch your breath and re-launch the song)!
The New Norm is a more guitar and drums driven track with a lesser catchy chorus but a strong focus on the energetic feel. The lyrics are very cynical!
Revolution is a heavy track with lots of pathos in it. I think Wagner would have been proud of this one! The changes in the tempo are also great. A superb mix of symphonic metal, drum’n bass and industrial!
My Angel starts as if it’s going to be a ballad, but in the end it’s more a power ballad with industrial influences. The French parts are nice. We have to thank Cécile Siméone for that who has been working with the band in the past! I can feel the bound with Peter Tägtgren. There are some catchy parts in it too!
Fair Game is a real and very emotional ballad, so be ready to shed some tears! After the previous track it was a bit unexpected but in the end we got it right: it’s a nice ending for a great album (and hence: it’s ok this time not to end it with a big bang but with an emotional blast, with lots of pathos)! It’s time this side-project become a main project!
I’m grateful I could review this album after I have seen them on stage as now I have a more colourful vision about this band! It’s a great album (hence one of the best metal albums of this year so far) and I’m happy they played a lot of tracks from this album! I hope to see them once again back on stage and maybe one day even get an interview with them! Keep an eye on them! And from now on Pain won’t just remind me of a bad ass enemy from the Japanese Naruto manga, but also as the bad ass Industrial metal band called Pain!
