Pain

Cynic Paradise

Written by: PP on 25/12/2008 15:00:31

A couple of days ago I reviewed the re-issue of Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy) one man project Pain's "Rebirth", a seminal industrial metal album that brought the genre into mainstream attention in his homeland Sweden by referencing the popular Rammstein sound; simple, but effective riffing and haunting keyboard melodies all executed extra tightly in comparison to any other genre. That was a prelude of some sort to this review of "Cynic Paradise", the sixth full length by the band.

While I haven't heard any material between 1999's "Rebirth" and 2008's "Cynic Paradise", I can't imagine the band to have deviated much from their formula in between, considering how the record sounds almost exactly as "Rebirth" did. "Follow Me", for instance, sports a similarly haunting chorus as the band's most famous track "Suicide Machine", with the exception that Nightwish singer Anette Olzon provides female backing vocals in the chorus for good measure. "Don't Care" features similar industrial pummeling away with the keyboard playing a large role in creating a picture of a massive goth rave in a giant factory hall - again surfacing vivid memories of the crazy metal night club "Alcatraz" in Milan, Italy. In fact, the biggest (and only) difference between "Cynic Paradise" and "Rebirth" lies in the energy; this one is a considerably faster paced affair.

In other words, all Pain songs sound more or less the same by definition. "Have A Drink On Me" is an exception to the rule, however, as it has a strange, dirty southern groove to it, and Tägtgren's vocals sound whiskey-drenched instead of the industrial clean vox he usually delivers. The song isn't particularly good though and could've been left off the record, but it serves as a perfect example of why bands shouldn't deviate from what they do best. In Pain's case, best means effective, tight riffing, rave-inducing keyboard/synth melodies, and danceable rhythms in the vein of Rammstein's early material.

Download: I'm Going In, Follow Me, Reach Out (And Regret)
For the fans of: Rammstein, Ice Ages, Nine Inch Nails, Static-X
Listen: Myspace

Release date 31.10.2008
Spinefarm Records/Universal

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