MAY 17th, 2024
PAIN: I AM
Review by: Char Tupper

Today is the day! Release day for the latest record from Swedish industrial metal band, PAIN. Created by Peter Tagtgren, legendary multi-instrumentalist and producer. This project of Peter's started back in the late 90's, releasing the debut album in 1997, originally as a "one man show". At this point in his career, he had released four successful Hypocrisy records. That being said, in recent years, he has now joined forces alongside  his son, Sebastian Tagtgren blasting the drums, Jonathan Olsson rocking the bass, and Sebastian Svalland strumming the guitar. PAIN is a band unlike others, finding a way to bring lighter listening influenced with industrial and metal, while singing about all kinds of content from "Party in my Head" about the recent pandemic, or "Dancing with the Dead", where he writes about his experience on the road, passing out and his heart stopped beating for a full 2 minutes! All in all, PAIN is a catchy and energetic band and for those who enjoy rock with a dash of Swedish metal, this is for you. Let me tell you about the new record.

The new record "I Am" which is inspired by personal experiences, as well as world events that we can all relate to. The opening track for the record, "I Just Dropped By(to say Goodbye)" is a great first start. Gets you into the industrial vibe right off the bat, no hesitation, which got me hooked in immediately. Love the quick pace and heavier tones of this, as that is usually my "go-to" sound for all things metal, fast paced and catchy, and this song has it ! 3 songs in, and you get "Go with the Flow", and if you haven't seen the video for this, I highly recommend it. Not only for the catchy tunes, but a fun-filled video inspired by "Fear & Loathing", which ties into the song theme as well, perfectly blended for visual, as well as audio fun. Of course, for die hard fans, most recognize the track released during the pandemic, "Party in My Head", which this too, had a fun music video. It was a fantastic and upbeat positive song to look forward to during the insanity of the epidemic.  Love the energy and hilarious, yet accurate depiction of, well, the year 2020. One thing good came out of it, we all got this song to get us through it. Moving on further into the record, and you get one of my favourite tracks, "Push the Pusher", absolutely love the rhythm and tempo of this one. The heavier tones and riffs are just the perfect "PAIN" combination of all aspects that make this band, and the reasons I thoroughly enjoy them daily. Plus lyrically, I too love how Peter always finds the right words, and manage to bring real life topics, to metal, and make you think about the world around us (while we rock out!). They also throw into the mix some slower tempo songs, and usually for me, "No, Fast or nothing" but, once again, Peter does it again, and I get hooked on the track, "My Angel" featuring Cecile Simeone, a French actress/singer. Their vocals together, beautifully work so well, it blew me away. The atmosphere of this track makes me feel like a ballad, but with a mix of heavier beats and pronounced bass which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall, all the songs on this new record are something to talk about, they all stand out from one another, no two songs repeat themselves. Peter and his crew are constantly creative, and seeing how they continue after 9 album releases over the years, to push the boundaries and create original content we can all relate to, while also musically enjoying ourselves. Let's hope there is a world tour bringing PAIN back to North America for another headlining tour, we are anxious for your return! In the meantime, thankfully, we have this amazing new record and now everyday, I can just "Go with The Flow".