Pain: Pain

I mentioned earlier that Peter Tagtgren is something very special; a true innovator in the spirit of Tom Warrior and Bobby Sadzak, Peter has his hand in many cookie jars, and his solo project Pain is the best of them.

A true one-man-show a la Todd Rundgren, Pain has Peter doing everything: playing all instruments, performing all vocals, writing all the songs. He also produced and mixed the album. What results, as was often the case with Rundgren's best works, is an album where you are confident that you are hearing exactly what the artist wants you to hear, with no compromise.

The album starts out brilliantly with "On Your Knees (Again)", a grinding, infectious stomp with melodies that stick in your head for days. "Rope Around My Neck" and "Don't Let Me Down" keep the pulse going, with well-written melodies and flawless performance and production. It's music you'll find yourself screaming along with on the first listen, and perfect music for the car cassette player on those days when the boss has pissed you off.

In contrast to The Abyss: it's just amazing how much more freedom Peter clearly has on this project, freedom to do whatever he wants. On a project like this, there are no genre distinctions to live up to - so he's free to experiment and be as bold as he wants. This is a very bold album, one that will become a staple among metal listeners.

Added: January 1st 2004
Reviewer: SoT Archives
Score:
Related Link: Web Site
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Language: english

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