Asking an existential question – at what point does the ‘side project’ band supersede the original band? For PAIN seems to have become more important to the catalog and indeed, legacy, of frontman Peter Tägtgren than Hypocrisy. For his own part, Tägtgren seems to take turns between the faces of his music. To wit, Hypocrisy released records in 2013 and 2021; PAIN took its turn in 2016 and now in 2024.
All of that is said to make no point other than that Tägtgren takes both projects seriously and with equal dedication. To pass off either one as subservient, regardless of fan reaction, sales numbers or press, is a mistake and undersells the talent of a man who can compose in two very different styles as the mood suits him.
PAIN comes back to the fore this spring with “I Am,” a declarative album that, in short, hits many of the trademarks of PAIN, but never quite delivers the multi-faceted bombastic experience of its predecessor, “Coming Home.”
That’s not to say that “I Am” lacks entirely for laudable moments. “Party in My Head” uses a synth intro and sparse verses to set the stage for a big chorus that fits perfectly within the pantheon of PAIN’s greatest hits. The title track utilizes the same tricks, but tempers the tempo and moderates the chorus with a lovingly-borrowed-from-NIN synth track that makes the song as grandiose as Tägtgren is capable of writing. If his initial idea for PAIN was to combine synth rock and heavy metal, these are the two songs that most exemplify that dream on “I Am.”
Speaking of the composition, Tägtgren has always been a straight-ahead lyricist when it comes to PAIN, utilizing no metaphor and even less subtlety to express whatever the subject of his song is. When Tägtgren yells “suck my balls” leading into the chorus of “Not For Sale,” there’s little room for interpretation there. Coincidentally, this whole theorem of lyricism lends itself to a continuing trend in PAIN songs – they are gleefully shouted as from the mouth of an exasperated, godlike figure, who barely has enough attention to bother about the concerns of mere mortals. It’s a no-nonsense approach that occasionally treads the lines of both cringe and tedium, but Tägtgren knows the boundaries well and manages to keep his style fresh.
The issue with “I Am” is that the album never really pushes the envelope the way PAIN has in the past. The production is thick as can be (two-C thicc, as the kids say,) blasting the listener with a density of sound that is often imitated but never quite duplicated, but there never seems to be a reason why other than that’s what’s expected from PAIN.
In the end, too many of the album’s cuts sound like variations on a theme, rather than continually novel uses for industrial might. “Coming Home” was a tour de force because Tägtgren crammed a lot into a small package – the twangy, hammering blast of “Designed to Piss You Off,” the sardonic thump of “Call Me” the yearning of the title track, the insistent march of “Final Crusade.” Too much of “I Am” feels like a narrow valley of pop rock dressed in fantastic, spike-laden armor.
It's hard to call an album like this ‘hollow,’ because of the sheer cannonball of sound that is ejected at the listener at ramming speed. Still, there’s something missing here; a sense of adventure perhaps, or the daring to see what else is beyond the bounds. It is worth mentioning that “I Am” was better the second time through than the first, but don’t be shocked if “Coming Home” finds its way back into your playlist instead.
Okay, so this is the culmination of the musical year, the part everyone wants to read because it satiates our two great needs – subjective, arbitrary rankings of art and numbered lists. If this were the internet (hey, wait…) I might be so inclined to toss in a “Number 7 will shock you!” but because I respect the intelligence of those reading this, I won’t stoop to such a facile attempt to patronize your greater sensibilities.
Not much in the way of introductions needed here, because first of all, the headline pretty much covers what you need to know going in and if you wanted a more in-depth, analytical look at the year at large, well, you’ve likely already read the extended exchange of intellectual diatribes between myself and my esteemed cohort, Chris.
So real quick, let’s blast through the rules. Pretty easy, there’s basically only one. To be eligible, an album must be composed of original studio material. Which means no live albums, no re-releases, no compilations. You follow? Good. On we go.
One quick preamble before we sojourn further (and I know I promised no lengthy introductions.) As the year progressed, I kept a running tally of albums that I thought might prove their mettle enough to be included on this list. In the end, there were thirty contestants, all of which I enjoyed, so just because an album does not appear here does not diminish its value. So, with a tip of the cap to Black Wizard, Surgical Meth Machine, Jinjer, Dark Forest, Red Tide Rising, Prong, Deadlock and a fistful of others, let’s get to the awards:
Honorable Mention – Gypsy Chief Goliath – Citizens of Nowhere
As if anybody had any doubt about the future of baseline, sludgy blues metal, here comes Gypsy Chief Goliath to put all those fear to bed. A stunningly powerful and at times abrasive album, the band also weaves some classic rock style songwriting into their mix, creating a much fuller and more robust experience.
11 – The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell – Keep It Greasy
As eclectic and bizarre as ever, The Shovell returns to the halls of this list having once previously submitted the album of the year. There was an effort in between that one and this one that didn’t make the grade, but the gents return to form on this record, combining their…unique…themes and visions with their penchant for writing catchy, old-school riffs that undulate with that glorious distortive factor that so characterized the most memorable experiences of rock in the ‘70s.
10 – Devil to Pay – A Bend Through Space and Time
This is as much a vote for the entire Devil to Pay catalogue as it is for this specific album. Every DtP album is different from its predecessor, which is an accomplishment in and of itself, this one being no exception to that remarkable pattern. As I look back over the list, it’s probably a reflection of personal preference that the first three albums we’ve talked about today are all muddy reproductions of rock-as-we-remember-it, plucked from the tree of Black Sabbath and given to take root in the furnace of modern metal. Anyway, “A Bend Through Space and Time” keeps the gears churning with that Midwest flair that Devil to Pay trades so well in, crafting a rolling, roiling listen that never rests. 9 – Red Eleven – Collect Your Scars
C’mon people, let’s help this band out. They deserve to be on a world tour immediately. Sometimes you hear new music and you just know that a band has ‘it.’ Red Eleven is one of those bands. This is one part European metal precision and one part pure American grunge design. There are few bands operating now who seem to want to admit they took their inspiration from the ‘90s, but Red Eleven is in that company, and leading the charge. “Collect Your Scars” showcases the band’s smooth songwriting and easy composition while juxtaposing that against their aural power.
8 – Blood Ceremony – Lord of Misrule
And of course, right after we make one trip to a band influenced by the ‘90s, we crash right back into bands that have a public love affair with the ‘70s. Or in some cases on this album, the ’60s. Even more than their previous efforts, Blood Ceremony goes to great efforts to craft an experience that synthesizes their intimate knowledge of flower rock with the dread and occult of traditional heavy metal. Top all this off with the siren song of Alia O’Brien and it makes for a can’t miss experience.
7 – The Browning – Isolation
Finally, I break my own pattern by including a record that shares nearly nothing in common with any of the others records on this list. A unique mix of hardcore and edm, this is the logical extension of industrial metal as we’ve long thought of it, a pure give into the depth of electronic music. At the time of review I said that this album possessed distinct flaws, and nothing about that has changed, but this is one of those glorious moments where the insight and uniqueness of the product overshadows the shortcomings. Whenever I wanted something different in my speakers this year, this is where I turned.
6 – Death Angel – The Evil Divide
Thrash, when done right, is still a genre of malice and power. Many of the hallmark bands of the once proud genre have strayed from that message or forgotten it entirely, but Death Angel is still carrying the banner, standing on the precipice and shouting to all those who would hear that thrash is alive and well. Yet for all the shredding riffs and glass-chewing tones, it’s the emotional affectation of “Lost” that helps separate the album from the rest of thrash’s contenders this year.
5 – Red Fang – Only Ghosts
Only Red Fang can simultaneously sound like six different bands and yet still sound exclusively like Red Fang. That’s an incredibly hard balance to strike, but Red Fang continues to exist at the unlikely crossroads of Clutch, Black Sabbath and Queens of the Stone Age. One of the tricks of this album that makes it work so well is that no matter how far afield the songs get, there’s always a big chorus around the corner to bring everyone back into the fold. It’s a critical talent, once that we’ll see again later on this list.
4 – Lacuna Coil – Delirium
Another record that works as a product of its emotional mix, “Delirium” sees Lacuna Coil tune down their radio-friendly metal chops and focus it into a sharp metal point that showcases fear, hope and anger in equal mix. For the first time in a long time, the star of this album isn’t just Cristina Scabbia, but the play of her sanguine vocals laid against the harsh grunt of Andrea Ferro. The return of that dynamic to the fore speaks louder than any other elements on this record, marking a new phase in Lacuna Coil’s already storied career.
3 – Texas Hippie Coalition – Dark Side of Black
As I talked about briefly in my discussion with Chris, some of what makes this album stand out is that I think THC fans were pretty sure we knew everything there was to know about the band’s musical acumen. Then this album drops, taking their game to the next level both in ferocity and craftsmanship. Big Dad Ritch confessed that the album was written and recorded quickly, an intentional effort by the band to release a record that shows some seams, while still showcasing the brilliance of Cord Pool, their guitarist who was finally involved in the writing of new material for the first time. The band’s swagger is still ever-present, but there’s not genuine malice woven into the brew.
2 – PAIN – Coming Home
Heavy-handed proof that side projects need not be discarded. All of PAIN’s records have been competitive against the established track record of Hypocrisy, but this one takes that game to a whole new level and challenges Peter Tägtgren’s main act to live up to this record. “Coming Home” is a multi-faceted beast, one that showcases the power of rock, metal, weird samples, bizarre lyrics and straight-up tight songwriting. The riffs, as ever for PAIN, remain the star.
1 – Destrage – A Means to No End
…and what else could it be? The Italians top the list this year (after falling just short to Red Eleven a couple years back,) by bringing their full arsenal of musical mastery to the fore and combining all of the ingredients seamlessly before our eyes. Destrage succeeds because they locate the sound they want, then acquire it, regardless of how far outside the bounds of what’s ‘metal’ they need to go. Almost like a prog band, this group of artists can find and blend the best parts of rock, metal, hardcore, prog, grunge and maybe even some lounge material in such a skillful fashion that the listener never feels lost. Much in the same vein as Red Fang, this is a band that knows how to craft a catchy chorus and always keeps one in the back pocket to bring everyone back together once the song has meandered too far. Their talent is both undeniable and irresistible. If you want to step outside the box a little, and really see what metal can do at the same time, there’s no better opportunity in 2016 than to hang out with Destrage’s new record.
Peter Tägtgren has had a long and storied career under the banner of a pile of different musical epithets, so his journey is best thought of as one continuous track, rather than a series of parallel adventures. So, Hypocrisy and PAIN and Lindemann are all part of the same fabric for Tägtgren, each project feeding into the others for inspiration and creativity.
Still, there are certain distinct separations, especially as it relates to the dynamic of Hypocrisy, his main band, and PAIN, his…well, ‘fun’ band would be my words and not his, but you get the idea. Hypocrisy albums are crafted and articulated, pillars of modern Swedish death metal in the pristine sense, where PAIN, in the vernacular of the youngsters, is just Tägtgren balling out (cross-genre reference! ‘Get Tägtgren on the court and he’s trouble / last week fucked around and got a triple double.)
Five years since the release of the excellent “You Only Live Twice,” and coming on the heels of the success with Lindemann, PAIN returns with “Coming Home,” which follows all of the usual PAIN blueprints, except that it incorporates some of Tägtgren’s usual experimentation with Hypocrisy.
First things first – Tägtgren, when writing for PAIN, excels specifically in one element, which colors all of the band’s records, which is that he knows how to write BIG. Not just musical bombast big, like the full sound of Rob Zombie’s early work, or operatic big like the recent works of Turisas, but the kind of big that’s normally reserved for sporting events and award shows on American television. Yeah sure, the album’s opener “Designed to Piss You Off,” starts simply enough, almost like KMFDM’s “WWIII,” but then absolutely explodes with a huge riff and an easy to follow vocal cadence. It undulates through this pattern a few more times, knowing when to back off the gas and then to put the pedal back down for choruses. This is the kind of thing that PAIN specializes in; mastery of pace and timing for maximum impact.
In early press, Tägtgren talked about “Coming Home” mixing in some elements that he hadn’t used much on PAIN records previous. The album’s second cut “Call Me,” begins similarly to the some of the best work from countrymen Soilwork, but uses a little electronic manipulation and an orchestral backing to create a fast-paced and cinematic feel. The liberal use of the dramatic backdrop certainly feels new. At the risk of overselling the point, this is a ‘big’ song, equal to anything from “You Only Live Twice,” and showing just a hint of something new in the PAIN arsenal.
Of course, what makes “Call Me” intriguing on top of the music is the juxtaposition of this mammoth piece of dynamic songwriting with the utterly ridiculous lyrics, which center around booty calls and phone sex. (This might be my only change to bring it up in context ever – speaking of songs about phone sex, if you’ve never seen the video for the Village People’s “Sex Over the Phone, go watch it now. I’ll wait….)
Anyway, PAIN has always had a knack for writing a few lyrics that would make AC/DC proud, but “Coming Home” pushes that envelope even farther, between “Natural Born Idiot,” “Call Me” and “Pain in the Ass,” which concerns itself with…ahem…playing the back nine, shall we say? By contrast, the album also mixes in some no-nonsense political dialog, and speaks very plainly about the nature of candidates (certain ones I’m sure you can think of) to posture and preen and speak well past their welcome.
But we’re getting off topic. “Coming Home” sounds like a PAIN record, but turned up to eleven, if that seems possible. “Final Crusade” would have been a fine song as it was, but the addition of the orchestral backing and the extra fuzz added to the guitar helps the riff sound like a real march, powerful and direct even if entirely misguided.
The title track though, is where this album will make its money. “Coming Home” the song is an incredible journey of soft guitar, mood-setting atmosphere and lyrics, and an addictively anthemic chorus that ties the entire piece together. That chorus, against the album, gets by without a big, metal riff and reminds greatly of the rallying theme from the “Avengers” films. It’s one of the jewels of the record, and actually speaks to part of Tägtgren’s success with PAIN – he knows how to sneak pop constructions into his songs and make them sound aggressive, which is a fine line, especially when dealing with a pop-suspicious audience, but Tägtgren nails it on every part of “Coming Home.”
This is a great record. There are no more superlatives to lavish on it without fawning. It’s simply excellent, and deserves attention.
