PAIN
Cynic Paradise

Much like Trent Reznor is to NINE INCH NAILS, or Al Jorgensen is to MINISTRY, REVOLTING COCKS, etc. Peter Tagtgren is the mastermind behind PAIN. He is also the lead singer of the Swedish band HYPOCRISY. The reason I bring up Mr. Reznor and Mr. Jorgensen is that PAIN’s music is much in the same ilk as the projects both have been involved in. And due to the electronic/industrial influence on the album, the inevitable comparisons are going to come up. I should say they are similar in style, but not exactly the same. As a result don’t expect to find a lot of odd samples, or sweeps, arpeggios, etc. that you’ll find on a lot of the newer releases. Instead, think of Ministry mixed with Rob Zombie, with a twist of 80s flavored lyrics(fast woman, booze, fast cars, etc.). With all of this said, Tagtgren’s singing approach is actually very reminiscent of Tim Skold’s singing technique/style.

The album is laced with fist in the air, adrenaline pumping anthems, I don’t believe it was written and put together to be anything more than dare I say a fun album to listen to. Highlights include the churning riffs on “Have A Drink On Me”, the anthemic “Don’t Care”, the swing of “Reach Out (And Regret), the synthesizer and guitar tradeoffs of “No One Knows”, the guitar driven “Not Your Kind”, and the next to last track “Feed Us” which touches on some social issues including hunger and excess. This track includes female vocals for the chorus, and several piano parts that intertwine with the synths and guitar parts. The rest of the album is fairly solid, although the tracks don’t jump out at me as much as the ones that I have mentioned.

Cynic Paradise entertains from start to finish, as alluded to above, don’t expect to find anything revolutionary, or earth shattering. It is just a fun album from start to finish, the kind of album you’d crank in your car, with grooves you might find at a strip club, or anthems you’d sing along to while out drinking with your friends.

Grade: B+
Victor M. Ruiz

Tags: Al Jorgensen, Cynic Paradise, hypocrisy, Ministry, nine inch nails, Pain, Peter Tatgren, Rob Zombie, Tim Skold

This entry was posted onFriday, July 30th, 2010 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Album Reviews.
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