| CD REVIEW Pro-Pain |
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Band : Pro-Pain New York based Metal/ Hardcore legend Pro-Pain has been around since 1991, and gave us their now classic debut album Foul Taste Of Freedom one year later. Over the years, lead singer & bassist Gary Meskil and C° have given us two "best of" albums (in 1998 and 2005), a live album (in 2001), a covers album showcasing the guys' early influences (2003's Run For Cover) and with No End In Sight Now they now bring us their 11th album of all-original material! Formed as a trio including Meskil, guitarist Tom Klimchuck and drummer Dan Richardson, only the first would remain at his post throughout the career of the band. Richardson opted out in 1997, and since then three other skin bashers have occupied the drum stool before JC Dwyer took up position in 2004. Klimchuck departed in 1994, but returned to the fold (in 1996, his temporary replacement being one Nick St. Denis) to stay on ever after. Meanwhile, the trio had grown to a foursome with the addition of rhythm guitarist Mike Hollman. This position prooved to be an unstable one as well, having been filled in by Rob Moschetti in '96, then by Eric Klinger in '99, whom was replaced by Marshall Stevenson just last year. In contrast to their changing line-up, the band's albums always succeeded in bringing us a very nice and high-standard combination of Hardcore and Metal, a formula to which hardly anything was changed. Until this new album that is, because all of the sudden Pro-Pain brings an overall very melodic album with harmonic backing vocals to boot! But was that change really as sudden as some people (music journalists) would have you believe? Apparently not, because according to the band itself they already introduced some stylistic adjustments with No End In Sight's predecessor Age Of Tyranny (released in March last year). Already influenced by the indeed very positive reception of that album, the band decided to further their evolution somewhat. What may have helped give 'em inspiration is the fact that all members contributed to Stephan Weidner's solo album Schneller, Höher, Weidner (album which debuted at the #2 position in the German charts, only barely beaten by Madonna's). Weidner of course being the former frontman of German Punk legends Böhse Onkelz, a band with which the New Yorkers have had tight ties since being invited to open for them on a 1998 European arena tour (Pro-Pain's 2004 album Fistful Of Pain featured a guest contribution by Weidner). Opening the album with two songs ("Let the Blood Run Through The Streets" and "Halo") which are actually very close to older material stylistically, a first "surprise" comes with the very melodic "Hour Of The Time", which has vocal guests in the aforementioned Weidner and Gary Meskil Junior. The ensuing "To Never Return" is back to the band's old musical style, but has a very harmonic chorus...and extra guitar played by one Rupert Keplinger (who returns on a total of 3 other songs). Other guests on the album include Gary's other son Corey (a member of the band Langdom Alger), bringing additional screams to "Where We Stand" (incidently also the song next on the track-list, and again a rather melodic one – the song returns in an alternate version as a bonus track at the end of the album, and that particular version mày just make the hit charts), Cannibal Corpse's Rob Barrett bringing extra leads to "Phoenix Rising" (next in out track-list of the album it is a return to the band's old style), and Kevin Kohler bringing the unexpected but unobstrucive (because bagpipes tend to be somewhat overwhelming) sound of bagpipes at the end of "Go It Alone" (which was next in our track-list, by the way). The ensuing "All Rise" kinda falls in the same melodic category with nice harmonic backing vocals as "Hour Of The Time", and with "God's Will" and "The Fight Goes On" the guys again return to the old style. In other words: you get a nicely balanced yet diverse album for your money's worth! Regretfully the album came to our offices far too late...actually the copy I'm reviewing is one of our editor-in-chief's private collection, and it's only out of the goodness of our hearts and the respect we have for the legend that is Pro-Pain that we're still reviewing the album...as the album was already released at the end of August. Passed already too, is the band's European tour (started on August 8 at Belgium's Sunrock festival in Knokke-Heist and ended September 28 in France, it's also taken the band through Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary, with a visit to Ukraine's Metal Heads Mission Festival to boot). In the meantime, No End In Sight already made good sales figures, entering the German album charts at the #98 position. If you happen to be one of those young Hardcore fans whom still have to make their connection with this fine New York outfit, surf to myspace.com/propainspace now! You'll not find any material off the new album yet (at least not when I last checked), but there's a couple of songs of the previous albums for you to give you an idea of this band's musical exploits. I'm not sure how the band's older fans are gonna react to this rather melodic new album, but personally I like very much...and I would very much like to see them continue this way. So, all you free-loaders and music pirates out there...remember this: by ripping people's music and "sharing" it on the Internet you are nót just bringing a blow to "major" labels, but also and foremost to the musicians involved! Every copy that isn't sold because the possible purchaser found a "copy" on the Internet, means money taken out of the budget for a next album and more directly, money less for the band from the revenue of royalties! In essence, you're hurting the musicians, people who try to live off the music they make! 92/100 Tony. |