Year: 2024
Total Time: 41:13
Label: Nuclear Blast
The leader of HYPOCRISY Peter Tägtgren, decided to create PAIN back in 1996, as a personal project in which he would externalize his more electronic-industrial Metal senses! So, on May 17th 2024, PAIN returned with their ninth album entitled “I Am”, eight years after the release of the previous “Coming Home”. In the eleven songs that comprise “I Am”, Tägtgren delivers music that reflects the band’s signature. Metal melodies supported by synth and Industrial elements, effectively blended by Tägtgren’s restless spirit.
The album opens with a typical PAIN track, «I Just Dropped By (To Say Goodbye)», followed by «Don’t Wake The Dead», which is one of two songs composed entirely by Sebastian Tägtgren, Peter’s son. «Go With The Flow» features a characteristic PAIN composition with a Gothic aesthetic. «Not For Sale», with its DarkSynth vibe and dynamic composition, makes it an ideal track for Heavy Club playlists in Vienna or in a live version at the Castle Party in Poland.
Next is «Party In My Head», which was the first single for the then-upcoming release of «I Am». The self-titled song follows, atmospheric and dark, and everything mentioned about «Not For Sale» applies equally to «I Am». The necessary extra dose of Industrial for a PAIN release comes with «Push The Pusher» and «The New Norm», while in «Revolution», the second composition by Sebastian Tägtgren, I personally felt like I was hearing – or seeing – something from «Blade».
«My Angel» was released as a single in 2011 and managed to find its way, significantly refreshed and featuring Cécile Siméone on vocals, into «I Am» in 2024. With a strong 90s aesthetic and due to Cécile’s vocals, I couldn’t help but simultaneously hear «Lorelei» by THEATRE OF TRAGEDY in my mind. Finally, «Fair Game», slow and emotional, with lyrics like “When the storm comes, we all standing tall,” manages to add an extra special weight to it.
As a general picture, I can’t say that this album left me with something special to remember, since it reminds me a lot works from the past, without offering any composing innovation. Nevertheless, I am sure that PAIN’s fans will enjoy listening to “I Am”.
Rating: 6/10
Editor: Antonis Braikidis
Related Link: PAIN – Official Website
