Pro-Pain - Age of Tyranny

[George]

Pro-Pain - Age of Tyranny
Candlelight Records - CDL325 - May 22, 2007
By George Grant

The metalcore surge has been going full steam ahead for some time now. While not the most popular band in the music style, Pro-Pain certainly have been around for a while. Formed from the ashes of crossover legends Crumbsuckers, Pro-Pain has released their tenth full length album Age of Tyranny in their usual style.

Expect an album chock full of groove guitar riffs and the venomous snarl of bassist Gary Meskil. The majority of this album keeps a mid-paced tempo. However, there are a few songs, such as ‘Company Jerk’ and ‘Leveler’, where the band’s thrash influences take a front seat. It was at these moments that I felt the band really distanced themselves from the oversaturated metalcore scene. Yet, this doesn’t last for very long. Quickly the band resorts back to the start stop riffing and their ounce of originality gets thrown away.

Even the use of clean vocals doesn’t help set Pro-Pain apart from their peers. On both ‘All for King George’ and ‘Beyond the Pale’ clean vocals are featured to offer some variety to the album. While these elements do offer some distinction to the music it really doesn’t help. Ultimately these parts just come off as the band trying too hard. The vocals don’t mix well with the “tough-guy” attitude expressed throughout the album, especially with the female vocals on ‘Beyond the Pale.’

The clean and powerful production certainly helps keep the aggressive aspect of the music. However, when you dig deeper into Age of Tyranny there really isn’t much there. Even the politically charged vocals, which to me seem a few years late to the game, won’t keep your attention for long. If you’re looking for a metalcore release to help propel the suffering scene, then Pro-Pain will only let you down.

Official Pro-Pain Website
Official Candlelight Records Website

 

[Dr. Abner Mality]

Pro-pain is not now nor has it ever been a metalcore band in the sense that word is understood today. To me, they have always been straight hardcore with a touch of thrash and not afraid to add a few other elements. The sickening clean vocals, typical twin guitar melo-death melodies and boring breakdowns of today's "metalcore" are not to be found here.

They sure didn't jump on the "political" bandwagon, either. They've been riding that horse since "Foul Taste of Freedom"...when Bush SENIOR was in the White House!

A very consistent band and a good,but not overwhelming, album...

 

[Eyesore]

Pro-pain is not now nor has it ever been a metalcore band in the sense that word is understood today. To me, they have always been straight hardcore with a touch of thrash and not afraid to add a few other elements. The sickening clean vocals, typical twin guitar melo-death melodies and boring breakdowns of today's "metalcore" are not to be found here.

They sure didn't jump on the "political" bandwagon, either. They've been riding that horse since "Foul Taste of Freedom"...when Bush SENIOR was in the White House!

A very consistent band and a good,but not overwhelming, album...

Thanks! I can't stand when reviewers—people that should know what they're talking about and get their facts straight—screw up this bad. It's not hard to do a little research! Instead, they do a 200-word disservice to a great band, and they get a free CD.

Weak.

 

[George]

I don't really see where I screwed up. There's nothing on this album that I haven't heard before from numerous bands. You don't need to look any further than MTV's Headbanger's Ball to see what I'm talking about. This type of music, call it metalcore or whatever you'd like, has been pretty stale in my opinion. I much more prefer the style of the earlier "crossover" bands like the mentioned Crumbsuckers, however, I'm open minded enough to recognize a band that pushes the boundaries of a particular musical style, but Pro-Pain did nothing of the sort on this release.

As for the statement on political lyrics, I didn't mean that they just started writing about such topics. The topics addressed on the album were what were late to the game. Songs about Bush and the war on terror have been overdone and I would like to see some bands branch out on some new ideas.

 

[JonnyD]

especially with the female vocals on ‘Beyond the Pale.’

Do your Homework Matt Bizilla is a man

 

[TalesOfTerror]

I much more prefer the style of the earlier "crossover" bands like the mentioned Crumbsuckers,

Yup.