Very Accessible
With a career spanning 15 years, a million units sold and 9 albums under their belt, New York based hardcore metal outfit Pro Pain hit back with their 10th album 'Age of Tyranny - The Tenth Crusade.' Apparently the album is as near as Pro Pain have come to writing a full concept album. The songs deal with human kind and its leaders rushing to Armageddon via a self-fulfilling prophecy, which, deviously mirrors that of biblical prophecy, and that rapture-ready Christianity remains complicit for obvious reasons. These aren't my words, yes, you guessed correctly, the ole press release is up to its shenanigans again.
Let's face facts here, Pro Pain's new album is just a 39 minute song fest and any link or concept in the lyrics is purely for the entertainment of its band members because it's terribly difficult to decipher any meaning from Gary Meskil's growled and shouted vocals. Underneath all the suggested meanings and biblical themes beats the heart of a solid piece of hardcore/metal crossover that is thoroughly palatable and instantly likeable.
'Age of Tyranny - The Tenth Crusade' is accessible hardcore. All the hardcore traits are on offer from big guitars and riffs, aggressive vocals and that overwhelming fuck you attitude. There is, however, a melodic metal influence in Pro Pain's music, opener 'The New Reality' is pure hardcore bliss with a great vocal performance from Meskil. 'All for King George' is a catchy fist pumping up beat anthem containing a brilliant gang chorus, where as 'Beyond the Pale' is darker, heavier yet stands out above all the other songs with it's haunting chorus line and excellent solo.
The production is what you expect from an established hardcore act. The drums pound and the vocals are perfect in the mix. The guitars adopt a more cleaner, less fuzzy tone to great effect allowing each riff to stand out, this is none more evident in the ball busting brilliance of 'Iraqnam' (great title).
I was expecting a brutal and relentless thrash-a-thon that any other band could put together and this is certainly the case with such tracks as 'Three Minutes Hate', but 'Age of Tyranny - The Tenth Crusade' is much more than this. It contains those extra ideas and dimensions that the majority of hardcore albums scream out for. It is because of these moments that make this album both an appealing and varied listen for both metal and hardcore fans alike. The album may run flat of ideas in the second half of the album but there's enough on here to keep you coming back. I'm sure the one million sales tag will rise sharply with this disc but don't expect some great concept behind it, just get it for the tunes.