BORN FROM PAIN

Ninety seconds in, I nearly turned this off. I've mentioned before how pointless introductions make my blood boil and, in the case of this album, we have rather too long of that old cliché; The Air-Raid Siren. Just no, okay? I get it that life on the streets is a war zone, and it's tough just to get out alive without being petrol-bombed and your charred corpse pissed on. Anyway, I'm pleased that I'm required to actually listen to albums to review them because what follows is a very well-crafted piece of mid-nineties hardcore. Eschewing today's love-affair with metaldeaththrashfunkjazzcore, Born From Pain just want to tell you about survival on the streets. Not since that Brooklyn-based band from the nineties erupted on the scene has hardcore sounded so menacing, yet melodic. Granted, there are a couple of ill-advised moments of heavy-metal-ponderous twin harmonised guitar, but I can forgive them, as they are thankfully short as to disappear in a fury of fist-clenching battery. I especially enjoyed the one-two consisting of a mid-pace affair that is 'Final Collapse', which is the followed by a particularly face-shredding, Slayer-esque, head-crushing, monster called 'Endgame'. 'Zeitgeist' employs a near-death metal vocal style, which is a welcome addition to what is often a one-dimensional vocal style. This is not to criticise Rob Franssen, as hardcore is renowned for being monotone. I'm not familiar with Born From Pain's earlier works, but I am sorely tempted to discover their evolution. In closing then, we have a very pleasing modern, yet retro, hardcore album. More importantly, it has been written and performed in such a way, to honour the genre's roots, while not falling into the trap of being another addition to the staid metalcore scene. For that alone, it is worthy of your time and money.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Metal Blade Records

Album

SURVIVAL

Review by Steve Cowan

RUNNING TIME:

34:17

RELEASE DATE:

3rd Nov 2008

TRACK LISTING

1) Sound of Survival
2) State of Mind
3) Suns of a Dying World
4) The Wolves Are Loose
5) Never Die
6) Final Collapse
7) Endgame
8) Zeitgeist
9) The Hydra
10) Zero Hour
11) Under False Flag

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Netherlands

"Not since that Brooklyn-based band from the nineties erupted on the scene has hardcore sounded so menacing, yet melodic."