Pro-Pain are all about tough metal born from a hardcore ideology.
With 15 full-lengths to their name, this New York-based crew are nothing if not tirelessly working for their cause.
Some would say they’ve shown little development over time but, while their overall sound and punchy songwriting remains true, they always tweak the formula to some small degree. This time around, their songs maintain the usual energy and chunky metal density but Gary Meskil’s vocals seem more paced, and the production is a touch slicker. Guitar solos enter into the mix early and are more prominent and less seamlessly blended. That said, the sound remains simple and stripped-back: crunchy, uncompromising and aggressively catchy. The album also features guest vocals from Kimbo of Salvation. Voice Of Rebellion is a powerful choice of opening track, Souls On Fire takes a pause from the guitar solos in favour of more hefty shredding and Cognitive Dissonance is pleasingly old-school and memorable. The only unforgivable album flaw comes from the band’s inexplicable insistence on song fade-outs.
