Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Pain - Rebirth (1999)
Rebirth showed the return of Peter Tagtgren's Pain as the project's second album. More than just a return, but a full-on aptly titled rebirth! The perfection of their self-titled debut has carried over to this album, this time increasing the catchy keyboard prominence while keeping the metal riffing and drumming the project started out with. Helping out with the catchiness is the improvement of Peter's cleans, making it all sound like the Pain from later on that we would know.
The electro-techno elements aren't just thrown around. They're used in every song, giving them enjoyable variety. Peter is talented in both the music and production, giving everything the essential requirements for well-mixed music.
The first of many kick-A highlights is "Supersonic B***h". It already gets you on track with its memorable uniqueness. "End of the Line" is one of the best techno-industrial metal songs ever, and it has made me up for this project beyond just their debut. "Breathing In Breathing Out" sounds almost as sinister as The Human Abstract and Bleeding Through but don't expect any of the metalcore those bands would later have. "Delusions" hints at the extreme industrial metal from later bands like Fear of Domination.
"Suicide Machine" is another highlight that makes the album worth your money. It exemplifies the impressive writing done by Peter Tägtgren. "Parallel to Ecstasy" brings in more of the uniqueness by adding operatic background choir. "On and On" is another one of the most f***ing kick-A songs in this dance-y kind of industrial metal. A cool one for any weight-lifters to train. "12:42" is an interlude that sounds like it came from a sci-fi fantasy film. It's a nice break from the metal action, just two minutes of spacey bliss before crashing back in with this next track...
"Crashed" speeds things up and cranks up the riffing to Fear Factory levels while maintaining the electronic synths. We then get to the mid-paced "Dark Fields of Pain". It's one of the most captivating songs here, acting as a bridge between their debut and their later albums. The closest we have to Peter's more aggressive side is in the finale "She Whipped", though it sounds more robotic. A bonus track in some editions is the remix track "Suicide Machine (Kamikaze Mix)", though I prefer the original song.
While Rebirth is not the first Pain album, it's where they begin the sound we know from the project in subsequent albums. This incredible offering is for any fan of electronic metal. Another masterpiece from this mastermind named Peter Tagtgren!
Favorites: "Supersonic B***h", "End of the Line", "Suicide Machine", "Parallel to Ecstasy", "On and On", "Dark Fields of Pain"