Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Pain - Dancing With the Dead (2005)

Sometimes the best albums are the ones that literally almost didn't happen. Peter Tägtgren was at a pub when his heart stopped and he collapsed. Just when it seemed like it was all over for him, two minutes later, his heart continued beating. That's a clear reminder that life is fragile and at any given moment, you would be gone from this world with one last dance. Dancing With the Dead!

We're grateful Peter Tägtgren is still around to show his talents displayed in writing, instrumentation, and vocals. Dancing With the Dead is one of the best albums from his Pain project, maybe one of the best in any of his projects.

"Don't Count Me Out" is a decent start. Not as strong as the previous album openers, but it still rules. Next up is "Same Old Song", but I never get tired of it, it's so awesome! I love the vocals of Peter Tagtgren. "You're welcome to my world, dark side of the universe." Then "Nothing" is more electronic, not far off from Circle of Dust. This continues in "Tables Have Turned" with its interesting background use of turntables.

"Not Afraid to Die" is quite enjoyable, sounding as electronic as Celldweller with some background symphonics similar to what Beyond the Black would have 10 years later. For the addictive highlight that is the title track, some of us can relate to the lyrics of struggling madness, especially if you're on the edge of life. "Tear It Up" is an OK track. A little odd, yet fun to listen to. Really speeding things up is the f***ing powerful "Bye/Die". G****mn, it's quite addictive! Now let me just say that these next few tracks are kind of bothersome, but they don't affect the album's perfect rating. So let's talk about them in the next paragraph...

"My Misery" is good but doesn't do a lot. Same with "A Good Day to Die". It's one of those tracks that I'm fine listening to, though likely for me to overlook. "Stay Away" is another fine track yet one metal purists should stay away from. I was THIS close to dropping a half-star in my rating. Luckily, the final track "The Third Wave" is worth listening to and has reminded me about the album's glory. And I would love if the amazing bonus track "Trapped" was in the original album.

I've never had a 5-star album come so close to 4.5 stars, like a 95.1 percentage rating. Nothing has changed the status of Dancing With the Dead as another stellar part of Pain's discography. This is the kind of sound for The Kovenant and Samael to expand on away from their black metal roots. Enjoy this dance!

Favorites: "Same Old Song", "Nothing", "Not Afraid to Die", "Dancing With the Dead", "Bye/Die", "The Third Wave", "Trapped"