Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Pain - Cynic Paradise (2008)
Bands can either change their sound or stick to what they have. Pain prefers to keep their usual industrial metal formula. Some fans might get bored while others prefer if they stay to their usual sound. Those other fans have a point. Who wouldn't want more of this blend of metal riffs, electronics and clean singing? Maybe metal purists wouldn't, but my point is, people need to appreciate this kind of music more.
Cynic Paradise is filled with many ups, yet more downs than their earlier material. What has brought this album up is the ones that feature none other than Anette Olzon (formerly of Nightwish and The Dark Element). She sounds perfect in the songs she guest appears in, and I look forward to talk about them when we get there....
We go in with the speedy "I'm Going In" that unleashes the techno stylings of their previous two albums. "Monkey Business" keeps up the speed and packs quite a punch as a heavy standout. And guess what, Peter has done screamed vocals in that one! He has really only done that in live performances and in his main band Hypocrisy. "Follow Me" is the first of the two amazing songs with the serene singing of Anette Olzon. "No gold at the end of the rainbow..."
Sadly, we're getting to the weaker stuff, starting with "Have a Drink on Me". Not as bad as the repetitive "Don’t Care" which I simply don't care for. "Reach Out (and Regret)" is a much better track, though at the lower end of the highlights. "Generation X" is fine. Just fine.
"No One Knows" is the kind of track no one would know it's from Pain because how different it is, and not in the best way. Next track "Live Fast / Die Young" snaps me back awake with its fast speed, again not too far off from their previous two albums. Now that's way better! "Not Your Kind" is also pretty solid for my kind of metal. The last song and second one with Anette Olzon, "Feed Us" has really made me kick myself for not discovering this song or band earlier. It's just so d*mn cool!
The bonus tracks aren't really noteworthy. It's just the two covers that were bonus tracks in Psalms of Extinction, an OK yet hollow version of "Follow Me" without Anette's vocals, and two unnecessary remixes. Still, Cynic Paradise is the Swedish metal album listeners were up for in 2008 besides Amon Amarth's Twilight of the Thunder God....
Favorites: "Monkey Business", "Follow Me", "Reach Out (and Regret)", "Live Fast / Die Young", "Feed Us"