Shreds of Dignity

I admit that I am not familiar with each and every of the 25 (or 30, or 35, who knows?) full-lengths of Pro-Pain. But as far as I can see, the band never left the path of its great debut. Main man Gary Meskil always took care that the formation avoided useless experiments. His hardcore-inspired mentality is stubborn enough to be happy with only one song formula. Thus, the band of the ex-Crumbsucker can be understood as the answer to The Ramones, but located at the interface of thrash and hardcore. The crucial question is: does the band follow the dogma "evolution instead of revolution" or do the dudes just deliver more of the same?

The album clocks in at 31 minutes and the short playtime is another parallel to the Godfathers of punk. I do not know the body mass index of Mr. Meskil (and I surely avoid to know my own), but his songs do not suffer from a single gram of fat. The direction is clear: compact songs go straight ahead and surprising twists and turns have been shot on their way to the studio. Honestly speaking, I do not miss them. Pro-Pain never stood for progressive rock or technical thrash and after their first works, everybody should know what she or he can expect when buying another album of them. Of course, one can discuss this form of voluntary self-limitation, but as long as the result works, I do not see any sense in this discussion.

And, by the way, in the case of "Shreds of Dignity", the result works excellently. Meskil and his comrades have put all their anger and fury into the songs. I listen to an outburst of hatred. Dark, sharp riffs saw the whole playtime, the drummer is doomed to play fast or faster and Meskil's rasping voice adds another sinister element. His hateful performance is almost childish, but at the same time, he sounds absolutely authentic. Anyway, let's get back to the riffs. The absence of unexpected breaks puts pressure on them, because there is no possibility to give the tunes another direction. But don't worry, the dudes know their metier and from my point of view, there is definitely no weak riff on this album. All songs can rely on the strong fundament of the guitar work. The hymnal fanfares of the chorus of "Down for the Cause" deliver the only contrast to the devastating guitars. They shape a great chorus, but the remaining eleven tracks prove evidence that Pro-Pain actually do not need such a "bombastic" ornamentation.

It goes without saying that every longplayer benefits from one or two absolutely outstanding songs and this insight brings me to "No Way Out". This song belongs to the fastest here and its simple, rapid and razor-sharp guitars have the power to split skulls. They are the soundtrack for a sweaty crowd of head banging and fist wielding maniac and even without a the experience of a Pro-Pain live concert, I feel the temperature rising immediately when listening to this irresistible killer. But don't get me wrong, the other tracks do not stand in the shadow of this prime example of musical destructiveness. Although it is difficult to pick out single songs, I think that especially "F.O.A.D." and "Justice Must Be Done" have to be mentioned explicitly here. "F.O.A.D." kicks off the second half of the album in a furious manner, very fast and focused. Its chorus possesses earworm qualities and, no doubt about it, the lyrics give Meskil one more chance to express his disgust. "Justice Must Be Done" combines stomping verses with the extremely well flowing guitars of the chorus. Fantastic, somewhat dangerous and very effective.

Any concerns in view of the production? No. The album sounds dark, powerful and brutal with the effect that the little lack of transparency can be neglected. The experienced dudes exactly present the sound that puts their music in the right light - and this light is shining brightly. The band does not run out of breath. Just listen to the frenetic closer. It kicks many asses and does not show the smallest sign of half-heartedness. Given this situation, "Shreds of Dignity" is recommended to all those who know that metal must come from the heart and not from the head.

The name of Pro-Pain is well known to all lovers of metal/hardcore kind of music. Characteristic thrash/metalcore sound, which is incorporated in every Pro-Pain release has passed the test of time and still, without any melodies, commercial rock influences, they deliver first-class brutality and aggression. After "Act Of God" (which is the bible of crossover metal, if you ask me) they have lost a bit of quality, but now, they are coming back with "Shreds Of Dignity"! Everything that they missed on last few albums is now here. All the energy is well combined through 12 songs and it's worth to mention that although they are on the major label, Spitfire Records, guys from Pro-Pain still do a production in their own studio, which gives raw sound, just as it has to be (only drums sound should be done better, it sounds a bit weak). Songs like "The Shape Of Things To Come" and "Gone Fishin'" show us how fast and cruel those guys can really be. "Down For The Cause" is a bit different, getting more into jump crossover with fat grooves. Really great song "No Way Out", together with "Shreds Of Dignity" (a bit of nu-metal, ha?) and fast piece "Justice Must Be Done" is what makes this album so great. You can feel that energy and power that were the trademarks of their earlier releases. There is no way these guys will go into commercial music and I'm really glad to hear this. They play the music they really like. Other songs are in-between, except "Casualties Of War", which turned my stomach upside-down, thanks to punk sound (whadafuck?!). One more thing I don't like - the album is too damn short! And Pro-Pain could do a bit more catchy songs. Lyrics are inspired by war, as usual. In the end, we must congratulate them on this album. "Shreds Of Dignity" is a new start for Pro-Pain, showing new youngsters who is the daddy of crossover metal!