Album Review: Pain - Coming Home

Peter Tagtgren's knack for infusing off-kilter pop sensibilities within Pain's industrialised crunch has somewhat surprisingly gone unheralded by the metal mainstream.

Perhaps it's the abrasive lyrical outlook — spanning alien conspiracy theories, bar fights and hedonism, sometimes with tongue planted firmly in cheek — that is an affront to broader audiences. Or the Swede's unapologetic bombast, punctuated by lavish orchestrations. Irrespective, Coming Home bustles with earworms, Call Me and Natural Born Idiot, while Absinthe—Phoenix Rising and the brooding Pain In The Ass throw welcome curveballs. If your initial taste of Tagtgren's twisted atmospherics was via the Lindemann project, here's ample opportunity to investigate further.