Out now
Going into this review, all I know about Same Pains is they are from Mackay and are sonically similar to Knocked Loose. And that their debut release Closure: An Aggregate is out now and ready for mass consumption.
Opening track Candle Memory bursts out of the blocks awash with swirling guitars and massive drums that dictate the state of play before the vocals kick in, and I can see where the comparisons to the mighty Knocked Loose come from. Mind you, comparison is the right word because so far Same Pains are by no means a clone of that band.
The angst and anger inherent in the vocals is palpable, while the drummer smashes his kit with enough venom to kill a rattlesnake. A tasty breakdown partway through slows the pace a little before the drums incite another onslaught with a rapid roll and away we go once more.
This is neck breaking stuff and smacks hard in all the right places. More, please.
Which comes in the form of No Longer Am I With You.
A gentle, balanced intro threatens an early ballad, especially when soothing piano keys and violins add to the tranquility, and surprisingly I find myself not reaching for the skip button despite this early intrusion.
The piece ebbs and flows gracefully, sounding more like an interlude than an actual song, and I’m hoping the fact Same Pains felt the need to give us some respite so early in the album means they plan to sever our heads more as we go.
And it’s lucky I realise now that the songs as sent to me aren’t in the same order they appear on the release, with No Longer Am I With You actually the tenth and final song on the collection. Makes sense now, and from this point forward I shall go by the numbers next to the songs, not in order.
Actually, scrap that as well because aside from this one song the rest are in order, so let’s just move on…
Lockjaw is actually the second track on the collection, with a nice distorted guitar piece giving way to a cool as fuck bass run that is decimated as the vocals roar back to life, sending things spiralling out of control. This is absolute sonic carnage with stuttering guitars and frenzied drumming setting an almost untenable pace.
Nice use of clean vocals rear their head at brief intervals, adding a touch of humanity to proceedings, but one gets the sense Same Pains don’t give a fuck about subtlety.
Bless their cotton socks.
I’m not sure if Don’t Try To Find Me is a plea or an order, but it starts off with whimsical serenity to suggest maybe the former.
Musical reverberations fill the landscape before some electronics add to the confusion amid the tranquillity. A drawn-out passage of emptiness threatens to morph into something more disturbing as industrial tinges abound, luring a robotic-sounding final sentence that means fuck all to me, but I am guessing has greater significance in the grand scheme of things.
Blur (ft Kael Botica) picks up the slack with an urgent opening salvo between drums and guitar restoring the aggressive intent amid a raging vocal tirade that soon retreats into cleans in what I am guessing is Same Pains trying to show opposing viewpoints of the subject at hand.
Although sporadically sprinkling their sonic landscape with cleans, Same Pains don’t overuse the effect, resisting the urge to appeal to the growing metal/emo market, instead tempting them closer to the darkside with delicately placed moments.
Nausea OD could either be a song about being sick or a song about overdosing (which goes hand in hand with being sick) but judging from the pulsating intro it is going to be more a song of displaced anger at one or both of the titular ailments.
This is a fast-paced and engaging number with a strong chorus and hooks that are not normally associated with music this heavy in nature. Another breakdown of sorts allows for brief musical interludes featuring bass and guitar, with the resulting descent into chaos ensuring the blood flows free.
This is definitely my favourite track so far, although I can honestly say I haven’t been left underwhelmed by any of them.
Palebodypaleheart is written precisely like that, so fuck knows what the intent is going to be. But it wastes little time getting into it with almost militant drumming duelling with a reverberating guitar note that only serves to anger the singer more as he emerges spitting and snarling. Drums are a major feature of this track, rupturing the moments of cleanliness with a solid and destructive influence that refuse to yield.
This track utilizes more cleans than any of the others, but does so without resorting to the general wishy washy undertones of most other bands with this technique. A beautifully placed subverting of anger settles things down momentarily before Same Pains tire of the niceties and relaunch into battle before the song tapers out to a vibrating conclusion.
For If You Do sounds like it could be a life lesson of sorts, and kicks off in ominous fashion complete with acoustic twangs and an almost cowboy feel.
Half chants, half moans dominate the landscape as the guitar strums gently, but forcibly in the foreground giving off a sense of danger and foreboding that is accentuated by industrial pierces of hostility that suddenly expire into nothingness. I find myself with a WTF feeling coming over me, but this is tempered by a touch of admiration for throwing in something outside of the box. Fucks me what the significance is, but I’m sure there is some.
Unsew is next, with a stuttering guitar lick enticing a menacing drum pattern that suggests Same Pains are growing impatient with niceties. The vocals return with renewed anger and vigour, screaming hostilities, while the rest of the band do their best to add fuel to the fire with a ferocious display of musicianship that perfectly embraces the vocal hostility.
A heavy as fuck breakdown is almost sludgey in parts, which isn’t a bad thing. All killer, no relaxation can be too much.
Kin Of Death snaps to life courtesy of a wicked drum roll and swirling guitars that leave no doubt as to the band’s intent. Which is exemplified as the vocals shift into gear, bringing the smackdown. He sure is an angry fucker with a bit to get off his chest by the sounds of it, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen too soon.
A softer interlude winds things down a few notches and rather than launch straight back into chaos, Same Pains introduce a quieter bout of cleans that gradually accelerate but not to the violent extremes of the earlier parts of the track.
Don’t get me wrong, the anger is still deeply evident, but Kin Of Death also shows a more accessible side to Same Pains that has yet to be explored with this collection.
No Longer Am I With You is supposed to close out the collection, but we have already walked down that road, so let’s not push the boundaries too far.
Closure: An Aggregate is a powerful and dynamic debut offering from a band that, one can sense, is only just getting started. And I, for one, am happy to jump on the train from the first stop.
