I saw the news about protests around the world against USA's possible military actions towards Iraq. One particular picture caught my eyes: George W. Bush kissing Saddam Hussein and the text under them reading "make love not war". The line got Pro-Pain's song playing in my mind, even though its title is the opposite way.

Pro-Pain perform tough metal with hardcore ideology and influences, although this is tad more metal than Biohazard ever were. Pro-Pain's music is heavily based on the rhythmic compositions. It is kept simple: Heavy rhythm section of drums and bass, 2 guitars mostly riffing and bloodcurdling grunted vocals which are weirdly muffled, from the mainman Gary Meskil on topping it all. Each song is basically built on a couple of riffs, with variety of being faster punky style or heavier moshfest. There's some tasty, rather metal, guitar solos thrown in to give a listener more to chew. Well, at least something to chew. This album is the only Pro-Pain without the guitarist Tom Klimhuck. Thrown in are some sound effects, e.g. samples of a siren, some speeches and a funny "wild west whistle" on 'Let Sleeping Dogs Lie', and that's it. Simple, yes, but also very effective.

The Alex Perialas production is bloody heavy, but this also sounds very streetwise; aggressive and dirty. Ice-T (the rapper, also with the rockers Body Count) raps on 'Put the Lights out'. I have never liked about this stuff and when thrown on a metal album, it just nauseates me. Another thing that I do not get is the saxophone, which is here featured on 'One Man Army'. However, these elements belong to the New York music scene, so I can understand them here. The lyrics also are very streetwise and also towards politics. The cover art is brutal with the photos from the real murder scenes. Although my booklet is censored and Roadrunner promised to send uncensored version for I.R.C., but I never got it, bastards!

'The Truth Hurts' is the heaviest Pro-Pain to date, and my favourite album from the band, as the prior and after this do not get close to this (not meaning they are bad, no). Pro-Pain deliver with power and leave a listener coughing on his/her own blood. 'The Truth Hurts' is a good take on crossover metal, the scene that I do not follow very much at all. Feel free to slamdance and headbang, because this will surely make you do so. The truth hurts: Style-wise this is pretty much the same as any other Pro-Pain album, so they can be called as the AC/DC of hardcore metal.

Update 2 decades later (January 20th, 2024): Pro-Pain are one of the big forces of hardcore metal these days. This album is one of those, which seem to dodge the test of time. Well, things do happen in circles... And in circle pits. The power here is unquestionable and the music is part of any hard day's night. Still today, hardcore music for me is quite uncharted territory for some reason, because this album or band have never let me down on a tough spot. Always on hand's reach, this old mate has stood there by me for 3 fucking decades, sturdy and uncompromised. I really do not understand my old score, which was 7+, so I fixed it. Peace, and remember to make war, not love. -Lane

Rating: 8½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
03/11/2003 23:23