To the Pain (U.S.): 7 (Self-Released)

Props to this band To the Pain for continuing and making this, their second album, on their own. It is very probable that they have had to sacrifice quite a bit and be stubborn a lot in order to make this album happen.

To the Pain, a groove/thrash band with traditional singing, represents that blue-collar metal music that is made by musicians determined to show their work to the metal world. The band has a muscular, chubby guitar tone and the drumming is not about speed: it's about rhythm and heaviness.

The band is from New York, U.S. and they are probably too traditional for that cesspool of trends and fashions that is New York, which probably explains a lot about why this band is on its own, swimming against the stream.

To me, there is an early-90s Pantera energy about the band and perhaps a lot of thrash, too, but To the Pain has its own shindig going and you can tell that this is not some garage demo. The recording has a rather clear sound and it actually sounds considerably different from the super computerized metal of today. The sound is kind of chunky, kind chuggy, but with real guitar solos. The band does use melody, too, to balance out the pounding metal. The vocals are mostly melodic, although here and there, some rougher parts are used.

I would say that if you love the early-90s Pantera sound, if you like old thrash, and if you like to find out about bands that are ignored because they are not trendy, the kind of band that exists in a hostile world, then find out more about To the Pain. This band is so stubborn and untrendy that they do not even wear jumpsuits, they don't have dreadlocks, they don't wear makeup (any kind of makeup), they don't show off their tattoos, they don't wear tough guy baseball cap backwards hats, and they do not even wear masks. C'mon, To the Pain, how are you ever going to make it if y'all insist on not acting like a bunch of gimmicky idiots?!

To The Pain is:

Steve Shaver - Lead Guitar, vocals

John Intagliata - Lead Vocals

Craig Piano -Guitar

Jimmy Klimatas - Drums

Jeremy Lustig - Bass

www.facebook.com/ToThePainNY

www.reverbnation.com/tothepain