Review Summary: Quality Hardcore.
Name: Born From Pain
Members:
Rob Franssen - bass
Dominik Stammen - guitar
Karl Fieldhouse - guitar
Roel Klomp - drums
The vocalist just left after finishing this album.
History: Born From Pain was formed over the waters in Belgium/Netherlands a decade ago ('97). Some of their influences are: Earth Crisis, All Out War, Bolt Thrower, Integrity, Testament, Slayer, and early Agnostic Front.
After releasing their first two cd's, they got places touring with the likes of Hatebreed and Madball, garnering them some attention to their ideas and music.
The band strongly signals a feeling of stand-up, honest, straight forward authenticity to the world in a stagnant metal and hardcore scene, which the band feels is ever so important in music nowadays.
Discography:
Immortality ('99)
Reclaiming the Crown ('00)
Sands of Time ('02)
In Love with the End ('05)
WAR (2006)
Music/Sound: Melodic Beautiful Brutality would be the best three words to describe their sound. Containing elements from down and dirty hardcore and thrash to heavy metal riffage and soaring metal leads, they combine all flawlessly to create their own sound.
There are no clean vocals, all consist of throaty yells and screams (Hatebreed).
The Rythm guitar can only be described as powerful. It's a great foundation to rest all they have to offer on. It's crisp and brutal but also yields a good deal of depth and fluidity, the higher notes and chords sounding crisp and epic. (Full Blown Chaos, Isis).
The lead guitarist is original at best, every other song at least contains a solo, and when theres no solo, he compliments rythm and vocals perfectly.
The drummer plays hard...sometimes I swear I can hear his heads breaking. While he's not the best in the world, he is prescise and at the same time, heavy. Nothing is out of place, his cymbals are very clear and the production on the snare and kick drum are superb.
If you don't have good speakers you won't be able to enjoy the bassist. For the most part he plays with everyone else, blending in and adding his good bit. You can still pick him out quite a few times. I'm no bassist however, so you'll have to decide for yourself his level of skill.
I won't do every track, but I will go over a couple.
1. Relentless.
The Cd fades in with the rythm guitar chugging out it's first riff and the band chanting, "War! War! War! War!" The Drummer rolls off his snare and switches to double bass, carrying the song into it's first verse, "This War is Relentless". The Chorus is a groovy swing thing. It quickens up after that, sounding accusingly angry. The Swing thing comes in again with a peeling lead guitar to bolster it's chugging rythm.
3. Stop At Nothing.
The Third track on any album is pretty much required to be captivating. this song fulfills that. The drummer beats the hell out of his tom tom's while both guitarists open palm mute it, making for a good build. (1! 2! 3!, pause 1! 2! 3! so on) you hear a dulled guitar and vocals come in, with him yelling, "Stop! Stop at Nothing" sounds kind of cheesy until the drummer whacks his snare and everyone comes in to join the party. Rarely can a hardcore band achieve unity, melody and conviction with group vocals...but here they do.
An inspiring song.
6. Grey Life Comes in with forbidding guitars and quickly goes on to include an epic soaring power metal lead before building to your hardcore crescendo verse.
When the verse breaks and the drums drop out their double bass, the vocalist yells, "Nothing that I can do, will help me, Everything in this world is against Me!"
Frustrated. Musically powerful...their chord selection is primo.
7. The War is On is a instrumental but also the longest on the album. it slowly builds to a flowing main riff which they greatly expand upon. One of the bass highlights.
10. Doomsday Clock, besides sharing the name of Billy Corgan's, is an utter hardcore classic...starting out with a breakdown shouted over by "Fear This Hate!!!"
11. Iron Will. Probably my favorite. Opinions aside, this song is the most likely to get stuck in your head. The Chorus is the highlight, but even the guitars on the verse have a special extra something that surpasses any averageness, excelling to put at ease any doubts of sell out or mediocrity. At Just over 5:00, this song is epic. The middle of the song builds to a breakdown with death metal vocals spoken over it. The solo is spectacular however, it comes out of nowhere and swings around and over the rythm guitar then continues to dazzle until (yes I used the word dazzle to describe a hardcore band) the song fades out.
For Fans of: Hatebreed, Full Blown Chaos, Integrity, Emmure, God Forbid, Hatesphere, Of Legend, Killswitch.
Most likely one of my favorite hardcore bands at the moment...check out their older albums as well, they are no less than superb...while they lack the new production of course, the song writting is still at it's best.
I found this band downtown at a book'nook comic book shop, seriously the last place I'd expect to find a band such as this. I was delighted.
www.myspace.com/bornfrompain
I know at least "Stop at Nothing" is available to listen to.
enjoy.
