PAIN CONFESSOR from Finland started out as a side project to a modern aggressive band in the vein of MESHUGGAH. Then they added an old school thrasher on second guitar and a keyboard player. The outcome sounds a bit like old SOILWORK on Thrash: aggressive, catchy and kinda happy. But unlike some other bands of that genre, they don’t start to annoy me – probably because the melodies simply sound good to my ears. Maybe it’s the (subliminal) Finnish melancholy or maybe the guys are simply talented. I’m not completely happy with the aggressive screams by singer Make, though, but I guess that’s just a matter of personal taste. All the rest simply rocks. The fact that there are no real big “hits” also means to me that I don’t get bored with the CD too soon, so give these guys a chance in case you’re into that particular style. www.painconfessor.com