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IN PAIN
The Thing From The Grave

SouthCoast Productions / Helter Skelter Productions (2022)
Rating: 7/10

This Swedish bunch has been in existence since 1992 and that’s why I can forgive them for churning out fairly standard death metal. Somewhat left behind and splitting up in 1994 and then returning four years later, In Pain has nonetheless rattled on through the years, but The Thing From The Grave is only the band’s second full-length offering.

What you get here is melodiously aggressive if somewhat formulaic design built upon the ever-recognisable yet constantly recycled Swedish buzzsaw riffs. The guitar tone we’ve all become accustomed to grinds along rather nicely and tracks such as ‘Mistress Of The Dark’ has a doomier element, whilst ‘Witchcraft’ gallops with a vim and exuberance. It’s all there, archetypal Swedish brutality but mid-paced and speedy and rounded off by the fullness of Michael “Micke” Andersson’s gruff vocals.

Catchiness is key here, which is exhibited on tracks such as the gloomy trudge of the hilariously titled ‘Decapitated By Lightning’, the violent blasts of ‘Cannibal Feast’ and the varying tempos of ‘The Beast Within’.

Thankfully, at just under 40 minutes, The Thing From The Grave doesn’t overstay its welcome and so if you’re a sucker for that typical, unwavering Swedish pulverisation then get on down.

Neil Arnold

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