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Band Name: Pro-Pain
Album Name: Raw Video
Rating: 3.5 / 5 User Rating: 3.5 / 5
Label: Candlelight Records
Buy Album: Amazon.com
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Tracklist
The Clips
Substance
In For The Kill
Dont Kill Yourself To Live
Time
State Of Mind
Can You Feel It
Make War Not Love
Pound For Pound
Live In Stuttgart
Pride
Make Some Noise
Fuck It
Draw Blood
Fed Up
Lifes Hard
Get Real
Stand Tall
U.V.M.
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Pro-Pain are one of those bands with the fortitude to stick it out for the long haul. They're consistent and fans can always have an idea of what to expect from any Pro-Pain release. Qualities such as these are not always highlighted in the metal press as much as they should be; oftentimes trends and golden child artists get all the recognition whilst the more working-class artists that slug it out in the trenches are often forgotten.
However, this compilation of videos is all of the evidence that's really necessary to prove to the metal masses that this hard working band, who have released ten full length albums in a span of thirteen years, are one of the most important bands in metal today. Along with biohazard, the band is responsible for fomenting the second wave of metal/hardcore fusion in the early nineties and their sound remains relevant and intense as ever to this very day.
On 'Raw Video', fans get a one-two punch of music videos and a well shot live concert. Mind you, there's more than enough material herein that the band could have released both the concert performance and music videos as separate packages and each effort would have stood on its own merits. The added value of the combination of the concert footage and clips is considerable. Even more refreshingly, the package proves that the band isn't greedy and that this is truly an effort that's meant to please the fans, which garners a great deal of respect for the band from this perspective.
Outlining the band's entire career, the music video portion of the offering starts with the present day 'Can You Feel It?' which was a staple on the Headbangers Ball program and somewhat of a comeback in terms of recognition for a band that really never left. 'Down For The Cause' shows the group laboring over a catchy riff and features some descent cinematics, while 'In For The Kill' and 'State Of Mind' are further highlights in terms of the vid clips being a good match for the music. 'Pound For Pound', from the band's '1992 'Foul Taste Of Freedom', which is likely the most well-known of Pro-Pain videos to older fans, as this clip was played about a gazillion times back in the Riki Rachtman days of the Ball. These videos prove that you can represent a band well without spending a million dollars on a video. They do a suitable job of capturing the band's grittiness without making them look like sellouts and it's important to bear in mind that Pro-Pain are a no-frills band to begin with. If you're a follower of the group, it's likely that you're not going to be expecting an ILM-type production anyway, so these clips are just fine for the type of fan that's more focused on the music than on Wizard of Oz illusions intended for you to think the band is something more than what it really is. Reality prevails here and Pro-Pain come off exactly as they should.
The concert performance is no-nonsense as well, with the group opting to focus on the actual show as it would be seen by an audience member, not fast action framework and pompous special effects. You gain the impression that you're actually witnessing a concert, which is a welcome break from thirty-six outfit changes and cameras from sixteen angles. The focus is on what this band delivers live, and it's not really that far removed from an actual Pro-Pain concert experience. The band break out quite a few of their harsher tunes here, and of the sixteen total cuts, 'Draw Blood', 'Life's Hard' and 'Foul Taste Of Freedom' really stand out as fine examples of the type of live annihilation Pro-Pain is known for dishing out. Again, there are not a lot of frills, just straight-up hardcore laced metal that shows this band is one to definitely watch for on the concert trail.
If you are less familiar with the group, pick this one up along with the band's recent, exceptional 'Prophets Of Doom' disc and you'll have most of the band's crucial cuts.
With so much music packed into one DVD, long time fans really cannot go wrong with this release. If you have followed this die-hard band throughout their entire career, this compilation is certainly going to bring back a lot of memories of great music. Without any frills or apologies, Pro-Pain take it directly to the fans with this comprehensive effort.
Review by: EF
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