DAMAGED
"Purified
in Pain" (Rotten Records; 2000)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Damaged's music is like acid being dripped on styrofoam making the styrofoam wilt away into nothing. Venomous anger and spiteful hate ooze forth from every nook and cranny of Damaged's concoction of hardcore, metal, and blackened death. Damaged go to great lengths to make sure you know that they call their brand of metal 'hatecore' - I couldn't think of better term for it myself.
By combining black metal intensity and dense wall of sound with hardcore's staccato riffing and death metal's gruff exterior, Damaged deliver the goods in a way that actually sounds complete and fully realized. I may not particularly enjoy it, but it does seem cathartic. Actually, a quick listen to "Purified In Pain" will give instant recognition that it has a lot in common with a more hardcore version of Lamb Of God or a less harsh version of The Forsaken.
The vocals explode in your veins like an overdose of amphetamines. Kevin's pained lyrics animate the tales of greed and oppression, insensitivity and false hopes, the contrast of 'flight or fight,' and the remorseless and clueless stuck in 9 to 5 jobs. "Purified In Pain" is the perfect CD to listen to if your significant other has left you, your boss has chewed you out, you got cut off in traffic, your dog pissed on the carpet (again), your stock portfolio took a huge hit, or if life is generally just handing you a week's worth of shit in one lousy day.
Good tracks include "Broken," "Cyberwar," and "Open Season." Another song of note is "Lifestyles" which adds a Meshuggah-like influences to the already intense Damaged sound.
A decent cover of Terrorizer's "After World Obliteration" is included.
My major beef with "Purified In Pain" is the cover artwork. The artwork has pyramids and Egyptian statues which has nothing to do with the lyrics or anything else contained in the CD for that matter.
Metalcore fans will want to check out Damaged's "Purified In Pain."
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
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Copyright © 2002 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
