A Different Kind Of Painby Cold

With catchy songs and not as heavy as previous releases, A Different Kind Of Pain, in my opinion delivers a well produced album. I think it also has more to offer than their previous works. Although not perfect, from start to finish there’s a song that is just as catchy as the next and probably easier to listen to more often than other releases. Sure the sound on this one has gotten lighter but that doesn’t mean it’s not as good as anything else. This is worth listening to and you can’t stop at just one or two songs, you’ll end up listening your way through it all again and again because it is worth doing so. Some might say not as good but I say it is as good as anything else Cold has done before.

My first impression upon a deeper examination of Cold's music is that they're too religious. Lots of lyrics about god, Jesus, sin, angels, songs that are basically prayers, and it makes them seem really disingenuous. I wish they'd be more creative instead of leaning on these hackneyed cliches.

In terms of this album specifically, I'm going to stick to reviewing the songs I do enjoy.

"Feel it in Your Heart" - I really like this. It's heartfelt, genuine and original. Near as I can tell, it's about a relationship that's not working, maybe because the people involved have grown apart, but there's a desperate struggle to preserve or save the connection because being alone is (or seems like it would be) worse. If I could offer one criticism here, it's that they rely on the chorus too much, especially considering it doesn't really have much of a hook.

"A Different Kind of Pain" - I personally don't like to listen to this song very much, but that's not to say I wouldn't recommend it to someone else. It's just a little too close to home for me. But it's well-written and blends piano with heavy electric guitar pretty nicely. The melody is decently captivating (though far from absolute genius) and would be enough to keep me interested if circumstances were different.

"When Angels Fly Away" - This song has strength, even if (once again) they're still using the crutch of references to religious entities as a way to hook people. The chorus is strong, if depressing, and once I get rid of the bad taste in my mouth, the sound is pretty good too. The guitars are heavy enough to get me excited without being too abrasive if I'm not in a "totally raucous music" kind of mood. I also love the guitar solo and the lead-guitar's contribution to the choruses.

"Check, Please..." - One of the album's bonus tracks, which at the moment that I write this, MP3Caprice has listed as "Wasted Years (Piano Version.)" This is a great song, accessible and inspiring, especially if you enjoy the darker, muddier sounds. It's emotionally turbulent, but listening to it doesn't depress me.

"Wasted Years (Piano Version)" - Another bonus track. I prefer the acoustic guitar version of this, which I find better expresses the somber retrospection of the song. However, this version is good too. It lends itself to the attainment of a slightly different perspective on the song, which is neat. The more intricate way that the piano moves complements the song nicely and even brings a stronger emotional reaction for me in some places than the acoustic guitar in the album version, which is on "Year of the Spider."

Overall I give this three out of five stars. It's got a good-few real keepers, and a few "Oh my gods, did he really just say that...