PAIN To Record Album Of Covers

Sweden's PAIN, the band led by acclaimed metal producer and HYPOCRISY frontman Peter Tägtgren, are currently in the studio recording a full-length album of covers, due in the spring through Stockholm Records. Among the tracks that are set to be included on the effort are the band's (presumably) metallized versions of such mainstream selections as THE BEATLES' "I Am The Walrus", ULTRAVOX's "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes", and JOHNNY CASH's "Ring Of Fire".

"My A&R representative at Stockholm Records, David Mortimer-Hawkins, is always saying to me, 'This song you've gotta do a cover of' when we're out drinking at bars," Tägtgren told Sweden's Close-Up magazine. "You think certain songs are so incredible when you are intoxicated. When we were out separately, we started sending text messages over the cell phone suggesting different songs. David has compiled all of these and put them in a computer in a big file labeled 'drunken covers.'"

PAIN have thus far completed nine songs for the group's next studio album, to be recorded before the summer.

Of the new material, Peter said, "It's more meaty, groovy and more 'nu-metal' [than the previous albums] — like KORN when they are at their absolutely heaviest. It will still sound like PAIN, [but it will be] heavier and more brutal with an updated sound, [featuring] drum loops and the type of synthesizer sounds that are bordering on hip hop. But don't worry — I won't start rapping."

In other news, Tägtgren is currently pitching musical ideas to Swedish techno artist RICHI M (a.k.a. Richard Moldovan),who has released three successful full-length albums through Stockholm dance subsidiary Fluid Records. In addition, "I've also given H.I.M. a song, but the singer, Ville Valo, thought it sounded too much like [previous] H.I.M. [material]," Peter explained. "They are apparently gonna change course with their next album."