Pro-Pain
“Run for Cover”
(Spitfire Records)
Now in his thirties, vocalist/bassist Greg Meskil has become a bit nostalgic for all the bands and all the songs that shaped his punk, metal and hardcore life, resulting in a 14-song album of covers. Why? Because that’s what guys in their thirties do: remember the songs and all-ages shows from adolescence and the teen years and how absolutely fucking fun it was. In Meskil’s case, he grew up in Long Island, yearning to be a part of the burgeoning New York Hardcore scene, which happened with the Crumbsuckers in the early 80s.
You can say one thing; this guy paid his dues, always on the fringes with semi-successful hardcore, metallic-tinged bands. Pro-Pain are far from original (Biohazard retread, anyone?), but they picked classics to cover: Agnostic Front’s “Your Mistake,” Motorhead’s “Iron Fist,” Black Flag’s “Damaged II,” Operation Ivy’s “The Crowd.” These covers will never reach the original versions, particularly Slayer’s “South of Heaven,” but that doesn’t mean Pro-Pain do them a disservice. Rather, the album is a nice homage that’s meant to be purchased by only die-hard Pro-Pain fans.
