Painmuseum

"Metal" Mike Chlasciak made a name for himself a few years ago, becoming the lead guitarist for Rob Halford's solo band, essentially helping Rob find his metal roots and, eventually, his way back to Judas Priest. He's also spent some touring time with Testament and others, but his main band is Painmuseum, who released Metal For Life in 2004 and an EP a year later. A cross between traditional metal, thrash, and some Pantera-esque aggressiveness, this is clearly a showcase for Chlasciak, and addditionally one would be hard pressed to find a more talented rhythm section than Steve DiGiorgio and Bobby Jarzombek, both of whom have played on multitudes of albums over the years. Tim Clayborne is the wild card here, as his roars and shrieks are at times at odds with the more traditional power/thrash tunes, though at other times he proves himself more than adequate. He's a capable vocalist, no question, but arguably not a perfect fit for this band. Assuming that Chlasciak can keep this group together as a real band rather than hired guns, there's potential here. Though Metal For Life suffers at times from a lack of memorable riffs and songs, it's still a fine first effort, and a further testament to Metal Mike's guitar skills.

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Discography

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