Age of Tyranny: The Tenth Crusade – Pro-Pain

George W. Bush may very well go down in history as one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States, but from an artistic/creative perspective, the Bush Administration turned out to be great for Pro-Pain. That is not to say that Pro-Pain's members are Bush supporters; to say that they absolutely loathe his policies would be an understatement. But the point is that Pro-Pain's music thrives on anger -- burning, seething anger -- and the George W. Bush era gave them a lot to be angry about. 2005's Prophets of Doom was full of blistering anti-Bush rants, which are also easy to find on the equally inspired and equally political Age of Tyranny: The Tenth Crusade. There are some politically minded artists who make their points in a subtle or even subliminal fashion, perhaps using double-entendres and forcing listeners to read between the lines. But there is nothing subtle about inflammatory tracks like "All for King George," "Iraqnam" and "Impeach, Indict, Imprison"; Pro-Pain leaves nothing to the imagination when it comes to lambasting neocons or criticizing the Bush Administration's disastrous bungling in Iraq. Of course, having political opinions doesn't mean much if one's music isn't good; the best political songs, whether they came from Public Enemy, Bob Dylan and the Sex Pistols on the left or Merle Haggard on the right, are musically solid regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with the artist's politics -- and one doesn't have to be in total agreement with Pro-Pain in order to appreciate Age of Tyranny on a musical level. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Pro-Pain's views, Age of Tyranny is an engaging and very focused addition to the catalog of these alternative metal/hardcore fire brands. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide