The magic of music ... I think I can start my text almost like sighing after the hearing of the debut album by Italian Firenze band PAIN THERAPY, released on May 25, 2018 by Art Gates Records and arriving with an interesting proposal to merge Alternative Rock, Heavy Metal and salty pinches of Progressive, but with a dress that in my opinion can fit a wide audience, from those who like more romantic lines within the Metal even those habitual listeners of radio common Alternative Rock fans, so this is obviously the type of band with a letter up its sleeve.

I must confess that I needed to dig deeper into them and it's hilarious how everything falls on health issues, I can not imagine why (haha), I think I needed to find a little more about these guys when "I Hate Music" came out in my loudspeakers. Starting as a simple and slightly melancholic introduction to the song did not seem very promising for the beginning of the album, and then I asked myself "Who launches a debut with such a simple track opening the album and with the title "I Hate Music" "And what may seem like a stupid question is going to have an explanation when everything jumps in 'What Happened To My Mind' then you can hear a full band of energy firing a contagious loudness and I just love how they fit different elements. Well, we're not talking about pure metal but we're not talking about the commercial side of alternative rock either, we're talking about good riffs, swinging moments and melodies that clink in the mind immediately, and I'll probably keep the chorus in my head for a few days.

"Children Of Just War" again changes the aesthetics of the album bringing a little of that melancholy of introduction to corpulent bass lines and the vocal of Jacopo is a pleasant surprise, however much he sounds so young the kind that teenagers love he still manages to raise his tone in a grateful way while the guitars do an exquisite job around them. "This Is Your Song" and "'Gummo" are the Rock Alternative as it should really be done.  This may be ringing on your way to work without you having to be a Metal expert and please, but you can be a Metal lover and still be comfortable during the audition because as romanticized as these tracks seem all the context is excellent and the work of Fabio's battery fits everything wisely.

The interesting part about this band is that besides they work well the nuances of the style mentioned above they still manage to add many elements of the progressive so this leaves things really intriguing, especially in "King Of Love", and this can be a naive prediction but I think these musicians are the type that can easily impress us with each new release. But do not cling to the more energetic tracks of this album, at this point we arrive at "Sweet Journey" and with brief piano notes the band has its other facet and I am again impressed with the smooth and warm dexterity of the vocal of Jacopo that with violins in the background he stirs up a reflective feeling and his higher notes remind me of some Hard Rock vocalists of the 80's in the age of passionate ballads.'

You can keep this passionate mood going forward in "Run Baby Run", a song full of feeling, blues influences, creepy guitars and a perfect lyric for those who've missed a bit more romanticism in music lately.  Quality music as of these guys is undeniable so we are not talking about any other song.  The mix of elements and influences give this band a polished glow, and I can bet that every musician here has very different tastes but they know how to work this in their favor and the result is a unique band identity. I bet you're wondering where it's a bit more Progressive on this album, rest assured that "Imprisoned In Golden Cage" will kill your craving for it, and the instrumentation is gratifying here, and for a few moments the band creates an atmosphere totally different inside the album, I should not even be surprised at all because of all the work what more these musicians do is impress.

Here we are again with lines of guitar and a little melancholy in the final track of this work that ironically is called "I Love Music".  In its 1:51 minute, just like the introduction, so you realize that these guys make a fun and great trip during this album and I finish this review looking forward to hear what they are going to release next but pressing the play again. Charismatic, clever and deliciously well-crafted, this is Pain Therapy.