How many times have you reached to a certain point, that you just can't label the music you're listening? The same thing happened to me with JAM PAIN SOCIETY. These guys (and one girl) from North Carolina can mix many styles of Rock and Metal from Alternative to Classic Rock and from melodic to aggressive Metal. Black Light Messiah is already out in Europe and waits its US release on August 12th.

I just can't resist to a female singer that can rock that good as Leah Kirby can. This girl is going to stay in Rock music business for a long time, with many old-school twists in her voice and screams. Leah marks AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST as her influences (probably the dream girl for every metalhead). The man behind the curtain is Chris Hill, who is the main songwriter, guitarist and producer of Black Light Messiah. Chris is heavily influenced by KISS and LED ZEPPELIN and those influences are printed upon the final result of this album. The band has a strong taste and reminds me a lot of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, mostly with the drop-D/heavy/Les Paul guitar sound that Zakk Wylde has as his trademark and I do not think it's a coincidence that the word messiah is in the title of this album (remember Suicide Messiah from BLACK LABEL SOCIETY?).

Strong, heavy guitar riffs and Leah's voice are two things that mark the sound of JAM PAIN SOCIETY, along with their strange lineup.  Born from a desire to fill the space between the bass and guitar in different ways depending on the song, and after a bit of a fluke and lots of experimentation, JAM PAIN SOCIETY has established a very unique two-bass-player lineup. Matt Frederick (ex-DRILL 187) holds down the bottom with a solid precision and tone, while six-string bassist and Chapman Stick player Greg Putnam covers that big space between Matt's bass and the guitar.

Black Light Messiah has another big thing to display. Legendary original KISS guitar player Ace Frehley is offering his unique style and sound in the song The Ride. Working with Ace was a blast and a bit surreal, according to Chris. Suddenly, the guy who made me want to pick up a guitar in the first place is asking me if that last take 'sounded okay'. Are you kidding me?. Indeed Ace's guitar playing is so obvious on this song that makes The Ride the greatest moment of this album by far.

JAM PAIN SOCIETY is a band that is here to stay. Black Light Messiah is the album that has a potent blend of Hard Rock, Metal, Industrial, even Funk. The outstanding performance of Leah Kirby surely will make you realize that the girl can really rock. And, of course, the participation of Ace Frehley in this album is something that all KISS fanatics (like myselsf) should check out.