Same Kind of Music

After surviving several band members changes (most notably losing guitarist Terry Balsamo to rival nu-metal band Evanescence), and a major label drop, Cold return on their fourth outing with A Different Kind of Pain. While often being criticized as generic nu-metal, Cold actually manage something slightly different on this album: generic nu-metal with syrupy ballads for the Hot Topic generation to enjoy.While the sound comes through with clear production, the songs themselves lack true emotional or tonal power. Despite the few brief interesting pieces of music (the opening riffs of the album), and the several shockingly marginally attention holding songs (the trio of “When Heaven’s Not Far Away,” “God’s Song,” and “When Angels Fly Away”), the rest of the album drones on, with pseudo-intelligent “atmosphere” and a sound that would make the members of Korn blush.

Every song on the album, with the aforementioned exceptions, barely make a dent in the consciousness, going in one ear and out the other. Cold risks nothing and settles on stalwarts to make the album possible. Take every nu-metal band you’ve heard, add marginally more piano, and do away with any pretension of always being ”heavy” and you have A Different Kind of Pain.

While some nu-metal bands have released atrociously bad albums and others have released surprisingly good albums, Cold seems content to merely release average ones, barely being able to make songs stand out on a single disc, let alone across their catalogue, or worse, the whole of the music community. While the potential is definitely there, being “moody and introspective” forces the hope to the back and puts a leash on their creativity.