Review by Michael on June 8, 2002.

Welcome to Pain Part II: "Nothing Remains the Same". This is a great metal/industrial album full of crunching guitars, smooth sampling and catchy vocal lines. The only issue with Pain Part II is that it sounds almost exactly the same as Pain Part I. Some say that when you are on to something good then stick with it, Peter must have listened very closely indeed...

If anything, "Nothing Remains the Same" is more pop-oriented than "Rebirth" with a good number of the songs leaning towards the lighter side with simple yet catchy hooks throughout. Orchestral instruments have also been used a lot more, adding a new more rounded sound to the existing format being used. Obviously when I say 'pop' I'm not relating Pain to Backstreet, but more along the lines of Bjork. We are definitely seeing a new softer more melodic side to Peter with Pain; obviously Hypocrisy is enough of an anger release for him. This album is a very pleasant change to unwind to after listening to death metal all day.

The production on this CD is absolutely flawless. Peter's talent in this field is equal to or even better than his musical ability. The mixes are not unlike those made famous by the one and only Devin Townsend. They are basically huge with so many things going on all the time, but mixed beautifully so everything is in its own frequency range hence creating space that should be there; a feat in itself. The man is certainly talented. Most of the sounds on "Nothing Remains the Same" are very similar to "Rebirth". The drums, guitars and bass are all basically the same. But since then, obvious refinements have been made to the overall sound. The keyboard samples sit a lot higher in the mix and the introduction of the classical instrumentation really opens the whole thing up.

Bottom Line: Even though "Nothing Remains the Same" is an ironic title, this is still a great CD that’s an easy listen. It is brilliantly arranged and perfectly produced, definitely one for the collection.

Categorical Rating Breakdown:

Originality: 6.5
Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 10
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.1 out of 10