Peter Tägtgren started playing drums at the age of 9 and later learned to play guitar, bass and keyboard. After he’s first band Conquest disbanded, he went to the United States where he became part of the death metal scene, participating in practice sessions with Malevolent Creation’s guitarist, Phil Fasciana. After spending three years in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Tägtgren moved back to Sweden in 1990, he formed the band Hypocrisy, at this time a one-man project, and played all instruments himself. Get the attention and signed a recording contract with Nuclear Blast and since released eleventh studio albums. Although Hypocrisy is his main focus, he has also worked on many other Swedish metal projects. These include PAIN (industrial metal), for which he performs all instruments and vocals and composes all songs, Lock Up (grindcore/death metal), in which he was the vocalist, The Abyss (black metal), where he performed drums, bass and vocals, War (black metal), where he performed drums, and most recently Bloodbath (death metal), also with him on vocals. He also appeared as a live guitarist for the bands Marduk and E-Type.
Peter Tägtgren operate his own recording studio The Abyss where many important albums by leading metal bands were born. Tägtgren worked with bands such as Hypocrisy, Marduk, Dimmu Borgir, Setherial, Dark Funeral, Therion, Love Like Blood, Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, Dark Funeral, Destruction, Dark Funeral, Old Man’s Child, Immortal, Rotting Christ, Enslaved, Shining, Grave, Celtic Frost, Overkill, Loudblast and many others, and most recently on Septic Flesh “The Great Mass”.
He’s project baptized Pain and typeset as PAIN was formed in 1996 as a hobby project and the idea was to fuse metal with 1980’s-inspired electro-industrial and techno influences, mentioned as one influence to start the project Fear Factory’s 1992 album “Soul of a New Machine.”
“You Only Live Twice” is the seventh album by this project, Peter Tägtgren plays vocals and all instruments in the studio, live he’s supported by David Wallin on drums (since 2003), Michael Bohlin on guitar (since 2007) and Johan Husgafvel on bass (since 2007).
In the manner of the best Swedish vein, once again, Peter Tägtgren wrote a couple of huge songs. Actually if we took off all the electronica and industrial-like modern sounds, “You Only Live Twice” could be a powerful, 80s sound-like Heavy Metal album full of crushing anthems. “Feed The Demons”, “The Great Pretender”, “You Only Live Twice”, “Dirty Woman”, “We Want More” or “Monster”, are all great, anthematic songs filled with cutting riffs and extremely singable and unforgettable choruses.
Bang your head, you only live twice!
PAIN – Official Site
PAIN @ MySpace
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSdFFougjr0&w=500&h=305]
Just a correction. David Wallin is playing drums on the album, not Peter as written in the review.
Really sorry – it seems I’ve got wrong info from somewhere. Thanks.