CD, Cop International, 2001
www.copint.com
Scott Sturgis, the person responsible for Pain Station, might well be one sick son of a bitch. That or he’s a nice person using music as an outlet for his negative feelings.
That’s what this album feels like: an introspective musical exercise of catharsis for the musician and self-oppression for the listener through a brilliant expression of isolation, despair, hatred, contempt and calm rage at the world through claustrophobic musical atmospheres, obsessive droning rhythms and haunting vocals seething with contempt and rage.
The lyrics, when taken on their own, might seem somewhat like naïve angst; however, when taken in musical context, they become fully adequate in expressing the feelings conveyed by the music, no matter how simplistic and stereotypical the language used.
Sadly, “Dead is Dead” is supposed to be Pain Station’s final release. However, Mr. Sturgis is also responsible for the projects Converter and Xenonics K-30 (on the Ant-Zen and Ad Noiseam labels respectively), projects which may well be more damaging to your hearing (and eventually mental health) than Pain Station.
[8/10]
— Miguel de Sousa