It's 2021 and a pandemic is strangling the world - and no one seems to be having fun. Seemingly tireless music freak Peter Tägtgren couldn't care less as he hits the jackpot with - pardon the harsh language – a fucking catchy... well, party anthem. We are of course talking about the song ‘Party in My Head’ by Tägtgren's synth-infused metal project PAIN.

"I don't really know what it is about ‘Party in My Head’ that made - still makes - people go crazy for it... But what I do know for sure is that the song has already been enjoyed millions and millions of times. The numbers are pretty crazy!"

"Of course, PAIN is no stranger to writing danceable and catchy, albeit metallic shit... It's always been in the DNA of this project. But let's face it: if the world really needs 'party anthems' from a cynical geezer like me, something's seriously wrong", Peter laughs.

Our beloved planet may be screwed, but there still doesn't seem to be much wrong in PAIN's world as 2024 ticks fast on the calendar. There simply can't be, because PAIN's eagerly awaited new studio album “I Am” is soon here - yes, after eight years of devoted waiting.

"The previous record “Coming Home” came out in 2016 - and of course there was a tour after that. In 2019, I released an album called “F & M” with Rammstein singer Till Lindemann, a project I left in 2020. In 2021, it was time for my death metal band Hypocrisy to get active with a new album “Worship” - and of course we toured again. If that wasn't enough, let's add that there was a studio album with Joe Lynn Turner in 2022... In other words: the last eight years have passed in the blink of an eye", Peter sighs.

"After all this, it was the perfect time for PAIN to go full force again. I felt excited to say the least. Needless to say, the success of ‘Party in My Head’ gave the album process an explosive start!"

Let's get one thing straight: the powerful-sounding “I Am” is truly a versatile - if not the most versatile - musical missile in PAIN's rich discography. The new songs go everywhere with heavy industrial riffs, haunting melancholic vibes and groove-filled rhythms - without forgetting surprises, of course.

"There's no boundaries with PAIN. I just get an interesting idea for a song and along the way it can turn into anything. Sometimes I also like to deliberately surprise people by following an exciting musical path where unexpected things happen", Peter describes.

"If I had one big goal this time, it was to add more intensity and edge to the songs. “Coming Home” turned out great, but looking back now, I was maybe a little too deep into my 'David Bowie worship' with the orchestral stuff and the acoustic guitars. This time around, I definitely wanted more tempo, aggressiveness and an industrial atmosphere. Going back towards the old times of PAIN? Maybe a bit..."

“I Am” is also more of a family affair than ever before.

"My son Sebastian - also a PAIN drummer - wrote the music of ‘Revolution’ and ‘Don't Wake the Dead’. These absorbing songs add width to an already versatile album."

"All in all, completing “I Am” required a lot of composing, writing, thinking, experimenting, doing and re-doing. It was a long and sometimes challenging process, but never painful!"

Speaking of surprises... What song will give fans the biggest wow effect this time?

"It must be ‘Go With the Flow’. I dare to insist that when it starts rolling, even the deep connoisseurs of PAIN music are wondering what the heck is going on here. I would say it's my 'Depeche Mode in the 80s' song'", Peter laughs.

"Lyrically, ‘Go With the Flow’ represents a slightly brighter moment in the darkness. I always tend to think that everything is going to hell, but with this song I tell myself, 'come on dude, let things be for once and go with the flow'."

There may be these rare rays of light from the beacon, but darkness still prevails.

"The album's title track starts with the line 'there's no hope in the valley of death'. And if I look at the lyrics, I could dig up a lot other examples of similar sinister moods. But hey, a sarcastic guy like me and such gloomy times we live in... Are you expecting some sunny faces here?"

Well, sunny or not, PAIN is going to be busy for the foreseeable future.

"There will be a lot of touring to support the record. Summer festivals, extensive tours here and there and more", Peter says.

"And what about the future anyway? Ask me again in eight years and there have been a few studio albums from different bands, a lot of gigs and something else. Yes, I am what "I Am"...".