Saying Peter Tägtgren is an influential figure in the heavy metal scene feels like an understatement. The Swedish musician is renowned for his versatile talents. With his project “Pain,” Tägtgren expanded the boundaries of industrial metal, successfully blending metal with electronic elements. He’s also known for his death metal project “Hypocrisy,” where his aggressive vocals and technical skills have cemented his place in the metal world.

Besides his musical ventures, Peter is a well-known producer. His “The Abyss” studio has worked with many famous bands, from Amon Amarth and Children of Bodom to Marduk, Immortal, Sabaton, and Overkill. He even teamed up with Rammstein’s vocalist Till Lindemann to form the band “Lindemann.”

Today, we’re here to take a closer look at Pain’s eighth and latest album, “Coming Home,” released in 2016.

The opening track, “Designed To Piss You Off,” greets us with a simple country riff. The song features a catchy chorus supported by straightforward riffs. While it grabs your attention, it feels somewhat lacking as an opening track.

Moving on to “Call Me,” the most streamed song from the album, we encounter a rather underwhelming opening riff. Thankfully, an impressive orchestral arrangement comes to the rescue, adding depth to the track. Sabaton’s Joakim Brodén’s guest vocals bring another layer to the melody, but the lyrical content feels weak, making the song feel shallow overall.

“A Wannabe” slows things down a bit and includes some of the best orchestral elements on the album.

“Pain In The Ass” grabs my attention with its bass sound in the intro. The song talks about “big breasts from Africa” and “anal sex,” which might amuse many industrial metal listeners. While these lyrics can be entertaining, especially for Rammstein fans, the overall lyrical content of the album feels lacking, prompting me to ask Peter Tägtgren, “Are these really your best lyrics?”

Next up is my personal favorite, “Black Knight Satellite.” This song revolves around the popular myth and conspiracy theory among space enthusiasts. Peter’s evident interest in such theories shines through, making the song enjoyable. Releasing it as a single before the album dropped shows his confidence in it. It’s a track I thoroughly enjoy from start to finish.

The title track, “Coming Home,” starts with a soft yet pleasant acoustic guitar melody, followed by Peter’s more sensitive and emotional vocals compared to the rest of the album. It’s clear he wanted to convey something personal with this song, and he did a commendable job.

“Absinthe Phoenix Rising” has a confident opening but fails to maintain its impact. Coming after two strong tracks, it feels forgettable and distant from the industrial metal style of the rest of the album.

“Final Crusade” seems like a filler track, included just to round out the album to ten songs.

Just when you think the album is over, “Natural Born Idiot” bursts in with an intoxicating riff. It feels like a scene from an Exorcist film where a demon, unable to withstand industrial metal, is subdued by a priest playing this song. The track has an industrial soundscape and becomes epic towards the end with female backing vocals, aiming to end the album on a high note.

Despite everything, “Starseed” deserves applause. It slowly builds up an atmosphere before Peter’s soft and sensitive vocals kick in. He touches on significant topics about the universe, and as the song progresses, these themes are backed by a powerful orchestral arrangement.

Peter Tägtgren’s rich musical talents are undeniable. His production skills shine throughout the album. Despite its bright moments and significant influence on the industrial style, the album overall feels insufficient.

The album cover, designed by Stefann Heilemann, reflects the album’s complexity and gives a glimpse of the lyrical content, though it didn’t particularly captivate me aesthetically.

I’m convinced that shouting “big breasts from Africa” at the IF Beşiktaş concert on November 29 will be fun. With such a storied music career and versatile talents, I believe every metal music fan should see Peter Tägtgren live at least once.