Trapt - Only Through The Pain

Genre hard rock Publisher Eleven Seven Music

Trapt's third studio album, Only Through The Pain, brings the band back to the same studio that produced their multi-million selling debut. Lead singer Chris Brown and bassist Peter Charell, however, are the only two remaining original members. Production-wise, it was a smart move. The mix is nothing less than spectacular. Vocals, drums, and layered guitar tracks flow effortlessly. In your face riffs and hard vocals that were present on earlier efforts have been replaced with smoother melodies, allowing for a broader appealing radio-friendly sound.

The first single, “Who’s Going Home With You Tonight?,” is one of the harder songs. The crisp distorted lingering guitar fades in and out of the spotlight, dropping the hammer just under Brown's lyrical retort to a cheating girlfriend. "Contagious" quickly follows, providing a more even keeled power sound with a decent chorus and well-balanced rhythm. This is one of the better tracks and provides a "what could have been" glimpse into the near future.

Sadly, most of the remaining tracks steer clear of the hard rock sound and move predominantly into ballads. Lost love, difficult relationships, and similar subject matter all follow the same predictable steps of many a '90s band before them. I'm sure they will be played on adult contemporary stations everywhere. "Ready When You Are," "Only One In Color," and "Black Rose" are all interchangeable and forgettable. The slow waning packaged "ballad of the week" is not something to expect from a band that has been producing music for a decade.

I would have all but write them off at this point, but a spark trickles down and starts a fire on "Curiosity Kills." Brown seems to be a better fit here, not having to do the slow ballad, nor trying to be an overpowerring lead. It plays much better to his strengths and puts the entire ensemble in a natural comfort zone. This sets up a nice transition into the last song "The Last Tear." It is not quite as slow and the other ballads and has a nice gritty bite. This plays quite well, providing an honest emotion that the other ballands could not quite find. Unfortunately, the record as a whole, is not sharp enough to break any skin.