Good things come to those who wait. Could there be a more telling opening sentence as to how this review will go? It's been eleven years since Pro-Pain released their last album, "Voice Of Rebellion," which is quite a surprise given how prolific they were for so long. Whatever the reason, Gary Meskil and company are back for their sixteenth studio outing, "Stone Cold Anger," which certainly lives up to the name

"Stone Cold Anger" wastes absolutely no time getting started, as "Oceans Of Blood" gets the ball rolling with a swirling riff, custom made for circle pits. It's not anything new, but it doesn't need to be when the song is simply really good hardcore. It's the first of several catchy songs on the record and features one of the best guitar solos out of the ten tracks on offer. Such is the case for a few other songs here, such as "Hell Or Highwater," which is pretty typical of the genre, but the rhythm is what takes centre stage. Meanwhile, "Scorched Earth" is the kind of track that focuses on the side of hardcore that gets the room bouncing and jumping. I've singled these tracks out not because there's anything wrong with them, but because they're good examples of how sometimes the music just needs to be straight forward.

There are some more upbeat and lively songs present too. Perhaps one of the best servings of this is the closing number, "Sky's The Limit," which manages to be very heavy, but also quite uplifting and positive, focusing on the tried and true subject of self-belief. Elsewhere, "Uncle Sam Wants You!" is another highlight, providing a lot of fun musically and serves as something of an anthem, while "Rinse & Repeat" has a wonderful feeling of liberation to it. There's plenty of aggression on the latter track too, but like all the songs here, it avoids falling into the traps that so many hardcore bands do, such as focusing too much on the macho presentation.

All in all, it's a little hard to go into a lot of detail when it comes to the music of "Stone Cold Anger." There's nothing here that needs to be put under a microscope and studied, but what you do get is an album that delivers exactly what you want. It's a lot of fun, but it takes itself seriously. It's aggressive, but there's no posturing. What the album represents is a band once again ready to tell the world what they think of its bullshit, and channels the rage that society causes every one of us into music that's as perfect for protests as it is gym sessions or stress relief. It's great to have new Pro-Pain music because they really are a law unto themselves. They're ready to remind everyone why they've achieved such success and why an absence can be a good thing, if it means they can recharge their batteries and release something this strong.