Alcatraz Line up: 2018, 2022

Few bands are as adept at building a bridge between hardcore and metal as Pro-Pain. These American crossover legends burst upon the scene in 1991 and they’re still going strong. The first three studio albums (‘Foul Taste of Freedom’, ‘The Truth Hurts’ and ‘Contents under Pressure’) have meanwhile attained classic status and their more recent work is as relevant as ever, even if their last full length dates back to 2015. Most of their songs are built on a hardcore foundation although ‘Act of God’ and ‘Round 6’ show a slight change of course with more immediate song structures that dial back the hardcore content in favour of a gut-wrenching thrash/groove attack. Pro-Pain are also known for their hard-hitting lyrics. Hardcore bands in general don’t care too much for governments as they blame them for many of the ills that plague modern-day society. Thirty plus years after their inception Pro-Pain are as pissed off as ever. Timeless crossover with a capital C.