Shaded Pain is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Lifesavers Underground

Lifesavers Underground

Lifesavers Underground was one of many Michael Knott projects. The band formed in 1986 and combined elements of an earlier Knott project called Idle Lovell and LSU's sunnier alter ego Lifesavers....

, released in 1987 on Frontline Records. A much different effort from their other releases before or since, Shaded Pain took a more darker gothic rock

Gothic rock

Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...

direction from their previous pop punk sound, and features bleak, death-obsessed lyrics. Although misunderstood by many critics at the time, the album has attained a status of a cult classic. Later, the critics consider the album to be the band's finest effort and one of the best albums of the year it was released.

Recording

Produced by Chris Brigandi, featuring dark post-punk guitars with raw, echoed chords, rich soundscapes, and introspective, death-obsessed lyrics, the album created a controversy when it was released: listeners expecting a more happy-sounding punk rock album were horrified by the dark output, resulting with enormous amounts of the album being returned to the record company. Shaded Pain instead recalls the same sort of hollow, threatening darkness. Michael Knott's vocals combine styles from possessed howling ato shrieking through driving songs such as “Die Baby Die” and moaning like a "prophet of doom" in the chilling “Bye Bye Colour.” There is no much absolution on Shaded Pain, just endless emptiness. Even the up-tempo “Our Time Has Come” is built around the grim chorus: “Our time has come to kiss the cleaver.” Despite this, the record still sounds like a burst of creative energy, Brian Doidge’s guitar screaming like a rabid swine and Knott’s haunting voice is the embodiment of regret and self-loathing.

Track listing

All songs written by Michael Knott, except where stated otherwise

1. "Jordan River" (3:55)
2. "Bye Bye Colour" (4:02)
3. "Die Baby Die" (2:25)
4. "Lonely Boy" (Knott, Doidge) (3:49)
5. "Our Time has Come" (3:37)
6. "Tether to Tassel" (3:36)
7. "I'm Torn" (3:52)
8. "Plague of Flies" (Knott, Doidge, Lee) (1:27)
9. "More to Life" (Knott, Doidge) (3:39)
10. "Shaded Pain" (4:10)

Personnel

• Michael Knott - Vocals and 3 keyboard parts; cover art and all paintings
• Kevin Lee - Drums and cymbals
• Brian Doidge - Less Paul gold top, Ibanez 12 string acoustic, Yamaha 6 string acoustic, and a black bass
• Bridgett Knott - Vocals on "Jordan River" & "Lonely Boy"