The Pain Machinery is an electro-punk outfit from Sweden mixing the raw intesity of punk rock with the chaotic electronics of early industrial and EBM like Skinny Puppy, SPK, and DAF. Consisting of Anders Karlsson and vocalist Jonas Hedberg, the project has been around since the early 90s, and recently released a sixth album, Surveillance Culture, on Complete Control Productions.

Surveillance Culture is a decidedly more stripped-down, raw affair than previous albums- the layers of synths and drums are pulled back, and cleaner, clearer vocal melodies and almost tribal beats the driving force for the majority of the songs, and nowhere more apparent than on songs like 'Playground' and 'Shine.' The result is a more old school EBM feel, where hypnotic drum beats, thick bass lines, and powerful vocals combine to draw the listener in and drive home TPM's message. While the most immediate comparisons are to Front 242 or Nitzer Ebb (especially 'Armed!' and 'Hell'), this act draws from influences as diverse as New Beat and The Human League (think 'The Grudge')- all coming to the forefront at some point on the record, making it probably their most melodic and accessible offering yet.

Lyrically and thematically, the songs tread much the same territory as previous TPM albums like Hostile and Urban Survival. But Surveillance Culture sees TPM exploring these themes-paranoia, concern with increasing government control, loss of personal liberties, and greed- within the context of an increasingly overshadowing Orwellian nightmarish landscape. “You want hard cash- what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt” Hedberg sings in 'Hard Cash;' and “Toil, sweat, work your ass off for approval- failure to comply will result in quick removal” in 'Playground.'

One of my main criticisms of the album is that with the songs being so similarly bare and to the point, it starts to sound the same after awhile; others may find the topics of discussion a bit too preachy after a few songs. But criticisms aside, Surveillance Culture is a stunningly raw and addictive album, full of catchy melodies, dancey rhythm and pure anarcho-electronic soul.