by Stewart Mason

The breathless full-length debut from Sweden's 59 Times the Pain suggests little of the melodic post-hardcore one would expect from a band named after a Hüsker Dü song. Indeed, More Out of Today sounds like the only Hüsker Dü this quartet's ever heard is the bash-it-out Land Speed Record, along with the usual Gorilla Biscuits and Sick of It All lifts so common to third-generation hardcore bands: hoarse, shouted vocals above hyperspeed unison guitar and bass riffs and rat-a-tat drumming. That said, however, 59 Times the Pain may not break out of the restrictions of its chosen genre, but on More Out of Today it handles said restrictions with a surprising amount of grace and humor. 59 Times the Pain fit in musically with the straight-edge movement, but its lyrics are refreshingly free of moralistic finger-pointing; songs like "To Me You're Dead" and "We're in, Now What?" actually show glimpses of humor. The album was belatedly released in the U.S. in 2002.