Yes, that 96 Quite Bitter Beings, CKY's best known song! Taking on its classic name to signify his artistic intent, Deron Miller went solo a year on from when his former band mates produced The Phoenix. Often credited as the brain child of Camp Kill Yourself's unique persona, my impression of CKY without him was an adequate one, yet with Camp Pain you firmly hear the creative source in action once again.
Although this record wanders into a few odd curiosities, acoustic tangents and Cavalcade Of Pervesion's odd sample snippets interchanging with a synth jam, its mostly a rocking set of songs. They firmly strike the charm that made CKY so charismatic and unique compared to other metallic Rock groups of the time.
Its oddities muddies the pacing, along with a brilliant cover of Micheal Jackson's classic Beat It. Not the first metallic cover, yet they nail it with attitude. Wedged in the middle, it breaks the albums tone as mood is suddenly shifted, rather than being a little icing on top nestled at the end of its runtime like a cover might normally be.
Not to dwell on its inadequacies, Deron's guitar style pairs wonderfully with starchy synths that boldly punch in tuneful contributions, as do his mingled lead and rhythm riffs that ebb and flow with groove and melody. Megadextria nails their early tone, vocals harmonizing with a breezy pace not found to often across its thirty minutes.
Deron's singing comes across a little rugged and aged in patches, not landing like it once would. The Whipping Hands is another track echoing former glory with memorable choppy, galloping melodic riffs, yet not firing on all cylinders. Ultimately, Camp Pain is solid, yet somewhat mixed in the shadow of legacy. It's well worth a listen however, plenty to be enjoyed between compositions less fruitful.
Rating: 6/10