Swedish industrial metal band PAIN have returned with a new single, “I Don’t Give A Fukk,” a compact three-minute blast of mechanized aggression, electronic rhythms and Peter Tägtgren’s unmistakable vocals.
Co-written by Tägtgren and his son, PAIN drummer Sebastian Tägtgren, the track follows the band’s ninth studio album, I Am, and continues the pair’s growing creative partnership.
Built around grinding guitars, a relentless electronic pulse and a blunt, chant-ready refrain, “I Don’t Give A Fukk” channels frustration with political theater, manipulation, distrust and competing versions of reality. Rather than attempting to provide answers, the song embraces disillusionment and offers a defiant refusal to participate in the surrounding noise.
“I’m really curious to see how people react, and I’m stoked about the new single,” Peter Tägtgren says. “As most of you know, I always try not to repeat myself, and this time I’m sure people will be wondering, ‘What the hell is going on?’ Sebastian and I wrote the song together, and lyrically I’m throwing my view of the world and of the last ten years right in your face. Hold on tight and get ready to smile.”
The collaboration builds on Sebastian Tägtgren’s increasingly prominent role within PAIN. On 2024’s I Am, he wrote the music for “Revolution” and “Don’t Wake The Dead” and also served as a co-producer.
Founded by Peter Tägtgren in the 1990s as an outlet for musical ideas that fell outside the boundaries of his death metal band HYPOCRISY, PAIN has spent nearly three decades combining metal with industrial electronics, synthesizers, massive hooks and Tägtgren’s dark sense of humor.
The project’s self-titled debut arrived in 1997, followed by albums including Rebirth, Nothing Remains the Same, Dancing with the Dead, Psalms of Extinction, Cynic Paradise, You Only Live Twice and Coming Home. Along the way, songs such as “Shut Your Mouth,” “Same Old Song,” “Follow Me” and “Party in My Head” became staples of the band’s catalog.
PAIN returned from an eight-year gap between studio albums with I Am in May 2024. The record moved between industrial aggression, synth-pop, heavy grooves and melody through tracks including “Go With The Flow,” “Push The Pusher,” “Revolution” and the title track.
Now, “I Don’t Give A Fukk” pushes PAIN into another deliberately provocative corner while maintaining the unpredictability that has defined Tägtgren’s project from the beginning.
PAIN lineup
Peter Tägtgren — Vocals, Guitar
Sebastian Tägtgren — Drums
Jonathan Olsson — Bass
Sebastian Svalland — Guitar