Shaded Pain is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Lifesavers Underground (LSU), released in 1987 on Frontline Records.
A much different effort from their other releases before or since, Shaded Pain took a darker gothic rock direction from their previous pop punk sound, and features bleak, death-obsessed lyrics.
[2] Produced by Chris Brigandi and engineered by Ojo Taylor, 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.
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.