Lifesavors Underground | Shaded Pain

Michael Knott decides to go for a darker sound and changes the name of his band from Lifesavers to Lifesavers Underground (L.S.U.). This is THE classic Knott album. Michael has gone on to bigger and better things since this, but this is the place where he stepped out of the constraints of CCM music and began doing what he wanted to. Shaded Pain is dark, honest and realistic about the struggles that Christians face in life. This type of brutal reality was unheard of in Christian music at the time it came out. Shaded Pain changed all of that as it influenced countless bands to be real with thier lives – not just give cookie-cutter ansswers for all of life’s problems.The music was also a huge leap forward for Michael, as Shaded Pain found him going loud and intense, as well as modern and current. Classic album, although still fairly obscure.

“Lonely Boy” is a song about bass player Brian Doidge, and Knott even painted him in the re-issue artwork paintings.

Other information:
Re-released in 1993 on Metro One Records with a slightly different cover and extra artwork.

Ojo Taylor recently told a story about how the distinct background vocals in the intro to “Bye Bye Colour” are actually Terry Scott Taylor. While recording the album, Doug Doyle found a digital sample of vocals that Knott liked and wanted to use in the song. They debated how to use and credit a digital sample, so they just used it without telling anyone. Until 2024, Terry had no idea that they had used it.


Lifesavors Underground - Shaded Pain (cover front) Lifesavors Underground - Shaded Pain (cover back) Lifesavors Underground - Shaded Pain (vinyl side 1) Lifesavors Underground - Shaded Pain (vinyl side 2)

Label: Frontline Records
Format: Vinyl, Cassette
Released: 1987
Genre: Gothic / Alternative Rock
Producer: Chris Brigandi
Re-Issue: CD, Cassette; 1993 Metro One Records
Michael Knott: Vocals and 3 keyboard parts; cover art and all paintings
Brian Doidge: Less Paul gold top, Ibanez 12 string acoustic, Yamaha 6 string acoustic, and a black bass
Kevin Lee: Drums and cymbals
Bridgett Knott: Vocals on “Jordan River” & “Lonely Boy”
Terry Scott Taylor: Digitally Sampled Vocals on “Bye Bye Colour”
01) Jordan River 3:55 Knott  
02) Bye Bye Colour 4:02 Knott  
03) Die Baby Die 2:25 Knott  
04) Lonely Boy 3:49 Knott, Doidge  
05) Our Time has Come 3:37 Knott  
06) Tether to Tassel 3:36 Knott  
07) I’m Torn 3:52 Knott  
08) Plague of Flies 1:27 Knott, Doidge, Lee  
09) More to Life 3:39 Knott, Doidge  
10) Shaded Pain 4:10 Knott Re-recorded as “A Shade of Pain” on PTSD

Other Images

Lifesavors Underground - Shaded Pain cassette cover Lifesavors Underground - Shaded Pain cassette re-issue Lifesavors Underground - Shaded Pain re-issue art


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Older comments on “Lifesavors Underground – Shaded Pain”

  1. Tommyb on September 24, 2009 at 06:38 am said:

    This album rocks!!

  2. TopekaRoy on October 15, 2010 at 01:57 pm said:

    This is my favorite Lifesavors/Lifesavers/LSU album. At the time it came out it was light years ahead of anything Christian bands were doing. This is a “must have” for any Michael Knott/Lifesavers fan.

  3. DonkeyBoy on May 12, 2015 at 09:14 am said:

    What a great record. “More to Life” is the perfect song, but there’s so many great tracks. So good.

One thought on “Lifesavors Underground | Shaded Pain

  1. Masterpiece from start to finish. Not just one of the best Christian albums I’ve ever heard, but one of the best alternative albums ever, period. I was a latecomer to L.S.U. (I discovered them retroactively through name checks by Jason Martin of Starflyer 59 and Knott’s T&N release, Strip Cycle). Misunderstood by so many in mainstream CCM, Shaded Pain is the epitome of the term “pioneering.” Yes, the music and lyrics are dark (at least on the surface). Those willing to dig a little deeper will find a lot of hope and Christian themes in Knott’s words.

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