 In August 2006, Ryan Foley listed the single as #8 in his Top 10 list of Scottish punk singles in Stylus Magazine.Foley declared that ""“Pain” is thundering and thrashy, and heavily inspired by contemporary acts such as The Clash.Ure’s vocals on the chorus feature all the gusto of a medieval torturer, and are a far cry from the saccharine tunes he was doing just 18 months earlier" (in reference to Ure's vocal style in Slik)".