Conor Fynes
'Ashes' - Pain Of Salvation (N/A)
I remember long ago before I was even a fan of the band, I listened to this song (and watched the accompanying video) and a definate impression was left on me. The gothic atmosphere, the vocal power and the interesting instrumentation made for a very good first impression.
Upon investigating the musical annals of 'The Perfect Element,' I was suprised to see that 'Ashes' was in fact one of the weaker tracks on the album. It remains however, a great, doomy track.
Onto the EP itself, it feels a bit unnecessary for a song from 'One Hour By The Concrete Lake' to be here, but at the same time, I suppose it doesn't hurt to have extra material here. The two separate versions of 'Ashes' are not remarkably different, but as always, the album version is superior. And lastly, the track 'Used' is a great one, with a stunning chorus.
With all of that in mind, I would say it's a pretty good package, eh? Not necessary purchasing (and always better to buy the actual album) but if only for the unique album art, it's a pretty decent buy for a Pain of Salvation fan, or even someone just getting into the music of this remarkable band.