Pain of Salvation was founded in 1984, by the eleven years old Daniel Gildenlöw, in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Every album released thus far has been a concept album; from Remedy Lane (2002) to The Perfect Element, Part I (2000) and In the Passing Light of Day (2017), the band has released a multitude of albums in the progressive metal genre. However, their most ambitious effort to date - that is BE (2004) - transcends any genre. It is not only a great musical experience but a major crack at ideology and philosophy. To be blunt, BE is Pain of Salvation's masterpiece, but it is also a very challenging and rewarding album.
This review will first describe the musical journey, and it will also analyze all of the themes included.
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"Animae Partus ("I Am")" sounds like it belongs in the soundtrack for "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe. It introduces the album with menacing bass notes and ominous breathing. In the background, snippets of gospel-like and harmonic vocals can be heard propelling the song forward, but first and foremost are spoken word vocals that are not uncommon in post-rock. All of it makes for a very haunting two minutes.
Next, "Deus Nova (Fabricatio)" first makes use of The Orchestra of Eternity, which is truly an integral part of the album. A minute in the instrumentation becomes heavier; grand, progressive keyboards, guitar soloing, and nu metal rap vocals make up the majority of the track, but towards the end, the "Animae Partus ("I Am")" feeling returns, and the spoken words can be heard echoing.
"Imago (Homines Partus)" is not unlike "Songs from the Wood", by Jethro Tull. It is obviously folk-influenced, what with the acoustic guitar and flute playing that is dominant throughout. However, "Imago (Homines Partus)" also features a lot of contrast, which gives it the defining Pain of Salvation sound first established in The Perfect Element, Part One. The ending sound effects create the image of a forest: branches rustling, wind blowing, and pond cracking.
"Pluvius Aestivus" again makes brilliant usage of The Orchestra of Eternity. The piece is piano-driven, and it would not be out of place on Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Nobody would have ever expected something like this to appear on a Pain of Salvation album, but Gildenlöw is highly well-rounded.
"Lilium Cruentus" has an epic feel, so that in many ways it sounds like a twisted version of a ballad. There is more going on here than there appears to be: the soft parts sound repressed, but so do the rapping and screaming parts; albeit forceful and angry they are definitely curbed. The significance here is that this drives the album forward, and it foreshadows some sort of breakdown later on in the album.
"Nauticus (drifting)" comes out preachy and features more gospel. It is even more repressed, as if further elevating that future epic. At the end, there is some humorous spoken word music (think Frank Zappa).
If the theatrical "Dea Pecuniae" was performed on Broadway, it would probably alienate a lot of fans; however, Mike Patton would certainly approve of the vibe. A little over three minutes in, Gildenlöw's guitar solo is most unexpected, but Cecilia Ringkvist comes in strong on vocals, eliminating any doubts. Guitar harmonics are also responsible for the strong and successful development that makes the song, and eventually everything comes together - the shattering of a glass, screaming, and then this spoken word outro, leading right into the next song.
"Vocari Dei (Sordes Aetas - Mess Age)" is pure post-rock; piano and subtle sound effects carry the spoken words. Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven is a clear inspiration - Pain of Salvation's distant contemporary. Amongst the typical English language, "Vocari Dei" uses Japanese, Dutch, and Greek to its advantage.
"Diffidentia" - headbangers, it's metal! Now, at last, we get a typical Pain of Salvation song: driving and heavy guitar, complex time signatures and subdivisions, gentler choruses, and brilliant dynamics. With the release of BE, many were disappointed that there was still no trace of The Perfect Element, Part II - they should have listened to the whole record first! What is so impressive about "Diffidentia" is that the orchestra is, even now, and undeniable part of the music!
"Nihil Morari (Homines Fabula Finis)" opens up with a repetitive rhythm on the fretless bass (reminiscent of Tool). It continues to use prog metal and nu metal as its biggest influences, and it also links back to "Deus Nova (Fabricatio)". On top of all of that, the piece screams Serj Tankian at times - all of that, of course, being pretty awesome!
"Latericius Valete" has somewhat of a symphonic feel and is somewhat of a guitar and cello duo. Together, "Latericius Valete" and "Omni (Permanere?)" sum up all different parts of the album, providing temporary closure. "Omni (Permanere?)" has the trademark prog sound popularized by Genesis and Gentle Giant - guitar arpeggios fit in very well with the orchestra, indeed.
Finally, "Iter Impius" could not be placed better in the album. Easily the best track off of the album, "Iter Impius" is six minutes of pure emotional bliss. It is almost a continuation of "Dea Pecuniae" except the ballad is more straightforward and heartfelt. Here, like throughout Remedy Lane, Gildenlöw's vocals are in full form, and nobody has a vocal range like he does! Sometimes, piano and vocals is the best way to go!
"Martius/Nauticus II" is a return to the folk style of "Imago (Homines Partus)", and it basically concludes the album. That is, "Animae Partus II" has some drumming and thumping, but otherwise, it is four minutes of silence (at the end, a family can be heard laughing and enjoying themselves).
Additionally, each part seems to begin and end on either an epic or silent note, which is cool to say the least.
My top 5: 1. Iter Impius 2. Dea Pecuniae 3. Imago (Homines Partus) 4. Diffidentia 5. Nihil Morari (Homines Fabula Finis)
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2017 interview on Pain of Salvation (Daniel Gildenlöw):
"My biggest problem is that I don't believe in God, which makes everything very difficult. But, I still feel the need to address God. That's the weird thing. I've always felt that the notion of God is really important. Divinity for mankind and sort of God life being is a very strong and important concept for mankind, so it's impossible not to be fascinated and deal with it.
I talk to God every once in a while. I always start with "sorry for not believing in you". There you go... You know, for the odd chance that he or she actually exists... It's not therefore that I don't believe in them (laughs). Things can exist even if you don't believe in them. It's not that I'm saying that it's impossible that there is some sort of God; I just don't believe in it.
I tried to make that thought experiment in "BE", that if there is a God, by default that God must be on a level of existence that we cannot grasp or understand. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's something exceptionally bizarre..."
On BE:
"Chinassiah is a word puzzle, as so many other titles and phrases on the album. It derives from the combination of China (for fragility and beauty, but also man made) and Messiah (for savior but also the notion of something in which we, humanity, put our faith for salvation)."
The Latin errors are on purpose, and each of the puzzles can be translated into English.
"Animae Partus ("I Am")" can be translated to mean "A God Is Born ("I Am")". It describes how Animae, the album's representation of God, first appears out of nothing. It ends on the haunting line, "And I will spend the rest of forever; Trying to figure out who I am."
"Deus Nova (Fabricatio)", meaning "New God", describes how people first populated the Earth. Animae looks down upon the people and states, "I think they will teach me something."
"Imago (Homines Partus)", or "Imago (Man Is Born)" , is more on the birth of man, which, in the album, is represented by Imago. The lyrics describe the moralities of Imago, and the "Breathe and BE" qualities of Imago,
"Pluvius Aestivus" means "Summer Rain". It is strictly instrumental, but it most likely represents "longing for the things we could not be" from Imago. Man is beautiful, yet far from perfect overall; for every champion, there is a rotten egg too.
"Lilium Cruentus", "Blood Stained Lily", is about death, and it is about all those that truly do not deserve to pass on. (leftovers from Rope Ends?)
"Nauticus (drifting)" is about the fictional space probe, Nauticus. According to BE, it is the most intelligent space probe to have ever been created, and it drifts throughout space, searching for answers to "save Earth from itself". Additionally, "Nauticus" is latin for "Sailor"; Nauticus embarks on a journey throughout space.
At the end of "Nauticus (drifting)", Mr. Money is first introduced along with his girlfriend. He jokes about letting her drive the expensive car; in other words, Mr. Money represents "greed" and one who is pretentious (not Daniel Gildenlöw; he is not pretentious!).
"Dea Pecuniae" can be translated to mean "Goddess of Money". The first part, "Mr. Money", is about how Mr. Money decides he loves money, more than any women; he does not care about making relationships, and rather, he decides to be "cold" and "mean". "Permanere" and "I Raise My Glass" play on the same concept.
"Vocari Dei", "Message to God", is about how powerful faith is. Many are uncertain that Animae exists, or they believe he is no longer there; however, they still pray to him or her - against everything that Mr. Money stands for.
"Diffidentia", "Mistrust", is one big theory revolving around everything that brought about the destruction of Animae - at first, Imago screams of hope, but at the end Imago states, "We failed."
"Nihil Morari (Homines Fabula Finis)" means "Nothing Remains (The Story of Man Comes To An End)". Imago apologizes for all of its sins - "Abuse", "Rape", stealing, and the loss of "thanks" - that finally cause Imago to implode on itself. "Latericius Valete", or "If You Are Strong, Be Strong", and "Omni (Permanere?)", or "Everything", further stress this concept.
"Iter Impius", meaning "Wicked Path", describes how Mr. Money finally wakes up. He has spent all of his money on cryogenics, and asked not be awaken until he be made immortal. How that he is immortal, he is very happy; he does not care when he discovers the absence of Imago.
At the end, Nauticus finally succeeds in his journey and contributes the "BE" that society needs to survive. This is in "Martius/Nauticus II"; in "Animae Partus II", Animae comes back, bringing a brand new Imago with him.
What happens to Mr. Money is uncertain. The above review is just my interpretation of one of the best albums ever.
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Live on, Pain of Salvation! (but seriously, I love every album they have released!)