PAIN OF SALVATION — BE (review)

Album · 2004 · Progressive Metal

5/5 · 2010-04-07
arcane-beautiful

Ok, when it comes to comparing music to art (the Pitchfork method which leaves a lot of great bands with poor reviews on albums, basically because they don't sound like Radiohead?yawning every piece of music they can make (there first 3 albums were great, at least there was music present.)

But this album is art within itself, a conceptual piece of music that presents an amazing story about?life itself basically, instrumentation that is second to none, a late Romantic style orchestration which is incredibly beautiful and a stage show that put forward drama, music, dance and art. Like Banksy (the avante garde artist), this story really makes you think. Being an atheist, but a fond fanatic of occult and modern ideologies, this concept was incredibly interesting for me. If there is a God, is he as human as we are, & does he find out hard to love, to create, unlike the Christian ethos which make him out to be all wise & ever loving.

Out of my top 10 albums of all time, this one would certainly be one of them. Pain Of Salvation have changed with every album they make, not in a dramtic Bowie way, but in a more timbre like quality. This album is one in a million. It is amazing.

1. Animae Partus (I Am) - The intro, basically the thoughts of an early God.

2. Deus Nova - An amazing piece of music mixing polyrhythms with amazing piano triadics. The countdown like lyrics represents the course of reproduction throughout history.

3. Imago (Homines Partus) - An absolute gem. Mixing folk like instruments with an amazing oboe countermelody, and beautiful and amazing vocals from Daniel.

4. Pluvius Aestivus - An intermezzo really. Amazing piano work with some beautiful orchestration. Unlike anything this band have ever achieved.

5. Lilium Crentus - Classic Pain Of Salvation really. The riff in this song kicks serious ass.

6. Nauticus (Drifting) - Very beautiful and very calm.

7.Dea Pucuniae - This song sums up basically what The Wall did in less than 12 minutes rather than 2 discs. The narration at the start of the song makes me laugh every time. Full of innuendo and cheese, how could you not love it. This song is probably one of the greatest things this band have ever done. With amazing dramatics and vocal harmonies, gospel choirs and lyrics that describe hubris, it really is a conceptual masterpiece. Mr. Money is an amazing character as well, the most vain man in the planet, who tries to make himself a God, how can you not love that.

8. Vocari Dei - The messages that are presented in this song are very opposite, with many thanking God, and others telling him what a twat he is. It was very moving to see these 2 oppositions juxtaposed.

9. Diffidentia (Breaching The Core) - A very emotional song with amazing clashing riffs and amazing orchestration. The end bit is incredibly beautiful, and is probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard.

10. Nihil Morari - A quite heavy piece that fits with the apocalyptic lyrics. This song pictures an almost Armageddon like feel to the song. This basically is the end of humanity. How scary is that?

11. Latericius Valete - A quite ominous song with some nice fugal vocals. Nice harmonies created by baritone style voices.

12. Omni - Some nice organ work and some very emotional vocals from Daniel.

13. Iter Impius - This song details the work that sin has spread on humanity and how it has effected man. So you need quite a dark tone to uplift the song.

14.Martius/Nauticus II - I was watching the live performance of this song on You Tube. All be it an amazing song and an absolute epic way to end an album, I was wondering just one thing. If Daniel is standing in a pool of water with a microphone in hand, if he drops it? he's done for. This song is absolute amazing. Bringing back the folk elements with the orchestra at the end to make an absolute hair raising moment of calamity.

15. Animae Partus II - "I am", then silence. Wow, ominous?effective.

CONLSUION: This album really is a piece of art. One of the greatest pieces of music I have ever heard one of the greatest visual stage shows I have ever seen, from one of the greatest bands of all time?.can you get any better than that. No!