PAIN OF SALVATION — The Perfect Element, Part 1 (review)

PAIN OF SALVATION — The Perfect Element, Part 1 album cover Album · 2000 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
aiylyn
Transcendent,

The secret to writing music that moves and lives so effortlessly is buried deep inside the souls and minds of the Swedish entity we call Pain of Salvation. Daniel Gildenlow and company have shown that they know what the word "progressive" really means and have done exactly that through all of their albums, previous to this and after it. Each musician displays technical proficiency, but songwriting here, as always with them, is what takes the spotlight. I've never heard a band that can continually push the envelope with each successive album like this. They pull together a myriad of different moods and styles into a cohesive picture; sometimes drawing influence from odd places, but always making it work like no one else can. The Perfect Element 1 succeeds with flying colors on all of its many levels.

When I first listened to this album, I hated it. I came to this from Remedy Lane, figuring that it would be similar, and was taken by surprise when it was not. But patience was rewarded, and with each successive listen I found several new things to focus on, and the album just grew and grew on me until now, it is very close to edging out Remedy Lane as my favorite of their work. I find this to be the "deepest" of their albums, both musically and lyrically (the turbulent childhoods of the two characters is explored with subtlety and artistry), and it is the least accessible to first listens. However, as always with Pain of Salvation, patience is rewarded beyond all reckoning. This album is tailor-made for those who listen with all their heart, their mind, and their spirit.
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