Published on Feb 21, 2001
In preparing for my day at ProgPower USA this Saturday, I’ve
discovered something about each progressive rock disc I listen to:
I have to give an individual disc at least one day before I’m
accustomed to it. I don’t mean I need a day to like it; rather, I
have to spend a significant amount of time with each one in order
to discover all the nuances and subplots hidden within.
In the case of Pain Of Salvation and their third album
The Perfect Element, I’ve spent the better part of three
days on this disc – and I
still don’t feel I’ve captured everything that Daniel
Gildenlöw and crew have captured in the span of 70-odd
minutes.
The first thing that strikes you about this Swedish quintet is
the different musical styles they draw on. Of course, you can hear
comparisons to Dream Theater in their music (I swear, I’m not
intentionally looking to compare every prog-rock act I hear to
Dream Theater), but there’s also the occasional nod to… Limp
Bizkit?
Believe it. In songs like “Used” and “Ashes,” you can hear the
influence of Limp Bizkit in Daniel Gildenlöw’s rap-like
delivery or enhanced vocal lines, or in the guitar licks. Die-hard
prog-rock fans, relax; these moments don’t come that often, and
sometimes you can even see how they’re used. (I didn’t necessarily
say I
liked their inclusion, just that I could see where they
fit.)
If Pain Of Salvation remind me of anyone, it would be
Queensryche, both in the delivery of their musical payload and the
personally intense stories that are told in these 12 songs. Meant
to be the first part of a look at childhood and adolescence, the
band – vocalist/guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw, guitarist/vocalist
Johan Hallgren, keyboardist Fredrik Hermansson, bassist/vocalist
Kristoffer Gildenlöw and drummer/vocalist Johan Langell –
paint some bleak, disturbing portraits.
I don’t know if
The Perfect Element is meant to be the story of one person
or each song is a reflection of a different person going through
experiences of childhood and adolescence (I tend to believe the
latter, since I lost any semblance of a story line after “In The
Flesh”), but this is most definitely a disc you’ll want to listen
to while reading the liner notes. I don’t claim to have a perfect
understanding of each story (though the loss of a beloved
grandparent in “Dedication” is one which hit home with me), but
don’t be surprised if at least one song’s story hits you square in
the heart.
Musically, Pain Of Salvation is more than competent, and
The Perfect Element, while proving to be an incredibly
challenging album to both get through and to comprehend, proves to
be well worth the time and effort. Listen to this disc the first
time for the music; listen to it every other time for the stories.
Listen to how the band ties themes together throughout the album
(portions of concepts in “Ashes” resurface in “Idioglossia” and
“The Perfect Element” – which suggests I could be wrong about these
being individual stories).
The Perfect Element sometimes proves to be difficult to get
through in one sitting – but that is nothing compared to some of
the pictures its songs portray. You might not want to look at the
musical images – but you know you have to. In the end, you’ll be a
better person for it – and Pain Of Salvation probably knows this
first-hand. A powerful, challenging album that’s well worth your
time,
The Perfect Element suggests that Pain Of Salvation will
become the moral conscience of progressive rock.