Pain of Salvation Be

“Be” is Pain Of Salvation’s attempt to get into the mind of God, or at least man’s impression of what God may or may not “be”. It is ambitious and complicated, but is it music?

Constructed as musical pieces reliant on spoken passages like connective tissue, the opening reminds me of a more melodically oriented cousin to Ulver’s “William Blake: The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell”, in itself a challenging study of the religious, sacrilegious, and the human desire to know where one ends and the other begins. But is it music?

Track four, “Pluvius Aestivus” certainly is, a circular piano figure not unlike Mark Snow’s “X-Files” theme crossed with Phillip Glass’ “Koyaaniqatsi” soundtrack. “Lilium Cruentus” rocks pretty darn tough, the wordless blues moan of “Nauticus” leads into a dialogue splice reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”. “Diffidentia (Reaching The Core)” will get you wondering if you popped in a lost, unreleased Faith No More disc. So yes, it’s music, but it isn’t an easy passive listen. Head POS member Daniel Gildenlöw is trying to do something truly progressive here, not just by grafting ideas and styles together, but by doing it without being beholden to common structure.

To listen to “Be” is to give up something of yourself, much as “Heaven And Hell” or Fantomas’ “Delerium Cordia” demanded, although those two examples are much more extreme. “Be” does offer up discernable songs, but they’ve got to be taken with the rest of the package to be fully appreciated. Sorry, ADD patients, you’ll probably not dig this, but for those who really connect with music with a big idea “Be” might work for you. “Iter Impius” is the reward toward the end of the disc, a blast of power rock not unlike Queensryche on a very good day. But what is “Be”?

Ultimately, “Be” is “Be”, a unique entity in its own sort of musical universe, an exploration utilizing everything but the kitchen sink, and not what you’re looking for if your only goal is to rock out and tick off the neighbors. I offer it to you with a lot of appreciation, but also with the warning that you may need to give it more than just a moment of your time.

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Release Date: October 12, 2004
Tracks: 15 - Time: 76:06
Produced by: Daniel Gildenlöw
Format: CD
Website: www.painofsalvation.com

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