PAIN OF SALVATION — 12:5 (review)

PAIN OF SALVATION — 12:5 album cover Live album · 2004 · Non-Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
aiylyn
The eighth wonder of the world,

Pain of Salvation probably won't go down in history as the most genius progressive rock band to ever grace this earth. That's a shame. 30 years of "progressive" music has existed merely to build up to this band. The initial listen leaves me with just one question clear in my mind: HOW DO THEY DO IT?!?!

I like Devin Townsend as much as the next guy, but Daniel Gildenlow just stomps all competition in the songwriting and the technical ability department. While eschewing the flashy shred licks that many advanced guitarists enjoy, PoS displays a finesse and subtlety not often found in progressive bands; you could listen to this a thousand times and find something new and exciting on the thousand-and-first round. Beautiful packaging, heartfelt, relaxing, and emotionally stimulating acoustic music, with little "quirks" thrown in here and there to keep a sense of levity, all combine to make this an early major success of 2004. I dare anyone not to become hopelessly addicted to the harpsichord on "Dryad of the Woods," or the mindbending juxtaposition of dark lyrics over bright music on "Ashes in Major" or the wonderful new arrangements of "Undertow" and "Oblivion Ocean."

We've all got tracks we would have liked to hear on this (I would have loved Pilgrim or The Perfect Element) but what PoS have done, they have done beyond belief. This album leaves me shaking, knowing that this is an unmatched experience. Once more: How do they do it???
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Caedes Animarum Deathcore
INVISIBLE SPHERE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Empty Doom Metal
BONGRIPPER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Shadowflame Deathcore
BREATH OF SINDRAGOSA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Iniquitous Deathcore
SINISTER SECTOR
Buy this album from MMA partners
Untoward Perpetuity Deathcore
AND HELL FOLLOWED WITH
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 2 days ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 3 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed