Pain Of Salvation
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Forget all the music from before. These are the Pain Of Salvation.
The twisted and brilliant mind of Daniel Gildenlow has given us this incredible concept album, completely overturning the musical framework of his band. Indeed, not all fans of PoS have been able to fully embrace this record, and even as a fanatic myself, it took me a few months to "tame" it.

Just think about the concept: the formation of a supernatural entity that comes into existence and immediately asks why, asks "who am I?", until it concludes that it will call itself God and will create a world populated by beings made in its image, over which it will then lose control, inevitably leading to the decline and destruction of the human race, until the creation of a new "entity". Excuse the summary, but if this concept is hard to grasp, it's practically impossible to explain...
The music is an incredible mix of the most diverse genres: it ranges from folk with Celtic influences to heavier pieces (but forget about real metal), to a soul song, passing through a hymn that has something of gospel. The 15 tracks are often interspersed with dialogues that fit into the concept's perspective. Whether you like it or not, the quality of the music is unbeatable, thanks also to an orchestra composed of two violins, a viola, a cello, a flute, an oboe, two clarinets, and a tuba.
The atmospheres are mystical, and they surprisingly manage to reflect the lyrics of each song. Yes, the lyrics: they are very varied, ranging from the formation of the earth by God's hand to the anger of a man who lost his beloved towards God himself (I need something to blame for this pain), to religious odes, to the description of the vile life of "Mr. Money", who lives off the backs of poor people, to a sort of answering machine recording where people leave messages to God... and they are wonderful, a real poetic endeavor achieved in the best way.

Describing every single part of this work would be endless, it is so varied that I would need hours of writing. I can only say that if you venture into this work, you should take many free hours and not stop if you're not convinced by the first listens, but focus on the lyrics (without reading which this album is worth half) and on the various nuances of the proposed music.
The best songs in my opinion (don't be scared by the Latin titles) are "Imago", "Dea Pecunia", and "Iter Impius", but in my view, there isn't a piece on this album that can be considered not beautiful.
In conclusion, recommended for those who feel like diving into a rather complicated musical adventure, but certainly very rewarding once fully absorbed. If instead, you preferred the "old" Pain Of Salvation, don't worry, "The Perfect Element Part II" will be released within a year.
A must-have.