Pain Of Salvation
Entropia

"Entropia" (1998), the first work by "Pain Of Salvation" marks the entrance of one of the most innovative bands in the prog-metal field. If you are a fan of Pain Of Salvation, you will certainly know that there is not a single work of theirs that is more accessible than the others at first listen.

This is the secret and beauty of their music: hidden meanings, different plots, numerous peripheral elements, cerebral lyrics, and intelligent ideas.

Daniel Gildenlow is a unique artist and loves to explore all sorts of musical ideas; therefore, he stands out as one of the major musical minds of recent times... far superior to "some" of his contemporaries. Gildenlow feels comfortable pushing music in unexplored directions, which is easily noticeable when listening to any of his works with Pain Of Salvation.

'Entropia' is the debut album for this Swedish band; it was originally released in Japan in 1997, but it took two years to reach Europe and America, leading it to be mistakenly considered shortly after "One Hour By The Concrete Lake" (1999), which had meanwhile achieved widespread success. Compared to it, 'Entropia' is more raw yet fresher; it is endowed with more groove and a thicker soul... while 'One Hour' turns out to be more rigid and one-directional. Most of the material on 'Entropia' was written when Daniel was 20. Perhaps this aspect makes the album very branched and more unpredictable compared to the recent releases of Pain Of Salvation. Considering that 'Entropia' is a debut album, we are faced with a great work.

The music is rich in funk and rock influences, without however neglecting the traditional metal riffs and even some splashes of death (considering that the group's original bassist, Gustaf Hielm, later joined Meshuggah)... Daniel himself has repeatedly admitted the presence of some influences and references to death metal on this 'Entropia'. The song structures are very varied and loose; the combination of funk and ultra-metal riffs provides an interesting contrast, bringing the composition to unexplored levels. Vocally, Daniel's performance is multidimensional: he can range from low tones to high peaks of height; so if you are looking for something that can surprise you and are tired of the usual monochrome vocal performances, here you will find something to sink your teeth into. These are just some of the elements that make 'Entropia' the hardest album of all Pain Of Salvation's production.

This is the only work recorded with guitarist Daniel Magdic, who has the merit of having contributed in part to the songwriting of the songs. He leaves us with some really pleasant solos that are much more full-bodied and lengthy than those present on later works by Pain Of Salvation. Personally, I highly appreciated his preparation and the effort he put into playing his instrument. Kristoffer Gildenlow's bass (Daniel's brother) is powerful and full of life... his rich melodic lines on "People Passing By" are excellent. The drumming varies significantly from track to track, and notable is the solo present at the beginning of "Stress". In all the tracks, the musicians give us a great sense of unity and complementarity; everyone is in communication with each other... we are facing a great demonstration of cohesion.

But 'Entropia' is not just great music... there is so much to tell regarding the concept behind this album. Basically, the album allows us to see through the eyes of a child and his father. When the latter is forced to leave his family to go to war, the album immerses us in his torment and pain, almost making us share the same. The songs cry out their anger against the war and the nonsense it truly has. The very People Passing By is based on splendid lyrics that reveal the hidden side of society (a theme later further explored on "The Perfect Element Pt. 1" from 2001) capable of making some people useless. It's about a man who probably could have had individual utility for society if it weren't for the destructive war. This concept album is divided into 3 parts that see Gildenlow exploring dark themes thanks to equally complex lyrics.

The title of the album derives from the words Entropy and Utopia; 'Entropia' is the place where the soldier finds his wife upon returning from the war. Once they have lost their beloved son, he and his wife decide to move towards Western Entropia (could it be a satire of industrialization in contrast and technology exceeding its limits?); but despite this, he is unable to protect his woman from events. There are so many shadows and hidden meanings behind this work that I recommend anyone listening to the album create their personal interpretation.

My favorite songs are probably "!(Forward)", "Oblivion Ocean", and the much acclaimed "People Passing By"... capable of encompassing intricate guitar solos, incredible vocal expressions, and the sum of all the lyrics of this 'Entropia'. The lyrics in this work live with their own life along with the emotion and feelings. "Nightmist" is another splendid song that also contains an excellent demonstration of the band. While "Plains Of Dawns" (the penultimate track of the album) transports us to a musical depth from which the listener might not want to exit.