Pain of Salvation
In the Passing Light of Day

When it is announced that the next album will mark a return to the sounds of the past, I am always afraid; afraid, of course, that it will be a sterile copy of the golden era and that it won't hold many surprises. This fear also surfaced when the announcement of an upcoming new work by Pain of Salvation was made.

If in their first four works, Pain of Salvation stood out, with obvious differences between one disc and another, for a peculiar progressive metal entirely their own and not comparable to that of any other band, since 2004 they have accustomed fans to constant shifts to other shores, always capable of igniting a strong interest in the band. First the more orchestrally, folk, classical, ethnic, gospel-oriented sound of the mammoth “BE,” then the very polished and dark alternative/nu-metal of “Scarsick,” followed by the two chapters of “Road Salt,” both oriented towards a very vintage rock of the ’60s and ’70s with soul, singer-songwriter, hard, and blues connotations that may have turned up the nose of many old fans.

But Daniel Gildenlöw already had clear ideas; he knew that these were just experiments and years ago he responded to a doubtful fan on Facebook, saying that the band would then return to its more characteristic sound.

After having to almost rebuild the band from scratch due to the continual departure of historical members and after nearly dying from necrotizing fasciitis, here, with a new lineup and six years after the last work, Gildenlöw is back stronger and more determined than ever, and we finally have the ninth work of Pain of Salvation in our ears. A strong and determined concept clearly focused on Daniel's recent clinical misadventure.

Promise kept. “In the Passing Light of Day” indeed marks a full-fledged return to the sound of better times, particularly to the approach that distinguished masterpieces like “The Perfect Element Part I” and “Remedy Lane”: that characteristic progressive metal marked by solid and rocky “walls” of guitars interspersed with more subdued but still extremely heartfelt moments.

As mentioned, the fear was that returning to the old sound, we would hear things a bit too familiar without anything new to add. Instead, we notice that the album does not exclude influences from recent prog-metal trends, like bands such as Leprous or even hints from djent, sometimes including 7-string guitar riffs of unusual hardness for the band. However, the band does not disdain and does not entirely put aside its more recent past, and in the softer moments, there are certainly hints reminiscent of the two “Road Salt.”

The fact that this is a great album projected forward is understood even when “On A Tuesday” starts, with those hammered and distorted riffs almost of djent extraction alternating with soft and whispered moments or with very well-made orchestral interludes up to the heavy keyboard and distorted effects inserts of the final part. “Tongue of God” seems to have the sick atmospheres typical of Leprous productions.

Melody is instead the protagonist in “Meaningless,” dominated by incisive keyboard backdrops and the high, shrill singing of Ragnar Zolberg, who, besides proving to be a very valid substitute for Johan Hallgren, also proves to be an excellent vocal contributor. Following the “soft” moment, the ballad “Silent Gold” immediately comes in, which initially turned up everyone's noses; perhaps because it is a song that still presents the reminiscences of “Road Salt”; it is led by a dark and painful piano and Gildenlöw's high voice; I honestly took a little time to get into the mood, but then...

The rhythms, however, immediately rise with “Full Throttle Tribe,” whose verse made of dark electronic sounds and small guitar strokes slightly recalls “Scarsick,” before flowing into a chorus of the right power; the sharp final guitar hacks, which slightly wink at djent, then confirm that Pain of Salvation are fully in the present. And they are just the prelude to the sharpest song in the band's entire discography; “Reasons” indeed sounds sharp and cutting like never before; even the keyboards (already elsewhere little present and decisive) are completely turned off to make full room for guitar hacks.

With the subsequent “Angels of Broken Things,” we return to subdued rhythms, with dissonant plucks of acoustic guitar and some background effect; the final part is intense but not harsh, with a long guitar solo.

“The Taming of a Beast” is instead delicate and painful in the verses, with the sound of an electric piano almost recalling once again “Road Salt” plus some strange guitar effect, then a moderated anger is discharged in the chorus, with hard but muffled riffs, not exaggerated, reminiscent of the more rarefied soft-metal of “Scarsick.” Then in “If This Is the End,” this ability to hold back anger only to unleash it forcefully reveals itself at full power.

The conclusion is entrusted to “The Passing Light of Day,” at fifteen and a half minutes, the longest track in the group's discography; a piece that mainly maintains slow and painful tones, of guitar first and orchestral in the end, but contains within 4 minutes of harsh and energetic segments.

We can say it calmly: the Pain of Salvation liked by longtime fans are back; if you lost faith in them with the latest productions, give this work a chance and you will find it again. It can really be compared to their best productions without being overshadowed.

The recent news has arrived of guitarist Ragnar Zolberg's departure, probably because he wasn't satisfied with the compensation received for his work in the band. It's a pity for his importance in writing this album and because he probably would have been a bearer of new ideas in the future too. Patience, Johan Hallgren will return, but it's good not to lose faith in a band that has proven to be more alive than ever.