Pain Of Salvation
One Hour By The Concrete Lake

"Pain Of Salvation" is more than just a band's name composed of three words. First and foremost, the Swedish band we are talking about represents originality descended upon earth… they might very well be the first prog-metal band since the early '90s to achieve the feat of attracting not only prog music listeners but also fans of other musical genres. In the '80s, "Queensryche" and "Fates Warning" dominated the scene, and in the '90s, there were "Dream Theater" plus a scattered group of bands trailing the so-called 'musical phenomena.' And today, we have Pain Of Salvation. Let's be clear: if they continue to produce such diverse, emotional, chaotic, and cerebral material in its depth, they will surely earn the mention of the most influential band of this decade concerning their genre.

"One Hour By The Concrete Lake" (1999) is their second work, yet only the first to reach Europe. Their debut album, "Entropia" (1998), was released in Japan but did not receive much critical success in Europe and the United States before the spread of One Hour…
You might wonder what the title of this record signifies, so… the idea behind it is among the most interesting aspects of this release; it practically deals with the radioactivity of Lake Karachay in the former USSR. Who doesn't know about the events of Chernobyl these days, for instance, a story that caused quite a stir at the time. However, there are facts… like those at the subject of this album, less famous but equally sad and deplorable. Thus, this lake was used in 1951 as a repository for toxic waste from the nearby nuclear plant called Mayak… technical analyses related to the phenomenon of radiation and pollution present in that lake allow scientists to assert that an hour spent near the lake is lethal for any human being; hence the album title. Moreover, this lake and the surrounding area are considered the most at risk in the world for pollution, despite the lake's drying process beginning in 1960 and concluding in 1993. Between 1978 and 1986, Karachay was 'filled' with at least 10,000 cement blocks to prevent dust and chemical elements within it from easily blowing away with the wind. The lake is currently entirely covered with cement blocks… interesting how Wikipedia itself associates the facts related to this lake with the work of Pain Of Salvation.

Daniel Gildenlow, guitarist/singer/main composer of Pain Of Salvation, has always been very attracted to political topics, social injustice, and any other abusive phenomena with which our world is unfortunately rife. Daniel wrote the 'concept' behind "One Hour" while simultaneously listening to numerous International Relations and studying some Nuclear Physics notions learned during his school years. With One Hour, Daniel finally realizes he has the courage necessary to spread a 'positive message' with the lyrics of his songs. This is the album thanks to which Pain Of Salvation realized they have the potential to move something in the world thanks to their records. Basically, this is the message present in the heart of every 'metaller,' or am I wrong?

The album opens with the brief intro "Spirit Of The Land", which serves to introduce us to the album's reality in general terms, while specifically, it lulls us towards the next track, "Inside", thanks to the excellent work done by the keyboards, which immediately capture the listener's attention. It is truly a well-developed intro that benefits from the work done by the guitar, bass, and drums… and ultimately makes the most of Daniel's splendid voice. The beginning of the album will immediately make clear what "One Hour" is made of, allowing us to understand that in some moments, it will be very hard both in terms of lyrics and music. For example:

"I was told the pain and hunger was not my fault… "

In terms of lyrics, the album addresses themes such as war, industrial war, the development of certain production techniques, and finally, the phenomenon of pollution. The album's sub-'concept' also sees a man searching for the 'right' way to live. All Pain Of Salvation's albums are concept albums, but One Hour not only tackles the main theme but also focuses on some independent stories; and instead of telling the story directly, it combines the main theme and sub-stories in an atypical and certainly successful manner. Gildenlow believes it is still possible to create concept albums that nonetheless have lyrics separate from the main theme and also focus on multiple themes. Just consider that by Daniel's will… the album was recorded after he himself had created a written document containing the various themes to be used, spanning 600 pages.

Compared to its predecessor "Entropia," "One Hour" proves less scattered and more mature despite the larger number of themes dealt with. Entropia was fresh and raw and undoubtedly had more grooves; while "One Hour" appears slightly more rigid. But their previous album borrowed numerous musical elements not typical of prog-metal, and consequently, it did not provide the sense of completeness this work possesses. Perhaps the attempt to traverse new musical paths every second had slightly led them off course.

The fifth track, "Handful Of Nothing", showcases one of Daniel's most convincing vocal performances, perfectly at ease with the various tonal changes. The complex rhythm section is truly incredible… it must have been very difficult for Daniel to convey the right vocal emotion at the right moment. This is surely another aspect that makes Pain Of Salvation different from other bands producing prog-metal. They do not create technical magic to surprise fans; while it is evident that they are extremely talented musicians stylistically, they seem to focus more on the emotional side of prog-metal, which today is certainly uncommon, especially considering the high number of Dream Theater clones on the music scene.

Daniel's voice is difficult to describe; he is definitely one of the most versatile and multi-dimensional singers of all time (two who could hold the comparison are Keith Sudano of "Eternity X" and Dan Swano of "Nightingale" and "Edge of Sanity"). He manages to use his vocal expressiveness differently throughout the album; on other occasions, Daniel has had the opportunity to notice how prog-metal music is often confined to pre-established canons. For example, the voice must have inhuman heights and span an extremely limited tonal range. It's like a guitarist who always plays with a single style, a single vision of the instrument. Thus, he loves to experiment and engage in increasingly complex vocal challenges in an attempt to create albums endowed with an extremely varied vocal palette.

"One Hour By The Concrete Lake" is undoubtedly the album closest to the traditional metal produced by the band, but despite this, there are clear elements of Pain Of Salvation's signature that won't go unnoticed. Like every album of the Swedish group, "One Hour" needs time to grow in the listener's soul. Don't cast it into oblivion if after the first listens it doesn't meet your favor… it would be a mortal sin: this is without a doubt the best work of Gildenlow and company.