Pain of Salvation - BE

[JayKeeley]

I'm looking at in two ways:

a. It is extraordinary. They've taken this transcendental "world music" approach to it all, and tried to capture the elements of all that surrounds us, and given us a lesson in sociological evolution.

b. It is self-indulgent crap, where they've taken a 'cut+paste' college dissertation and dumped it into the liner notes, botched together all their left over 'riffs', if you can even call them that, and at times ended up sounding like a poor man's Savatage with out of work actors providing the obligatory and unnecessary spoken narrative.

Now, I was never a fan of the band anyway, but if this is (a) genuine, then I'm intrigued to listen to it again and again, until I can make some sense of it.

However, I can't help but feel that this is could also be entirely (b) disingenuous!

What do others think? What do PoS fans think?

 

[IOfTheStorm]

I am not a fan since i found all the albums to be extremely boring (except few songs - moments)
I quite enjoy "BE", it is a very ambitious work (of course) and i think they did it. It is by far my favourite POS album. The "cut and paste" thing can be justified easily ("it works for the concept purposes" etc).
Even though i think it can be named a "masterpiece", it needs LOTS of listening sessions to be understood. And i havent listen to it that many times (because other great albums were released). Anyway i think that the "BE" positives > the "BE" negatives (and i cant find a really negative think about it)

 

[JayKeeley]

I quite enjoy "BE", it is a very ambitious work (of course) and i think they did it. It is by far my favourite POS album. The "cut and paste" thing can be justified easily ("it works for the concept purposes" etc).

I seem to like it too, but I'm wondering if this is an actual evolution of the band, or just something to fill a void? It's like they took this concept, threw together some music that would typically sound like their "in-between" segments on other albums, and recorded it as an album. Coincidentally, it just happens to sound pretty interesting.

On face value (and one listen), it's not bad. Terrorizer gave it an awesome write-up (9.5/10) claiming it to be the equivalent of their "Operation Mindcrime".

 

[Demonspell]

Considering the extent of the research that went into the project (the press kit included an extensive bibliography), statements regarding the album in reecnt interviews, and its conception as a full stage production, soon to be available on DVD, I highly doubt that Daniel considers this biding time between albums. As for my take on BE, everything's covered in my review of it.

 

[Krilons Resa]

It's absolutely genuine, that I do know. I have only listened to it in full once as well and don't know what to think of it. The first couple songs rule though. PoS albums take FOREVER to grow on you dude but once they click, they rule your entire being. I have to buy the actual cd so I can indulge myself in the booklet/story/notes, which is an absolute must with their albums because they are all so fucking deep.

Remedy Lane still = teh win. One of the greatest albums in recent history but like all the rest took a while to hit me as well.

 

[NAD]

I always laugh when people use the acronym POS.

I've been told to check out Remedy Lane a bunch of times but I don't want to do a blind purchase for any prog metal because a lot of it I cannot stand.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Buy Psychotic Waltz discography
(ok i shut up now)