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Pain of Salvation - Entropia (1999.)

1. ! (foreword)

2. welcome to entropia

3. winning a war

4. people passing by

5. oblivion ocean

6. stress

7. revival

8. void of her

9. to the end

10. circles

11. nightmist

12. plains of dawn

13. leaving entropia (epilogue)

I have to say one thing at the beginning. This is retrospective conceptual album (not lineary boring concepted like Dream Theater's Metropolis pt2: Scenes From A Memory), so it scores one point right now... hehe.

Ok, here we go.

Story is about a man who suffered a lot in his life. He lived through a war, and that thing had ruined his life. Album tells about his thoughts and guys' comments about various situations he has been into...

foreword - is some kind of intro to this album. Expresses attitudes and opinions on life matter, like idols, courage, getting older, human relationships... pretty complex one.

chapter I

welcome to entropia - intermezzo (ocean sound mixed with rhytm machine... to prepare you for futher story)

winning a war - describes how meaningless wars are. Ok, idea sounds stupid, but here it's done in a great way. It's from son's perspective who misses his father... Read lyrics and listen to this tune and it'll be more clear to you.

people passing by - resolves big part of the story. Tells, globally, about screwed up life of father of the family. He remembers his young days, his dead son... Waiting for a stranger to ease his pain. And music is done in a brilliant way - from funky start to dark and pessimistic ending.

oblivion ocean - knocks me down every time i listen to it. No ballad makes me sad like this one. Probably describes few moments before his son and wife were shot. Highlight of the song is line when his young son, who isn't familiar with term 'death', asks his father:

"Dad tell me, will I be dead very long?"

...Almost makes me cry...

chapter II

stress - will screw us all. Another opinion on important matter. Musicaly, tune is powerful and very progressive.

revival - is the revenge... Is it? Story continues in a form of idea of serching for happiness. Can't handle his life very good... still caught by hand of misery.

void of her - short instrumental. Beginning of new chapter - describing how much he misses his beloved wife.

to the end - And years after, he can't get over loss of his wife.

"Time will heal", they told him

Just as if they knew his pain

"Time kills!" he whispered

Not a word:

They watched him leave again.

Memory of her is not dead yet... He lived for her, but now there is nothing more to give. Remembers that he could save her, but there is no one left to save him. There's nothing left... just to live to the end.

chapter III

circles - return of the misery... again and again

nightmist - suicide. "I always thought I would welcome this day, but now I can see it is yet a bird of pray!". He just wants to say his last 'sorry' before before he's gone...

plains of dawn - is he with his son?

leaving entropia - Ok, this album needs an exit from heavy story. And here it is:

"Life is flair, a brittle dress we wear, a fleeting sigh. But though pointless it seem: live as death were but a dream". Much nicer than 'carpe diem'.

rate: 10

(complex music arrangements + good story)

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� Cedo Krsmanovic