Entropia, Pain of Salvation's first album from 1997, is a debut album of rare beauty and personality from a young band already mastering an approach far removed from contemporary norms.
Pain of Salvation is a Swedish band founded by Daniel Gildenlöw in 1984 (originally under the name "Reality"), whose name was changed by leader and founder Gildenlöw to Pain of Salvation in 1991, symbolizing the balance of life's duality (good/bad, light/darkness).
Their style is characterized by powerful guitar work, vocals with enormous range, syncopation, polyrhythms, and unexpected shifts between heavy and intense atmospheres and calm, atmospheric passages, resulting in a remarkable fusion of heavy metal, progressive rock, and alternative music, always characterized by complex rhythms. You can read their biography in the article “The Pain of Salvation and the Remedy Lane”, dedicated to them and written for the review of their absolute masterpiece “Remedy Lane" released in 2002.
Entropia was recorded in early 1997 and released first in Japan in 1997, then in Europe in 1999, and finally in the United States in 2000. It is Pain of Salvation's only album with guitarist Daniel Magdic.
The band draws on numerous influences, from progressive metal and alternative rock to funk rock and R&B, with a great capacity for experimentation, a characteristic of this band even in their subsequent works.
It's a concept album, conceived by frontman Daniel Gildenlöw, a complex story that narrates an imaginary world called "Entropia" and tells the story of a family composed of a father, mother, and son during wartime. It explores the consequences of war, a father's inability to protect his loved ones, a son's need for a father figure rather than a soldier, and a society that destroys and then retreats in horror at its own actions.
Gildenlöw described the album as a mirror of our world, where chaos (entropy) and the pursuit of perfection (utopia) coexist.
The style is characterized by experimental progressive metal and constantly alternates heavy, aggressive guitar riffs with acoustic, melancholic passages. The funk and jazz influences, with the use of funky bass lines and syncopated rhythm sections reminiscent of jazz, are evident alongside Daniel Gildenlöw's theatrical voice, which shifts from aching whispers to falsettos to powerful shouts and even occasional growls. The polyrhythms and odd time signatures coexist with the melody.
A raw and instinctive album, largely written when Gildenlöw was very young.
- ! (Foreword) is the prologue, a commanding opening with a superb vocal performance by Daniel Gildenlöw.
- Chapter 1 consists of "Welcome to Entropia," a brief instrumental interlude; "Winning a War," a song that blends heavy riffs with almost funky rhythms; and "People Passing By," a beautiful, epic track lasting over nine minutes, with a splendid funky section and constant tempo changes. This section closes with "Oblivion Ocean," a beautiful, melancholic ballad with a powerful emotional impact.
Chapter 2 consists of "Stress," a track with chaotic rhythms that perfectly reflects the title; "Revival," a powerful piece in perfect prog-metal style; and "Void of Her," a brief interlude.
Chapter 3 begins with "To the End," a beautiful, dramatic and intense track; "Never Learn to Goodbye," a very atmospheric piece; followed by "Nightmist," a piece of immense technical complexity; and finally, closing the album, "Leaving Entropia," a spectacular epic finale.
"Entropia" is an album that redefined the boundaries of progressive metal in the late '90s, with its emotional approach applied to a genre often centered on technical virtuosity for its own sake. It's one of progressive metal's finest debut albums.
Although it's less structured than later masterpieces like Remedy Lane or The Perfect Element I, Entropia was a crucial starting point, also because it touched on conceptual themes that would later recur throughout the discography of this great band.
Great album, excellent!
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.
Tracklist
1. ! (Foreword) (6:11)
Chapter I:
2. Welcome To Entropia (1:22)
3. Winning A War (6:33)
4. People Passing By (9:07)
5. Oblivion Ocean (4:43)
Chapter II:
6. Stress (5:01)
7. Revival (7:39)
8. Void Of Her (1:46)
9. To The End (4:57)
10. Never Learn to Fly (Japanese Bonus)
Chapter III:
11. Circles (0:55)
12. Nightmist (6:49)
13. Plains Of Dawn (7:23)
14. Leaving Entropia (epilogue) (2:31)
Duration 64:59
LineUp
- Daniel Gildenglöw - lead vocals, guitar, co-producer
- Daniel Magdic - guitar, vocals
- Fredrik Hermansson - keyboards
- Kristoffer Gildenlöw - bass, vocals
- Johan Langell - drums, vocals
