Pain of Salvation

Pain of Salvation: One Hour By The Concrete Lake

by Glenn Astarita
June 1, 2000

With One Hour By The Concrete Lake, Swedish prog-rockers “Pain of Salvation” contemplate humanity, raping of the land, weapons and destruction; hence, - we have a concept album. Fronted by Daniel Gildenlow’s often roaring and passionate vocals, these musicians blend heavy-handed crunch chords with swirling keys and cyclic themes while toggling between haunting motifs, tinges of dissonance and melodic interludes although the cumulative presentation could be viewed upon as being rather dark and foreboding.

Pieces such as “Inside” and “The ...