ALBUM REVIEW: Panther – Pain of Salvation
After a medically-induced hiatus put the brakes on their active release schedule, revered prog-metal icons PAIN OF SALVATION struck back with vengeance to steal the top spot on many end-of-year lists with one of the 2010’s greatest progressive outings; 2017’s In The Light Of The Passing Day.
Daniel Gildenlow, the band’s mastermind since he brought it to fruition under the name of REALITY at the age of 11, has overseen the project through a series of subtle metamorphosis, casually reinventing its sound while maintaining sight of PAIN OF SALVATION’s core values along with its estimable post as one of the genre’s greatest forces for innovation. The magic behind the band’s subterranean levels of depth lies within the albums’ concepts.
Gildenlow’s efficacy for weaving a narrative of introspection, religion, war, sexuality and divisions within society has rarely faltered with 2020 welcoming Panther into the band’s grand archives. Revisiting a well-touched theme of societal outcasts looking inwards – this time presented through a world inhabited by dogs (normals) and panthers (outsiders) – PAIN OF SALVATION gives life to a trodden path with the familiar dynamic of challenging and ambitious songwriting; rewarding those that seek the finer details.
A PAIN OF SALVATION album, with Panther being no exception, has always required a certain level of diligence on the part of the listener. The melodies are often bizarre, the syncopation, distracting, and the dialogue, baffling, meaning multiple listens have almost become a prerequisite for uncovering the record’s true appeal. This isn’t to say that enjoying a PAIN OF SALVATION LP is hard work. On the contrary, Gildenlow and co. have rarely failed to conjure up something of magnificence (despite the, sometimes, bleak underlying concepts), it just takes time to see the greater picture. With that said, and no blatant choice for an entry-point for newcomers, the best course of action is to dive in the deep end and be prepared to listen closely.
The band’s albums often feature a very pronounced style, with Be (2004) leaning on classical and folk influences, 2007’s Scarsick adopting a myriad of 90s rock/metal tropes and both parts of the Road Salt series harnessing their own beautifully weird take on 70s rock ‘n’ roll. Panther, yet again showing the band’s appetite for reinvention, fuses the established timbres of prog-metal/rock with a layer of vibrant retro-futuristic electronics. It’s a sound of splendour with both bass and electric guitar retreating to the low-end to drive the album’s heft and fuzz while Panther’s colour seeps in through the various synthesised hisses, shrieks and playful key passages that pepper the mid-range. The latter serves to supplement the band’s familiar sights and sounds as opposed to re-writing history with the bombastic metal riffs heard on Unfuture and Icon, and the industrial beatdowns of the title-track taking due prominence. It’s a testament to the band’s flexibility that yet another change of direction comes so naturally; no matter where they stray, PAIN OF SALVATION remains instantly recognisable.
Breaking down Panther‘s 53-minute tracklist (an almost ephemeral runtime for the band’s standards) reveals nine entirely distinct tracks – each crucial to the album’s running concept and none standing in as filler. Ushering us into this dystopian society of dogs and panthers, the 1-2 punch, Accelerator into Unfuture, is tremendous. The former, one of the album’s more energetic pieces, throws streaks of synths atop an unwavering and jagged riff, Gildenlow, meanwhile, exerts his silk-smooth delivery as the song gradually builds to a burst where Daniel unleashes an almighty cry. It’s certainly a song of inclining proportions but the journey remains just as substantive as the destination. Unfuture, by comparison, is a bleaker affair. Truly one of the album’s more weighted instrumental moments, a twanging blues-soaked acoustic lead is joined by a thumping groove and the claustrophobic walls of industrial-type production. Gildenlow does little to hide the track’s message as we are asked to sign ourselves away to this new world, satisfied to give up our individuality to those ruling.
While it’s nothing too detracting, this running concept has its follies. It’s explored well enough, and the use of animalistic metaphors give the dead horse a little life, as Keen To A Fault critiques what is considered ‘normal’ while Panther and Species tell Gildenlow’s reclusive depiction of a panther’s life, but it can sometimes seem a little heavy-handed. For those that can truly resonate with the feeling of being a societal outsider then it’s something that will sweeten the deal but for the rest of us, it is the occasional bearer of a wince-inducing moment.
Fortunately, these moments are rare and fleeting. The remainder of Gildenhow’s writing is careful and meticulous – something joyfully pieced apart through careful inspection and an open mind. Admittedly, Gildenlow could quite possibly sing about an advanced race of bio-mechanical fascist penguins and it would still remain all the more convincing thanks to the measure of passion poured into his delivery. Restless Boy, Wait and Icon, tracks that exhibit their own moments of grace and power, they all owe their ability to provoke emotion to Gildenlow’s genuinely anguished yells and refrains. The fact that he has a band able to keep up with his prowess is, despite the band’s proven history, still beyond belief and it makes exploring the many grooves and breakdowns of Panther all the more enjoyable.
There isn’t a bad song on Panther. Twenty-three years in and PAIN OF SALVATION‘s ache for ambition, scale and bewildering proficiency still burns strong. Its message will slip people’s mind perhaps, the new mammalian angle not enough to give it relevance to some, but the music that carries the concept will undoubtedly remain etched in the minds of all that care to give it time. Like any PAIN OF SALVATION album, Panther may not show its beauty to the eye of the beholder on first glance, but look closer, and there is something truly of substance, something truly progressive.
Rating: 9/10
Panther is out now via InsideOut Music.
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