close to a religous experience!!!
When I heard that Pain of Salvation was putting out a live album I could not have been more excited. When I heard that it was to be an all acoustic CD I was a little sceptical. However, less then a minute into the disc I realized that I was truly in for a musical experience. This is not simply a random collection of songs altered to fit the "acustic" format. This is a completely original aural expreience, I guess that should be expected from a band of such immense talent. The disc is broken into three sections 1.Genesis,2.Genesister,and 3.Genesinister. Each section is comprised of material from the albums Entropia,The perfect Element Pt.1, and Remedy Lane(There is no music from One hour by the Concrete Lake). The songs have been modified slightly to fit in with the overall concept of this album and work exceptionally well as a unit. Daniel gildenlow's AMAZING voice soars over a thick tapestry of sound created by a variety of acustic instruments including cello and Harpsichord. The vocal harmonies (which sometimes get lost in the bombast of their electric albums)truly are some of the finest I've ever heard. There are several little suprises thrown in for fun, such as the Darth Vader theme, and a version of Ashes played in a major key. Overall, This is one of the finest albums I've heard all year, and belive that even those not familiar with the music of POS will agree. It's close to a religous experience!!!I
acoustic Pain of Salvation...pure enchantment!
I didn't really think this album was too big a deal until I actually heard it. As it turns out, Pain of Salvation's music lends itself very well to this style of arrangement, but the band takes things farther than merely stripping the music down. Acoustic guitars and keyboards (grand piano and harpsichord) are the primary tools here, so that in itself is a change. But Gildenlow has rearranged the music dramatically in most cases, making for a funky-fresh new spin on old songs.A lot of people probably look at tracklisting and think "wtf" so I will explain it. The album is divided into three "books":
Genesis - A medley of "Leaving Entropia", "This Heart of Mine", "Song for the Innocent", and the chanting from the end of "Her Voices".
Genesister - Full songs this time, includes "Winning a War", "Reconciliation", "Dryad of the Woods", "Oblivion Ocean", "Undertow" and "Chain Sling".
Genesinister - Back to a big medley of the intro to "Idioglossia", the middle instrumental section of "Her Voices", then the complete "Second Love", "Ashes", and finally a joyous, kinetic instrumental jam.
Sonically and performance-wise, the album is beautiful. Daniel Gildenlow's vocals are incredibly powerful, and the band's vocal harmonies are by far the best in metal. One of the most interesting aspects of the album is how songs retain their original mood despite the altered arrangements, like the ghostly rendition of "Undertow" or the full-band format of "Leaving Entropia". "Oblivion Ocean", rearranged with harpsichord, creates a different atmosphere entirely. Unplugged "Chain Sling" abandons its heaviness but maintains its aggrieved power. "Song of the Innocent" is funkified and still gorgoeus. Entirely different, tho', is "Ashes", which is turned from a dark, harrowing song about two broken souls coming together into a major-key ballad and the effect is very weird. Hearing the bleak metaphorical lines like "Licking the layers of soot from your skin" rendered all happy-like is almost _more_ unsettling. It's almost funny actually (especially with Gildenlow's campy Patton-esque histrionics at the end). Other songs are modified only slightly ("Second Love", with piano solo rather than guitar solo; "This Heart of Mine" cuts the middle section, adds more vocal harmonies, and extends the second verse), or not at all ("Dryad of the Woods").
A few complaints: "This Heart of Mine" is missing its crucial middle section, which is the anchor of the whole song. _One Hour by the Concrete Lake_ is not represented, unfortunately. A more general remark: while the music is beautiful and exceptionally well-performed, the format divorces the songs from their original context which diminishes their power. Pain of Salvation's songs are parts of bigger stories which have an important dramatic curve. Then again, perhaps it is a mistake on my part as a listener to look at the music from that perspective. The music in and of itself is gorgeous and is beautifully enjoyable independent of any reference to the original albums.
But meh. My nitpicking is irrelevant and this is an outstanding release. While this album does nothing to further strengthen their position as one of progressive metal's leading bands, it does reinforce my awareness of their obscene talent and the tremendous beauty they are capable of. And if for whatever reason you're NOT a Pain of Salvation fan and you're looking at these reviews, I encourage you to check it out.
WOW!...only Pain of Salvation could do this!
I'm blown away! This is easily the best unplugged, acoustic show I've ever heard. The playing is awesome, and the singing is incredible. Usually, the lead singer sounds good and the other members of the band sound bad, NOT HERE! Johan Halgren and Johan Langell sing awesome! I won't go through each song, but this album is jaw-droppingly good!
Acoustic Brilliance!
Although Pain Of Salvation is generally looked upon as a Progressive Metal outfit, 12:5 shows the band on a different level that is bound to send shivers through the bodies of all who appreciate Progressive music. Now, when I say "Progressive" I mean it in a very literal sense. With this I mean that Pain Of Salvation shows incredible progression on this release that makes this release (and band) Progressive in every sense of the word.
As far as the instrumentation goes, you can expect acoustic guitars, piano as well as a harpsicord, light drums, bass and (of course) Daniel Gildenlow's instantly-recognizable vocals. Upon listening I find myself truly enjoying the use of piano and harpsicord just a tad more than the rest ... just a tad. Although the grand piano is used much more than the harpsicord, the harpsicord adds a whole new dimension to the music as displayed in Oblivion Ocean as well as the beautiful instrumental Dryad Of The Woods.
Honestly, to describe how I feel about this album in words is virtually impossible. If you like Progressive Metal and/or Rock, you have to hear this album. I am obviously a Metal fan and although there are no traces of Metal here, I find myself becoming enthralled each and everytime I listen to 12:5. I definitely know it's easy to shun away from all-acoustic albums (I've done it before) but please don't fall victim to this ... 12:5 is excellence in every sense of the word. Get this album! :-D
4.5 Stars. Wonderful Account of Craftsmanship
The thought of a Progressive Metal band doing a completely unplugged album would make most people cringe. But if you were like me, you realized this band has the talent to do anything. Their musical palette is already wide, but this just puts them over the top.
The album opens up with an interesting choice: the conclusion of their "Entropia" album. To start this album with the ending of another shows that they aren't scared to change around and add upon already recorded music. Not only does it open up the album, but sets the musical tone for the whole recording. With its combination of complicated song structure and huge amount of vocal harmonies, its sound is varied yet focused throughout the album.
Knowing that it was recorded live gives you a huge appreciation for the vocal harmonies that "Leaving Entropia" starts off with and is prevelent throughout the whole thing. They are extremely impressive, holding a certain Eagles meets Gentle Giant quality. Though they aren't perfect knowing that they were achieved live with little editing leads you to believe they are highly trained, very practiced musicians. The only problem with the harmonies is that they are so plentiful that it might seem overpowering. For those who love Daniel's voice (as I am one of you), you might feel it isn't shown enough. If you were uneducated in the PoS sound you would think that they are showing off how well they play together.
Flaunting their talent to sound like the most accomplished band in the world is something that is not unheard of with them, but they seem to always do it with an heir of craftsmanship. Daniel's unsurpassed songwriting talents are shown once again. With the additions of harpsicords and cellos, the sound has never been fuller. Granted they are playing previously recorded material only strikes you the first or second listen. Soon after you realize that the album brings so many new elements to their sound that this mine as well be new material. Even though the grand piano and harpiscord are the only instruments played by Frederik Hermansson, it just seems like the songs were built for that sound. The keyboard he has proven to master almost seems obsolete after hearing his mastering of a re-worked version of "Dryad of the Woods". To the longtime fan, you will love the harpsicord sound because it seems to fit into the environment and mood that PoS is so great at conveying. That mood has never been fuller, expecially with the acoustic version of the intro to "Idioglossia". The acoustic bass Kristoffer Gildenlow masters in the song couldn't sound fuller. At one point the strings are flapping against the neck so hard it sounds like the instrument is cracking. All of this adds so much to the already full sound conveyed.
The little things make this album one of the best acoustic performances I've ever heard. The acoustic soloing is EXTREMELY impressive, though they are scarce. The singing is top notch, yet it overpowers the acoustic music that is so beautiful. That is the only problem I see with this album other than it not having new material. But like I said, the versions are so new and innovative that they don't even seem like previous pieces. This is a nearly flawless album that is proof that there is a whole lot more that Pain of Salvation has to offer. Giving their work more time and patience will only bring you delight and satisfaction.
The progressive metal act's 2004 album features three tracks, 'Book I - Genesis', 'Book II - Genesister', & 'Book III - Genesinister', offering 60 minutes of outstanding acoustic music. Slipcase. Inside Out. 2004.
Only Few Current Bands Cover Such a Broad Spectrum of Musical Influences as the Swedish Cult Prog Metal Rockers Pain of Salvation, who Are Lead by Daniel Gildenlow, One of the Most Creative Musicians of the Swedish Music Scene. This Stroke of Genius is the Live Recorded Acoustic Album "12:5" Which is Conceptually Separated Into Three Books (Book I: Genesis, Book Ii: Genesister, and Book Iii: Genesinister) and which Entirely Represents the Great Musical Skills of Those Five Swedish Guys. The Otherwise Rather Metallic Sounding Band Captivates the Listener with a Vivid Sound Characterized by Acoustic Guitar and Piano. In this Sound Powerful Approaches Are Mixed with Quieter Parts that Remind of Moody Bar Music.
