BE

There have been just a few key moments that I've come across something beautiful, something important, that i found didn't belong in the medium that it was boxed into. A video game that had a wonderful message, a work of art that should be heard and experienced by more people but is dragged down by the fact that it isn't a movie or a book or a painting but a game and primarily is not meant to be anything but. A movie that gifted ideas so profound, but the subject matter is shallow on the surface and takes away from the experience if for no other reason than 'leave that to the documentaries, this doesn't belong in X Y Z movie'. They become cult classics, or resonate with just a few people, but for the most part they are found to be pretentious, controversial, and are either spat at like they are worse than garbage or hailed and loved deeply those that the message touched.

This is one of those times that i find the medium just doesn't, and can't possibly, do the message justice. Pain Of Salvation, like a missionary on a quest for evangelism in a foreign land, forgo their music entirely for the spoken words. It is bigger than themselves, than their music, and they treat it as such. It isn't an album to be enjoyed as music as much as it is an experience for your life.

Now, i started reviewing on this site in my early teen years, and actually the first progressive rock album i ever listened to beyond the standard RUSH albums i had collected before i knew of prog was Dream Theaters - Scenes From a Memory Metropolis Part II. At the time it completely blew my mind, from instrumental skill of the musicians (Mike Portnoy was one of my biggest influences in learning my own instrument) to the way that the album told a story throughout. But, i was young and impressionable and i did not see the faults at the time. Years later i revised my score of the album and found that i no longer enjoyed listening to it for these reasons: the overlong jamming moments of most songs were drawn out and should have been cut down to just enough time to get the idea across then move on, and the subject matter of the album was just kind of laughable and juvenile, cheesy even. I took a star off for these reasons, and i might even take another one off if "I haven't had one single urge to listen to this album in years, and still don't want to even now" was a reason to diminish an albums' value. But it isn't actually, because these concept albums take quite a toll on the individual and it is an investment. Only the highest quality rock operas can be listened to on a more regular basis, and even those you wouldn't listen to in one sitting you just pick out the songs you like and digest in small portions.

At that time, as a teenager, if i had heard and reviewed this album it would have blown my mind 10 fold of Scenes did. But, since then, I've had many existential all-night conversations about life, and God, and why-are-we-here and all that so this albums' subject matter doesn't shock me or really even get me thinking too much as I've done all that and then some.

BE has the opposite issue that Scenes did for me back then, the lyrical content and overall purpose of the message outweigh the music itself. But that doesn't mean i don't still find the message, and in turn this album, important. It is very important, and i do believe that for someone that has not given serious thought into the metaphysical beyond needs to hear this. I have been a fan of Pain Of Salvation for years, but never attempted to listen to/review this album probably because i was more than satisfied with Remedy Lane and The Perfect Element, so i moved on to other bands before finally coming around full circle back to this album. Those albums are perfection, and essential, and the music meshes perfectly with the message. This one is a gorgeous piece of art, but unfortunately it is confined in the realm of a piece of music, and as such it must be judged by how well it works in that medium. I imagine a live stage play would be wonderful, for what its' worth.

I didn't have to listen to this album many times to 'get it', but i also don't find the concept of God and the metaphysical world controversial, it is something i think about daily. So, those reviewers who are saying this is challenging music it really isn't in the sense that the music is challenging, it is the subject matter that challenges them.

If you are a young progressive rock adventurer, do yourself a favor and really give this album a good long listen and if it speaks to you then i suppose it did its' job as the purpose is just to be heard.

Larger than life piece of musical art, that is more art than music.

Essential to experience for some, non-essential to own for others. 4 stars.