PANTHER

Albums like Panther are the reason why I love progressive rock and metal music. Albums that, the first time you spin them, leave you confused and disoriented, unsure whether you have just listened to a masterpiece you do not yet fully understand, or to an album you'll end up loathing. And so you immediately embark on a second listening session, and then another one, and one more after that. And, with each new spin, the album grows on you, the music unfolds layer after layer and starts speaking to you, and you get closer and closer to the realization that, yes, this is a masterpiece, one of those albums you'll be returning to time and again for years to come, because it is just that good.

Panther is studio album number 11 in the career of Pain of Salvation and is a masterpiece of modern progressive metal. With emphasis on "modern", because Panther is an album that bears little resemblance to the traditional prog metal sound that Pain of Salvation contributed to define back in the 90s, together with bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X and Fates Warning. Rather, Panther is an album based on sounds borrowed from genres that are far away from metal, such as electronica, trip hop and rap, that are then meticulously weaved in into Pain of Salvation's trademark sound to create a new, fascinating hybrid. The band is not new to this type of boundary-pushing, genre-bending experiments ? as testified by albums like Scarsick and the two Road Salts. But Panther, with its heavy focus on electronic influences, is perhaps a bigger step away from the band's prog metal roots than any of their previous albums, falling into an uncharted territory at the border between metal, electronic music and alternative rock, not unlike Leprous's latest album Pitfalls.

If you have listened to either of the two singles taken from Panther ("Accelerator" and "Restless Boy"), then you know what I am talking about ? because these songs are very representative of the sound you will find on the album. You will NOT find many intricate guitar riffs on Panther, or lengthy technical solos, or other traditional trademarks of progressive metal music. What you will find instead are songs that are based on simple, hypnotic piano and guitar loops, syncopated drum patterns, electronic samples and futuristic synthesizer sounds, creating complex and ever-shifting polyrhythmic soundscapes that counterpoint Daniel Gildenlöw's beautiful, mellow vocal lines. The contrast between soothing and expansive melodies and eerie electronic undertones is a constant theme of the album. It creates an immersive, sinister atmosphere that gives the album a unique, cohesive identity that fits perfectly with its vaguely dystopian subject matter about a parallel future world populated by "dogs", who can fit with society's norms and expectations, and "panthers" who cannot.

There is plenty of surprises and highlights throughout the album, with every song a potential hit. "Accelerator" is a fantastic opener, moving back and forth between delicate parts with only Daniel's voice, and sections built on glitchy keyboard lines and djenty rhythmic riffs, before exploding in a maelstrom of vocal effects in the final chorus. The other single, "Restless Boy", sounds like a ballad written by a melancholic supercomputer, where the use of vocoder and electronic effects bring to mind Daft Punk. But the surprises are just behind the corner, as the track suddenly takes a heavier turn in the second half, with some frantic percussive vocals and guitars that again have a djent flavour.

On "Wait" the band move into slightly more traditional territory, with Daniel's gentle vocal lines soaring over a beautiful piano loop that reminds me of Kevin Moore and his electro-ambient project Chroma Key. The dark electronic undertones are still present, though, and come to the fore later in the track, as the vocals become slightly processed and a computerized loop replaces the initial piano loop. A similar trick is used on the more energetic "Keen to a Fault", where a synthesizer and an acoustic guitar swap the same loop repeatedly throughout the track. "Fur" is a brief instrumental that surprises with a hymn-like melody played on what sounds like a processed banjo. The title-track is a monster of a curveball that is bound to divide fans. It starts with tribal electronic beats and rapped vocals (think of "Spitfall" from Scarsick, but much less metal) and it then transitions to a beautiful calm part with only Daniel's voice accompanied by piano that gradually evolves into a full-blown chorus with the addition of distorted guitars, drums and electronic effects to reach a wonderful climax.

The 13+ minutes of "Icon" conclude the album and are packed with more ideas than many bands can come up with over an entire album. The song plays again on the contrast between menacing sections with dissonant guitars and processed vocals and parts that are more delicate, where the instruments quiet down and make room for Daniel's emotional vocals, reminding me of some of the softer moments on the Road Salt albums. I love the fact that the different parts of the song continuously bleed into one another, as when, on the quieter verse, a dissonant guitar suddenly appears behind Daniel's soothing voice. The song also contains a great guitar solo (one of the very few present on the album), very expressive and full of pathos. It is a perfect conclusion to a magnificent album.

Pain of Salvation are a band known for pushing boundaries and striving to produce albums that are not mere copies of their previous releases. With Panther, Pain of Salvation have managed to completely re-invent themselves, bringing in new sounds and many diverse influences, and meshing them with their unique sense of dynamics and instantly recognizable melodic style. It is probably their most daring sonic experiment to date ? even more so than their 2006's genre-blurring (and fan-dividing) album Scarsick ?, and there are good chances that a portion of the band's fanbase might be caught off guard by the strange blend of electronica and metal that shapes the nine songs of Panther. My advice, however, is not to give up on this album too soon, because Panther is definitely a grower that requires a lot of active listening to be fully appreciated. I promise that you won't regret the time investment, because with Panther Pain of Salvation have managed to write one of the best, most creative and refreshing albums of their entire career.

(Originally written for The Metal Observer)