ENDING THEMES - ON THE TWO DEATHS OF PAIN OF SALVATION

To say that Pain Of Salvation kicks a whole lot of ass would be an incredible understatement, and they've decided to showcase this fact on their second DVD, capturing the tour of their somewhat controversial release, Scarsick. Of course they've also managed to do it in an incredibly stylish and entertaining way, and fans will be happy to know that this set is not just a mere performance from the band. With a killer performance and enough extras to keep you busy for hours on end, this is definitely a must have for fans.

In it's normal edition, Ending Themes is a superb two disc set, showcasing not only the previously mentioned concert, but also behind the scenes documentary footage from the Be tour. The documentary is a great thing to watch if you're a big fan of the band, but it's also interesting if you just want to see some rock stars doing what they do. From the rehearsal room to the road, to Daniel fighting a cold to the boys ordering kinder surprises and having competitions with toy cars, the tour manager talking about sales, trying to find more t-shirts for the next gig, talking to journalists and fans - it's all there. Even if you'd never heard a Pain Of Salvation song going into the first disc of this set you would find yourself pleased with just how entertaining it is.

Of course, the main attraction, the concert DVD lies in wait on the second disc. Some who found the material on Scarsick to be a tad lackluster may even find themselves surprised when they hear the songs in a live format. Pain of Salvation was never a band to be scoffed at live, and they prove this once again by putting on a killer performance. Daniel also does a good job of keeping the show from getting monotonous by talking to the crowd throughout, and manages to put on some good performances, even if it is Johan Hallgren who will often steal the spotlight thanks to his crazy antics. Standout tracks among the fray include the nearly offensive America on which the Amsterdam crowd doesn't seem to mind what others have often put down the band for on this track (the lyrics), the delightfully heavy ! (Foreword) and some of the more moody songs that the band decides to whip out such as the eerie Undertow and the emotional Hallelujah which opens the encore set. Humorless and very serious proggers will also be surprised to find out that one of the most controversial songs ever recorded by a progressive metal band is bravely on the set list and is probably the best received from the crowd. The energy taken from the audience singing along to every scream coupled with the band's already furious mentality makes Disco Queen likely the most worthwhile addition to this set. Even if you're dead serious and can't have a few disc beats invading your music you'll find that this song whittles its way into your head and stays there - provided you've not a certain degree of ignorance in your musical taste. On the whole the set list is very complete, and while some may complain about this song or that song missing, on the whole it works as one powerful and complete set.

Overall this is recommended for everyone from beginners to the absolute hardcore Pain Of Salvation fan. For beginners it serves as a delightful entrance point to the band, showing the personalities behind the madness and giving a good taste of what the band is capable of from behind their instruments. Hardcore fans will, of course, love the performance and the chance to see the band in a more casual light, thanks to the first disc. Combine that all in some very amusing packaging, parodying modern TV box sets and dramas, and you've got yourself one hell of a live album. Pain of Salvation has always been on the cutting edge of progressive metal, whether they're doing it the way people want them to or not, and this is no exception. 4 stars out of 5! If you fancy yourself a fan of progressive metal then you must have this DVD.

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