Pain of Salvation, "Linoleum" EP

Pain of Salvation's new 6-track EP.

1.linoleum- similar sounding to songs from "Scarsick". The only noticeable difference in sound are dirtier sounding guitars and organs. after the second verse-chorus, there is a slow buildup beginning with a music box and daniel's delicate vocals. after a couple of minutes the crescendo crashes into a powerful climax. the lyrics are about a woman who shut herself off from emotions in order to get ahead in the world but who is now broken down, weeping on a linoleum floor. "sometimes that's all it takes-- a hand on your shoulder-- then she breaks."

2. mortar grind- retro sounding with distorted guitars, organ, and high-pitched snare. daniel sings with a lot of grit in his voice, some have said he sounds too much like mike patton. the song itself is simple, just a verse chorus repitition. i don't mind the sound, but this song is not progressive at all.

3.if you wait- a pain of salvation ballad. reminds me of some songs from BE. daniel's singing becomes quite inaudible at times; i have no idea what he's saying. yet, this song has a lot of emotion and you can really feel the pain gildenlow wants to convey in the lyrics (which deal with being permantely separated from someone).

4.gone- a powerful song about a character recognizing his loss of individuality to altruism and not being able to stop it. daniel's lyrics really creep you out with its vivid imagery:
"So crawl over the words I've bled
I'm not really there
Undress and crawl into my bed
I'm not really there
I'm gone
You see, deep inside I'm gone"

this song is most like pain of salvation's other work and is my favorite from this EP.

5.bonus track b- not a song, just the band talking, but it's funny. it involves hair.

6.yellow raven- a scorpion's cover. amazingly, pain of salvation's cover sounds even more blues-like than the original. a faithful rendition.

pain of salvation's linoleum differs from previous work with its retro-distortion guitars, less progressive riffs, and scratchier vocals. i don't really think it suites PoS, sounds almost like classic rock. still, a lot of the great things about PoS are still here: powerful lyrics, crescendos, etc. these songs are already confirmed as being on their upcoming "Road Salt", so expect this EP to be a good indicator of their new sound.

Katatonia, "Night is the New Day"

Katatonia's 8th studio album, now released three years after their great work 'The Great Cold Distance'. the production of this album is incredible. Night is the New Day is a bold step for Katatonia, but is still a natural development.

1.forsaker- electronic elements compliment the heavy guitar opening. the verse is fragile while the chorus is one of the heaviest they've done. then there is a guitar solo behind the verse instrumentals. jonas' voice is clear and calm as always. about three quarters through the song is an instrumental break that blows my mind. it's by far the most beautiful couple of seconds on the entire album. in the background is a muted distortion guitar while a clean guitar with echo leads before abruptly breaking into a heavier ending chorus; it's hard to describe.

2.the longest year- clean guitars, electronic drum pad and other synths create an atmospheric tone complimenting jonas' mournful voice. the tempo changes with a progressive, heavy break. the chorus is the result of an escalation from the atmospheric verse into a chaotic melody. this pattern repeats a second time and ends after the second chorus, where jonas lets his voice rise a little from its usual reserved nature.

3.idle blood- whoa, an acoustic track. the intro a beautiful guitar melody with matching synth strings. the verse picks the song up with chord strumming on the guitar. the chorus' vocal melody is amazing and is even almost not sad (though the lyrics are). the synths add a lot of dimension to the song. idle blood ends with jazz-like drumming, guitars, and electronic piano.

4.onward into battle- a simple song with a leisurely tempo. this is the song you listen to in order to let your mind drift. the guitars are a little retro with the flanger. the synths help elevate the chorus from the rest of the song.

5.liberation- a heavy opening that carries throughout the song reminds me of 'the great cold distance'. the verse is more atmospheric, though. half way through is a progressive, off tempo passage that begins with muted, dulcimer-like synth. a guitar solo grows off of it before becoming the ending chorus.

6.the promise of deceit- atmospheric yet more aggressive than, say, onward into battle. the electronic influences really give katatonia a clean, modern sound.

7.nephilim- distorted guitar with a lot of bends create a memorable opening. the chorus is heavier than the median for this album. after the second chorus jonas sings a melody without adding words to it.

8.new night- a more lively song than previous ones with rhythm guitar being heard in the verse. an instrumental break with distant sounding piano and guitar. the chorus is fluid even with distortion staccato on the guitar.

9.inheritance- there is not so much to say about the song specifically. more importantly, the atmosphere and tone of the song is what you listen for (as with the rest of the album). these songs, this one in particular, evoke real responses with minimalistic instrumentals and calm, simple vocal lines.

10.day and then the shade- similar in structure and liveliness to forsaker. this is their first single for the album. a song meant to be played live unlike some of the other tracks from this album. although this song is heavier than most from this album, its still as calming as the rest-- something about the way jonas' voice is always so peaceful.

11.departer- krister linder provides guest vocals for this track. somber piano chords are the spine of departer. krister linder sings with extraordinary honesty and emotion. an instrumental break changes the tone to a more haunted sound.

a great album. the electronic elements to this album give Night is the New Day a character quite different from The Great Cold Distance. Yet, if you liked tgcd, this album will please you. Night is the New Day expand's Katatonia's horizons with a modern, minimalistic, and atmospheric tone. The mental image i get while listening to this album are of driving through a city on a rainy night. in a way, that image summarizes Night is the New Day: modern, electronic, dark. I've found the best way to appreciate Night is the New Day is to listen to it as you go to sleep.