Review Summary: An engaging treatise (or perhaps a warning) on the rise and fall of mankind.
BE, a concept album made by Pain of Salvation back in 2004, has recently “spoken” to me during these trying times of Covid 19. I bought this album from a used CD store in Huntsville, AL around 2 years back, based on reputation alone. For the longest time, this album sat in my sell back bin – just didn't originally click with me. For some unknown reason, I physically removed it from the bin about a week ago, and invested the time to read through the lyric sheets while listening real time. Subsequently, I also visited Pain of Salvation's archived website, pursed through discussion forums on the album, and watched the album done live by Pain of Salvation with the Orchestra of Eternity on YouTube.
The following is my take” or interpretation on the content of “BE”, and less of a review per se.
This album extends from the genesis of the Creator (Animae, God) and mankind (Imago), to the rise of Imago (in number and influence), to the fall and demise of both Animae and Imago, and then beyond. Though some have deemed this album “pretentious”, I instead see it as an engaging treatise (or perhaps a warning) on the rise and fall of Imago, based on Daniel Gildenlow's intensive literature review and study.
From the very start, in song Animae Partus (“I Am”), the concept of God “trying to figure out who I am” intrigues me. Animae creates Imago (us) and “the world to be an image of myself, my mind”. From being a Father, I now know that there is no better way to comprehend your genetic traits than to produce children, whom harbor “images of yourself”. In their children, a mother/father sees traits of her/his own (i.e., shards of the whole), some of which you favor and others despise. With “a talent for seeing patterns and finding correlations”, children (or Imago for Animae) allow one to define “Who I am?”
The song “Animae Partus (All in the Image Of)” describes the massive growth in world human population over time: “And now I am many, so many, so much larger than ever I were”. In these times of Covid 19, the lines “Yet, at the same time so much smaller and more vulnerable” strike home. As does, due to recent political divisions and discontent, the line “I see them interact, develop; I see them take different sides as were they different minds; believers of different ways and different gods”. Further, Animae notes of Imago that “they become less and less parts of a whole, and more and more just parts”. If one thing Covid 19 has shown us is that we are all in the same boat together.
Speaking of the world in which we live; as defined in the song “Diffidentia”, the world is “a stage too wide and deep for your sheep, for us to even see the play”. But, as individuals, our life is driven by life and death, which captivates our thoughts and fears, and takes its toll on each of us. “'Cause we are all the little tin man, with hearts like little tin cans. And as we line them down with tears over the years, they inevitably turn...to rust”.
Several songs reflect our current society. In the song “Imago”, the progression from learning to receiving/expecting is stark, with Imago uttering the final lines “Give me everything as long as it's for free”. This societal characteristic is further refined in the song “Dea Pecunia”, with the character Mr. Money. As pretentious as this character is, it is impossible not to see reflections of us (Imago) in him, especially given the furthering division between the upper 1% and the lower and middle working class. “Money rules”.
The song “Nihil Morari” is a reminder of how Earth has been ever imprinted by our (Imago's) presence. “Everything bears our name. While Earth is bleeding.” The first image this brought to mind, for me, were the trash heaps identified to be floating atop the oceans. Just one of quite many additional atrocities.
The remainder of the album takes us through the loss of God. Animae's line “my shards have become shards of their own; pieces of pieces, impossible to put back together” prefaces the ultimate “I have no choice but to leave them to their own devices”. As Animae fades, Imago too fades. Ultimately reaching a breaking point, with a massive drop in population from 9,104MM to 1.2MM people.
Many of us, myself included (a proud Agnostic), struggle with understanding our place in this world. The following are insightful. First, in the song “Diffidentia”, the line “Searching for yourself is like looking for the house you stand in; how could you possibly find it? Its' everywhere” It's all you know. And there are no other points of reference”. Secondly, “Just BE”, prefaced with “Many times looking for yourself is losing yourself”.
In closing, the following lines of the song “Nihil Morari” as spoken by Imago (us), warrant reflection upon. “It's not hard to reach the top! It's not hard not knowing when to stop! It's not hard to take all! Not difficult to fly if you settle for a fall!” The latter being a subtle reference to the book Ishmael. And ultimately “Forgive us; the fools that rushed ahead without a single clue...”.
No worries if you interpret this album differently. That is what make it truly a "work of art".
