Entropia (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Entropia
Type = Studio
Artist = Pain of Salvation


Released = August 1997
Recorded = Roasting House Recording Studio; Malmö, Sweden
spring 1997
Genre = Progressive metal
Length = 70:42
Label = Avalon (later InsideOutMusic)
Producer = Anders "Theo" Theander
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:vy5ibkh90akn link]
Last album = Hereafter
(1996)
This album = "Entropia"
(1997)
Next album = "One Hour by the Concrete Lake"
(1998)

"Entropia" is Pain of Salvation's first studio album. It is a concept album concerning a family in a fictional society that is torn apart by a war. The title is a portmanteau of Entropy (from thermodynamics, the measure of disorder present in a system), and Utopia (the ideal society). This is the only album to feature Daniel Magdic on guitar.

Note: This portmanteau (between "Entropy" and "Utopia") acts as such only in the English language. The word "Entropia", in Spanish, means "Entropy" in English.

Release history

"Entropia" was first released by the Japanese company Marquee on their Avalon label in August 1997 (see 1997 in music). Following favourable reviews and positive fan reactions in the progressive rock/metal world, Marquee decided to fly Daniel over to Tokyo a week in October 1997 to promote the album. While in Tokyo, Daniel featured in various TV and radio shows, did interviews for the Japanese metal press, and performed in selected record stores. Around this time, purchasing albums through online record stores was commonplace, and fans from around the world began to do so with Entropia.

It was subsequently released in Romania (1998 on Rocris Discs), in Europe (September 1999 on InsideOut Music), in South America (September 1999 on Hellion), and in the USA (2000 on InsideOut America). This elaborate release history is indicative of an emerging band's first album, and the fact that they do not have a long-term contract with a major record label. As a result, the album is released a number of times on a number of different labels in a number of countries, as demonstrated with Pain of Salvation.

Overview

Entropia is perhaps best described as a groovy blend of progressive metal. While there are many metal sections to the songs, it is perhaps Pain of Salvation's "funkiest" album, and also incorporates many slower songs and passages.

Themes

*Effect of war on family
*Father leaves family to fight in war (to protect family)
*Son being lead astray and fall to poverty.
*Death of son -> Man's conflict with God
*Move to West Entropia (swears to protect loved ones)
*Hostile new life
*Death of wife -> Man's conflict with God
*Comes to terms with guilt for failing to protect loved ones
*Chronological order of songs (mention that: the "time markers" that were to supposedly allow the chronological ordering of songs possible were somehow omitted from the final booklet production)

Track listing

Prologue::1. "! (Foreword)" - (6:11)

Chapter 1:

:2. "Welcome to Entropia" - (1:22):3. "Winning a War" - (6:33):4. "People Passing By" - (9:07):: 1. "Awakening"::: 1. "Daybreak"::: 2. "Midday":: 2. "Memorials" (Instrumental):: 3. "Nightfall":5. "Oblivion Ocean" - (4:43)

Chapter 2:

:6. "Stress" - (5:01):7. "Revival" - (7:39):8. "Void of Her" - (1:46):9. "To the End" - (4:57)

Chapter 3:

:10. "Circles" - (0:55):11. "Nightmist" - (6:49):12. "Plains of Dawn" - (7:23)

Epilogue:

:13. "Leaving Entropia (Epilogue)" - (2:31)

Additional Information

*The Japanese version of "Entropia" has a bonus track after "To the End" titled "Never Learn to Fly".
*All music by Daniel Gildenlöw except 1, 4 (part 2), 6, 7 & 9 by Daniel Gildenlöw and Daniel Magdic.

Personnel

The band

*Daniel Gildenlöw - Lead vocals, guitar
*Daniel Magdic - Guitar, vocals
*Fredrik Hermansson - Keyboard
*Kristoffer Gildenlöw - Bass, vocals
*Johan Langell - Drums, vocals

Other

*Pain of Salvation - Producer, mastering
*Ander "Theo" Theander - Producer, engineering
*Anders Hansson - Engineering

References

* [http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=1022 PAIN OF SALVATION Entropia reviews and MP3 @ progarchives.com]