In 1984, 11-year-old Daniel Gildenlow started a band called REALITY in Eskilstuna, Sweden, and in 1987 the band participated the Swedish annual Music contest, "Rock-SM". They were the youngest competitors to ever participate and Daniel Gildenlow also won the "Best Vocalist" award, which earned them a reputation in the late 80's. Daniel Gildenlow changed the band's name to PAIN OF SALVATION from an idea that he reportedly got in math class and the band went through numerous line-up changes all the while contesting in competitions across the country. Their first full-length album was released in the year 1997, entitled "Entropia", and since then the band has released 9 other full length albums. The Swedish Progressive Rock/Metal band released its latest effort titled "In The Passing Light Of Day" via InsideOut Music in the year 2017 and the band gets inspired from varied artists from THE BEATLES to SOUNDGARDEN to BLACK SABBATH. The band also has a US tour in the works for the early part of 2017.

"On A Tuesday", the first track of the album is a 10-minute long track that does not feel like a long track as it engrosses from the beginning. The track is about lead singer Daniel Gildenlow's near death experience and also the about how humans deal with death and try and make bargains. The song boasts of a robust, hardy riff and, as it is the trend in Prog Metal, the song boasts of unusual melodies and irregular tempos. "Tongue Of God" starts off as a ballad with soft piano music before the heavy riff comes to play. The song is almost alternative, grungy in feel, and the track is about the emotions that the singer went through during his tough times."Meaningless" is a track that is a rehashed song from Ragner Zolberg's previous band, SIGN, and is a haunting song and is almost a duet between Ragner Zolberg and Daniel Gildenlow. The track boasts of some mean riffs and is almost doom laden in its nature. "Reasons" has one of the heaviest opening riffs of the album but slows down considerably during the verse. The vocals are filled with angst, raw energy and it is filled with almost rap like parts and odd timings. The title track, "The passing Light Of Day", is a 15-minute magnum opus and it begins off sedately and is a poignant ode to lovers and the pain of separation. The first part of the song is a slow build up to the 7 minute mark when the tempo starts to pick up. Its an emotional track that encompasses the concept of the album and is a fitting end to a superlative effort.

"The passing Light Of Day" is a concept album dealing with the illness that the lead singer and main architect of the band went through and deals with the range of emotions that he went through. It is indeed a masterpiece of an album that is an emotional and a modern sounding album. The lyrical content is deep and personal to the band and the album deals with a roller coaster of emotions arising from a near death experience of Daniel Gildenlow when he contracted a bacterial infection and had to be hospitalized. Interesting to note that Daniel Gildenlow has contributed to Progressive Metal giants DREAM THEATER's 2007 album, "Systematic Chaos". This is a must have for Progressive Rock/Metal fans and it will thrill the fans to bits that this genre is alive and thriving with bands like PAIN OF SALVATION on the horizon.<