Entropia (album)
Encyclopedia
Entropia is Pain of Salvation
's first studio album. It is a concept album
concerning the story of 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.
). 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
.
Chapter 1:
Chapter 2:
Chapter 3:
Epilogue:
Pain of Salvation
Pain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive rock band featuring Daniel Gildenlöw, who is the lyricist, chief composer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their sound is characterised by powerful, accentuated guitar work, broad vocal range, abrupt switching between heavy and calm passages, intense...
's first studio album. It is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
concerning the story of a family in a fictional society that is torn apart by a war. The title is a portmanteau of Entropy
Entropy
Entropy is a thermodynamic property that can be used to determine the energy available for useful work in a thermodynamic process, such as in energy conversion devices, engines, or machines. Such devices can only be driven by convertible energy, and have a theoretical maximum efficiency when...
(from thermodynamics, the measure of disorder present in a system), and Utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
(the ideal society). This is the only album to feature Daniel Magdic on guitar.
Release history
Entropia was first released by the Japanese company Marquee on their Avalon label in August 1997 (see 1997 in music1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
). 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
Pain of Salvation
Pain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive rock band featuring Daniel Gildenlöw, who is the lyricist, chief composer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their sound is characterised by powerful, accentuated guitar work, broad vocal range, abrupt switching between heavy and calm passages, intense...
.
Concept
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"
- 1. "Awakening"
- 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.
The band
- Daniel GildenlöwDaniel GildenlöwDaniel Gildenlöw is a Swedish musician and songwriter. He is best known as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist for Pain of Salvation, a Swedish progressive metal band. In the band, he is the main songwriter, lead guitar player, and the mastermind behind each album's concept...
- Lead vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Daniel Magdic - Guitar, vocals
- Fredrik HermanssonFredrik HermanssonFredrik Hermansson is a Swedish musician. He is currently a keyboardist and backing vocalist in the Swedish progressive metal band Pain of Salvation. He also works as a free-lance piano player and composer...
- KeyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Kristoffer GildenlöwKristoffer GildenlöwKristoffer Gildenlöw is a Swedish musician and songwriter. He is best known for his work as bass guitarist in the band Pain of Salvation, a band started by his older brother Daniel Gildenlöw...
- BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Johan LangellJohan LangellJohan Langell is a Swedish musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the Swedish progressive metal band Pain of Salvation.-Pain of Salvation:*Hereafter *Entropia...
- DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, vocals
Other
- Pain of SalvationPain of SalvationPain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive rock band featuring Daniel Gildenlöw, who is the lyricist, chief composer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their sound is characterised by powerful, accentuated guitar work, broad vocal range, abrupt switching between heavy and calm passages, intense...
- ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, mastering - Ander "Theo" Theander - Producer, engineeringEngineeringEngineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
- Anders Hansson - Engineering