ASHES

This is the single release of one of my favorite PoS ballds of all time, Ashes.This Singles edition released by InsideOut Records features 3 songs. The Radio edit of Ashes and the regular album version of it. It also features two other songs, The Big Machine, a great song from the studio album, "One Hour By The Concrete Lake" and Used, the song that is played before Ashes on the album "The Perfect Element Part I".

This single/Ep may not be the greatest piece of music a person can get, but if you can find it and have not listened or heard PoS before, this is a great introduction to such a magnificent band. The amazing ballad-like song like Ashes is a great introduction to such a great band. Such a beautiful, expression-ful song is a must hear. Now I must copy the lyrics here to JUST show the beauty and the perfection Gildenlow has made this song into:

You claim I don't know you, but I know you well I read in those ash eyes we've been through hell I've walked with the weakest just to feel strong You've given your body just to belong

Let's burn together Let's burn together

This pain will never end These scars will never mend

I taste your sorrow and you taste my pain Drawn to each other for every stain Licking the layers of soot from your skin Your tears work my crust to let yourself in

Touching you harder Touching you harder now

As we walk through the ashes I whisper your name A taste of pain to cling to As we walk through the ashes You whisper my name Who's the one with the sickest mind... now?

This pain will never end Our scars will never mend Cleansing sweat We are just using each other Too depraved to stay alive But too young to die And we hurt Thus we hurt

Scrubbing it harder Too late to back out now Scrubbing it even harder As these two broken barren desolate disordered words collide

As we walk through the ashes I whisper your name A taste of pain to cling to As we walk through the ashes You whisper my name Who's the one with the sickest mind... now?

This pain will never end These scars will never mend Damn this dirty bed Damn this dirty head

Plus the heavy, but great introduction of Used is also a great way of introducing people to the variation that PoS has to offer. The Big Machine is another example of a great song where Daniel Gildenlow's variation and emotions are shown. The Mike Patton influence has really benefited Gildenlow's style and voice, but in my humble opinion, Gildenlow surpasses Patton with his amazing emotions, lyrics, song compositions and vocal delivery. This is a must buy if you are a huge fan of Pain Of Salvation (like me) or just want a quick introduction to Pain Of Salvation.

This Ep/Singles might not be essential or a masterpiece of progressive music like Pain Of Salvation's studio albums, but it is surely excellent to any Prog music collection.