Outline
BE attempts to explore the many facets of human existence. It begins with the narration of Animae, someone or something who/that has existed for as long as he/she/it can remember and contemplates the nature of his/her/its existence and then begins a journey of understanding with the words: "I will call myself GOD and I will spend the rest of forever trying to figure out who I am". The story continues from there. The characters that appear and disappear throughout the story are as follows:
- Animae: Animae is the album's representation of God, or a Godhead.
- Nauticus: Nauticus is the name of a fictional space probe that is, according to the album, the most intelligent space probe ever to be created. In reference to the marine 'neighborhood', Nauticus 'drifts' throughout space, searching for answers to save Earth from itself.
- Imago: Imago is the image of humanity in its most natural form. Combined, Imago is the reflection of Animae.
- Dea Pecuniae: Dea Pecuniae can be seen as a feminine version of Mr. Money, and the Eve of humanity's dark side. In a way, she represents sin.
- Mr. Money: Mr. Money is the main character of the story; a man with the most wealth on Earth, who spends most of it on cryogenics in order to fulfill his wish - to be frozen, and not to be awakened until he is made immortal. He represents the darker side of humanity, being the Adam for Dea Pecuniae.
The sound and style are somewhat more varied than previous Pain of Salvation albums, but at the same time, calling upon those previous albums as influences. The album includes: narrative passages; a folk-like song; a gospel-prayer-like song; a church-hymn-like song; progressive metal songs; a classical piano/strings piece; a conversation with a radio in the background; news readings; and even a song that would not be out of place in a Broadway musical. Another song consists entirely of voice messages to be left on "God's answering machine". To approach this song, the band asks the subscribers of their newsletter to call a certain phone number and say what ever they would want to say to God.
In writing "BE", Daniel Gildenlöw used many resources for information, insights and inspiration. These can be viewed at the "BE" home page, and are intended as "points of departure" for listeners to continue their "own journey through "BE" ".
Read more about this topic: BE (Pain of Salvation album)
Famous quotes containing the word outline:
“I am fooling only myself when I say my mother exists now only in the photograph on my bulletin board or in the outline of my hand or in the armful of memories I still hold tight. She lives on in everything I do. Her presence influenced who I was, and her absence influences who I am. Our lives are shaped as much by those who leave us as they are by those who stay. Loss is our legacy. Insight is our gift. Memory is our guide.”
—Hope Edelman (20th century)
“The outline of the city became frantic in its effort to explain something that defied meaning. Power seemed to have outgrown its servitude and to have asserted its freedom. The cylinder had exploded, and thrown great masses of stone and steam against the sky.”
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)
“The beginning of an acquaintance whether with persons or things is to get a definite outline of our ignorance.”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)