Melodic Revolution Records Featured Album | April/May 2016
Kristoffer Gildenlow | The Rain
Label : Melodic Revolution Records
Release Year : 2016
Country : Sweden/The Netherlands
Genre : Atmospheric Progressive Rock
Band Members
Kristoffer Gildenlow – Vocals/Electric/Acoustic Guitars/Keyboards/Piano/Bass Guitars/Double Bass/Percussion/Glockenspiel
Lars Erik Asp – Drums/Percussion
Paul Coenradie – Electric Guitar
Fredrik Hermansson – Piano/Electric Piano
Anne Bakker – Violin/Viola/Vocals
Maaike Peterse – Cello
Special Guest Musicians
Norman Ebicillo – Vocals on (Drizzle)
Cees Pouw – Accordion
Theo Tuesien – Church Organ
Popkoor Zuilen – Choir
Rienk Speelman – Conductor
Contact Links
Kristoffer Gildelow Official Website
Melodic Revolution Records Official Bandcamp Store
Kristoffer Gildenlow Official Melodic Revolution Records Profile
Kristoffer Gildenlow Official Facebook Page
Kristoffer Gildenlow Official Twitter
Kristoffer Gildenlow Official Youtube Channel
Inside a mans beating heart lies a cause or concern they must address and create awareness of. This comes in many forms through the arts and sciences. It gets so strong and deep within in their mortal soul that they must find a outlet to express and address such concern to the particular cause that keeps them awake at night. The expression even requires them to step outside themselves out of love so they can reach their desired target demographic. This is certainly the case with Kristoffer Gildelow and his 2016 album The Rain.
The Rain examines the life of a ageing man in the latter stages of dementia. The only comprehension of what he is experiencing comes through the elements of clouds and rain. The Rain also sets itself apart from most of Kristoffer’s work with DIAL, Pain Of Salvation and even his last solo album Rust in 2013. Where most concept albums in music serve as a escape from any reality with stories of science fiction, horror and fantasy, The Rain causes us to journey within the soul and heart of a man suffering things he does not much understand. Any listener with a open heart and mind can see themselves in this situation.
To the listener, The Rain is a very easy concept to get into. There is nothing too instrumentally overwhelming to where the listener gets lost in any virtuosity leading them away from the lyrical conceptual journey Kristoffer intended it to be. Every track on The Rain represents a memory or emotion within the man’s mind. The acoustical backdrop allows the listener to get captivated with the project where the lyrical content can better sink in to the psyche of the listeners understanding.
The concept begins with the effects of a thunderstorm followed by rain drops with a orchestral sound on After The Rain Part 2. Thereafter the track takes a lyrical self evaluation of where the man in at in the stage of his illness. It continues with Holding On Pt 1 through to Breathe In, Breathe Out. The female vocal best represents a dialogue between the man and family member. Tracks like Breathe In, Breathe Out , Drizzle, She, Seeking The Sun Pt 1 serve as eureka tracks where the concept actually starts to make sense to the listener. There are also many beautiful segue tracks that make the continuity of the album flow with gentleness between both instrumentally oriented and lyrically oriented tracks.
Kristoffer Gildenlow’s The Rain was well thought over, written, recorded, arranged and mastered. It is one of those albums that come along once in a generation and has such profound effect on the lives of the listener. Kristoffer Gildenlow has created a masterpiece by which will be talked about a few generations from now. The Rain has instantly entered into my top 15 albums of all time. The Rain also joins other concept albums of self conviction and reflection such as 2015’s Amadeus Awad’s Death Is Just A Feeling and 2004’s Areyon The Human Equation. It would not surprise me that this shows up as a Top 5 album of 2016 when the year end lists start coming out in November and December. This gets a 5/5 on content and development alone.
