Was it based on personal experience or simply passive observation?

What happened in the recording studio or on stage to make one song sound different from the rest?

These are just some of the question bands and musicians attempt to answer in Line 'em Up - the newest page of The Power Of Metal.Dk.

This is where your favourite bands comment on their albums, track by track, because as someone once said, “Ideas are the building blocks of ideas”.

Enjoy!

Here’s a chance for you to tell our readers about your new album “Beyond Man and Time”. 

But could you please start off by introducing the readers to RPWL? 

After more than 12 years of work as a band and something around 10 records we finally know that we are doing so called "art rock"! 

And now onto “Beyond Man and Time”… track-by-track, what inspired you, what topics are you dealing with, what do what to express with this song etc.

The whole thing wasn't really intended to be a concept album from the very beginning! I think I wrote down the first words and ideas in the beginning of 2011. What I really wanted to do was bringing together the spiritual part of "World through my eyes" and the rational social criticism of "the RPWL experience". I put my thoughts into a story, a travel of a human being into a new kind of self-responsibility. And as the story grew it came quite clear that it was too much story for a simple album with a central theme. So you see, it was not our intention to do a concept album, it was the album that wanted us to do it.

The story is very much based on Nietzsches "Zarathustra" and some of his figures, mostly seen in the "Honey Sacrifice". Basically it's a plea for a new original thinking with many interesting thoughts to experience, to agree or to disagree.  Every track on the album is a figure he meets.

01. Transformed 

The first song "Transformed" is the stepping out of Plato's cave. In Plato's parable of the cave, our world is just a shadow-play on a wall. People are chained to the wall and so their only reality are the shadows, and not the place where the shadows came from. Our protagonist frees himself from the illusions, he found his will to get awareness, to find the place where the shadows came from.

02. We Are What We Are 

The second song "We are what we are" is the beginning of his transition to a new thinking. The figure is like a keeper at the entrance of this new world he is going to discover, tells of the way that lies ahead and gives first recognitions.

03. Beyond Man and Time 

In the third song "Beyond Man And Time" he finally arrives in the new world and meets the voluntary blind. A figure that discovered the abuse of a so called truth in a system that is based on belief. A system, that darkens the sun of perception and prevents us from a progress in spirit and morality.

04. Unchain the Earth 

In "Unchain the earth" we meet the difference between knowledge and wisdom, between knowledge and the true spirit of being. The title comes from Nietzsches interesting work "The Gay Science": "What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving us? Wither are we moving? Away from all suns?"

05. The Ugliest Man in the World

He moves on and meets a deformed man: "The Ugliest Man in the World". But the wanderer soon discovers that the so called ugliest man is only the "unmasked" human being. But without a culture of repression we don't need this mask and the acceptance of what we are fades away the ugliness and makes us complete.

06. The Road of Creation

In "The Road of Creation" he meets a figure, that discovered that creation also means destruction. How should we talk about finding new ways when we don't break with the old easy-going ones?

07. Somewhere in Between

"Somewhere in Between" is a short break he takes. He is tired from his way so far and needs to have a rest. He begins to see that the new way might not be easy, but how much more dangerous it is to insist on old models.

08. The Shadow

"The Shadow" is a very colourful figure that shows the other side: not only a copy, not only the unwanted dark side, but also the brother that sharpens the view of ourselves.

09. The Wise in the Desert

"The Wise in the Desert" is a wonderful figure! He is the cloud between the seas of lifes and brings together wisdom, because everything that comes down on us, it came from ourselves.

10. The Fisherman

"The Fisherman" is very close to a figure like Jesus. He fishes in the abyss of our human being, but not with fear and anxiety. He uses his joy, his acceptance. It's the most powerful picture and the longest song on the album.

11. The Noon 

"The Noon" is a picture for many things, but also for his moment of clarity. This clarity doesn't mean an answer for every question but a new way of thinking.

Tell us a bit about the artwork – who made it etc. and how important do you feel it is to have a cool artwork?

It is very important to use all senses that we have. Music with a silly message is just silly music, but a music without any message is just without any sense. Music is a bridge for a better recognition. Look for example how many people start walking when they are on the phone or just think. Rhythm or music pattern can open a higher stage of understanding. But the same is with pictures! We are thinking in pictures, most of our memories are saved in pictures. We tried to make the message clearer with the artwork. It is the same artist we always work with. It is very useful to find an artist who understands what you are saying. We feel very comfortable with judo who already did the artwork for "the RPWL experience" and my solo album as well.

Any last words you want to round this interview off with?

The album is not the next stupid story about some fantasy dreams or whatever... It is a gift for all people that feel the loss of values in our world and what we call "The Deadlock Of The Mind". It is a alternative draft to our here and now and we call it: "Freedom Of The Spirit".

The limited edition goes together with an audio book and a little map of this new world, so there is an extra chance to dig deeper into "Beyond Man And Time"!

Kenn Jensen, February 2012