Hard/Heavy/Dark albums that close with a soft/light/up-lifting song.

[The Letter M]

So I am at work listening to Haken's Affinity, and "Bound By Gravity" has to be one of my favorite songs off the album, and it's so uplifting and major and happy-sounding compared to the rest of the album with it's hard and heavy songs.

It reminds me a bit of Dream Theater's A Dramatic Turn Of Events with "Beneath The Surface" closing the album, and then I got to thinking about other albums like this, like several Porcupine Tree albums with lighter or softer closing songs, or songs that aren't as heavy as the ones that preceded it.

So I was wondering if anyone else has come across other bands or albums that do this, and what some of your favorites are!

-Marc.

[KevShmev]

Awake is the first one I thought of.

Bound by Gravity is another good example; I agree that that is one of the better songs on that record.  Somebody from their previous album is another good example.

Megalomania from Muse's Origin of Symmetry.

[Big Hath]

Opeth/Ghost Reveries.  Closes with Isolation Years.  Love that album.

[Crow]

i wouldn't call either space-dye vest or isolation years uplifting songs, but 

[Big Hath]

he didn't say it had to be up-lifting although that is one of the qualities that could differentiate a song from darker themed songs on an album.  They would be more in the soft/light categories.


you realize that the OP references Beneath The Surface as an example, right?

[TheCountOfNYC]

Avenged Sevenfold's self titled album closes with a country-esque ballad called Dear God (which is probably my least favorite A7X song).

[Anguyen92]

^^ That's a good example.  With an album that has stuff like Critical Acclaim, Scream, and A Little Piece of Heaven, it ends in a lighter note with Dear God (I love Dear God honestly though).

[Fritzinger]

Cool thread, I absolutely love Bound By Gravity, it's so damn majestic. MAN this band is awesome. (a little off topic anecdote; my friend hates that song but only because it starts exactly like the alarm on his phone haha)

The few albums that came to my mind were already mentioned, but I'd like to get to know a few others 

[MirrorMask]

Rage's Black in Mind and End of All Days albums are both a continued, non stop heavy metal assault, and they close with an orchestral ballad. Both album are magnificent from beginning to end!

[Fritzinger]

Oh what about Rammstein's Mutter and Liebe Ist Für Alle Da?

Mutter closes with that beautiful ballad Nebel (it means Mist, spelled backwards it's Leben, that means Life), in which an old couple stands by the sea and she confesses to him that she would have to die soon and asks for a last kiss. It's a truly amazing song. Muter is also in my top three of German albums and Top 20 albums overall.

Liebe Ist Für Alle Da closes with Roter Sand (Red Sand), a ballad without heavy guitars or drums. It tells the tale of two men who have a pistol duel for the love of a woman. The protagonist dies in the end.

Rosenrot also closes with a quiet song, but I'd consider Rosenrot a pretty uplifting album overall compared to other Rammstein albums.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Technically DT12 ends with the Easter egg after Illumination Theory so I guess that album would qualify as well.

Also, Hail to the King is another A7X album that ends this way, with Acid Rain coming right after Planets on an album that also has songs like Requiem, Shepard of Fire, Sad But True This Means War, Heretic, and Coming Home.

[Ben_Jamin]

Is The Gaping Lotus Experiment by Tool a good one? If so I'll pick that one.

[Phoenix87x]

NIN- Downward spiral

After one hell of a brutal album, I find Hurt to be pretty uplifting in its own way

[wolfking]

Evergrey's latest The Storm Within came to mind straight away.  Didn't expect that type of tune from them at the end of the album.