Customer Reviews

Remedy Lane

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Along with many others, I was disappointed to learn that Pain of Salvation's fourth album would not be the continuation of The Perfect Element story, which began with part I in 2000. Instead, we get Remedy Lane, a stunningly powerful and convoluted semi-story that is emotionally fatiguing in its intense pathos. Pain of Salvation has crafted a masterpiece here, perhaps one greater than The Perfect Element Part I. The band's original music and emotional performances are more powerful than ever. I'm not making any real objective statement here...it's just that I feel more drawn to this album than any of the band's previous works (which are all good, if not great).

Remedy Lane is another theme album (like One Hour by the Concrete Lake), this time about various forms of reconciliation. There is a roughly defined story, but it is fairly disjointed and the album mainly deals with different issues tied to the theme. Mainly it seems to cover the challenges of relationships and the connection between love and sex (you can have sex without love, and love without sex). It touches on tragedies like a miscarriage ("A Trace of Blood"), attempted suicide ("Rope Ends"), and a simple broken heart ("Second Love"). It's not all sad, though. There's some happier subjects like simple romance ("This Heart of Mine") and an obscure hint in the dark "Beyond the Pale" that two people can make each other better.

I am in the minority that thinks Gildenlow is not an amazing vocalist, but his performance on this album _is_ amazing. Mainly, this is because he no longer mistakes melissima for emotion, which always annoyed me before (I know I know...I'm demented). He conveys much less melodrama through his singing on this album, which really makes the emotions sound more natural and convincing, as if Gildenlow has improved as an "actor." He just gets better and better: the barely controlled pain of "Undertow"; the vicarious hopelessness of "Rope Ends"; the heartbreaking "A Trace of Blood". Since the emotional power of Pain of Salvation's music is so very closely tied to Gildenlow's singing, this improvement is critically important.

Just like always, Pain of Salvation's unique brand of music is refreshingly...fresh! "Fandango" weaves staccato guitar, bass lines and eddying pianos through odd patterns. "A Trace of Blood" is a fast, powerful mix of twisting piano run, heavy riffing, strange vocal accents, scratching guitar (?) effects, and tragic chorus. Eight-minute songs don't usually go by so fast. "Rope Ends" works heavy guitars through hypnotizing time signatures without being awkwardly technical. "Undertow" is initially understated sonically with a weird recording technique -- almost sounds like they put the microphones in the opposite end of the room or something. It erupts into a crippling outburst of emotional power (isolated and captured by vocals & instruments), suggesting suppressed emotions breaking free. "Remedy Lane" is a quick instrumental that reintegrates themes from previous songs with unusual keyboard effects. "Chain Sling" features melodies based on Swedish folk music (actually, that seems trendy these days). "Beyond the Pale" is the engaging finale, deceptively simple at face value but very involved texturally, with complex melody shifts. Unfortunately, I don't think this song ends the album with the powerful finale it deserves, and the vocals are awkward in places.

And even when the songs are "normal" they remain strong, showing that the band can tackle any format. "Second Love" is an understated, melancholic acoustic/electric mix, with Gildenlow's pained vocals rousing an image of a lonely night under the stars. The lyrics smell like an 80s love ballad, but it works, you know? (Interestingly, the song was written about 15 years ago, so it _was_ an 80s love ballad, hehe.) Another ballad, "This Heart of Mine", stands out with its powerful middle section and affectionate chord structures. "Dryad of the Woods" is a beautiful instrumental with pastoral acoustic guitar melodies befitting the title. I love the piano melody on this one, heh. What can I say? I'm a sucker for nice little piano bits.

Even the recording quality is great...there's none of that grievous lack of clarity that impaired some of the heavily textured sections on The Perfect Element Part I. There's a lot going on in Remedy Lane's songs, but you can hear everything. Plus, you can gain appreciation for a whole new level of nuance in this recording through headphones. Even the booklet for this album is great, with elaborate artwork and twisted imagery.

Remedy Lane is another album that captures Pain of Salvation's creative magic. The band's fans are pretty energetic, so most of them have probably bought this disc by now. If not, well, they'd better have a good reason not to have it! If you happen to be a prospective fan, I strongly recommend you check this out no matter what your tastes are. Take a walk down Remedy Lane.

Along with many others, I was disappointed to learn that Pain of Salvation's fourth album would not be the continuation of The Perfect Element story, which began with part I in 2000. Instead, we get Remedy Lane, a stunningly powerful and convoluted semi-story that is emotionally fatiguing in its intense pathos. Pain of Salvation has crafted a masterpiece here, perhaps one greater than The Perfect Element Part I. The band's original music and emotional performances are more powerful than ever. I'm not making any real objective statement here...it's just that I feel more drawn to this album than any of the band's previous works (which are all good, if not great).

Remedy Lane is another theme album (like One Hour by the Concrete Lake), this time about various forms of reconciliation. There is a roughly defined story, but it is fairly disjointed and the album mainly deals with different issues tied to the theme. Mainly it seems to cover the challenges of relationships and the connection between love and sex (you can have sex without love, and love without sex). It touches on tragedies like a miscarriage ("A Trace of Blood"), attempted suicide ("Rope Ends"), and a simple broken heart ("Second Love"). It's not all sad, though. There's some happier subjects like simple romance ("This Heart of Mine") and an obscure hint in the dark "Beyond the Pale" that two people can make each other better.

I am in the minority that thinks Gildenlow is not an amazing vocalist, but his performance on this album _is_ amazing. Mainly, this is because he no longer mistakes melissima for emotion, which always annoyed me before (I know I know...I'm demented). He conveys much less melodrama through his singing on this album, which really makes the emotions sound more natural and convincing, as if Gildenlow has improved as an "actor." He just gets better and better: the barely controlled pain of "Undertow"; the vicarious hopelessness of "Rope Ends"; the heartbreaking "A Trace of Blood". Since the emotional power of Pain of Salvation's music is so very closely tied to Gildenlow's singing, this improvement is critically important.

Just like always, Pain of Salvation's unique brand of music is refreshingly...fresh! "Fandango" weaves staccato guitar, bass lines and eddying pianos through odd patterns. "A Trace of Blood" is a fast, powerful mix of twisting piano run, heavy riffing, strange vocal accents, scratching guitar (?) effects, and tragic chorus. Eight-minute songs don't usually go by so fast. "Rope Ends" works heavy guitars through hypnotizing time signatures without being awkwardly technical. "Undertow" is initially understated sonically with a weird recording technique -- almost sounds like they put the microphones in the opposite end of the room or something. It erupts into a crippling outburst of emotional power (isolated and captured by vocals & instruments), suggesting suppressed emotions breaking free. "Remedy Lane" is a quick instrumental that reintegrates themes from previous songs with unusual keyboard effects. "Chain Sling" features melodies based on Swedish folk music (actually, that seems trendy these days). "Beyond the Pale" is the engaging finale, deceptively simple at face value but very involved texturally, with complex melody shifts. Unfortunately, I don't think this song ends the album with the powerful finale it deserves.

And even when the songs are "normal" they remain strong, showing that the band can tackle any format. "Second Love" is an understated, melancholic acoustic/electric mix, with Gildenlow's pained vocals rousing an image of a lonely night under the stars. The lyrics smell like an 80s love ballad, but it works, you know? (Interestingly, the song was written about 15 years ago, so it _was_ an 80s love ballad, hehe.) Another ballad, "This Heart of Mine", stands out with its powerful middle section and affectionate chord structures. "Dryad of the Woods" is a beautiful instrumental with pastoral acoustic guitar melodies befitting the title. I love the piano melody on this one, heh. What can I say? I'm a sucker for nice little piano bits.

Even the recording quality is great...there's none of that grievous lack of clarity that impaired some of the heavily textured sections on The Perfect Element Part I. There's a lot going on in Remedy Lane's songs, but you can hear everything. Plus, you can gain appreciation for a whole new level of nuance in this recording through headphones. Even the booklet for this album is great, with elaborate artwork and twisted imagery.

Remedy Lane is another album that captures Pain of Salvation's creative magic. The band's fans are pretty energetic, so most of them have probably bought this disc by now. If not, well, they'd better have a good reason not to have it! If you happen to be a prospective fan, I strongly recommend you check this out no matter what your tastes are. Take a walk down Remedy Lane.

Now how about The Perfect Element Part II, huh? Give it to me!

I usually dont write reviews, but I had to say something here. I have seen a few reviews saying many ignorant things such as Gildenlow being a weak vocalist, melodramatic lyrics, etc. Well first of all, Gildenlow is simply the most amazing singer I have ever heard. His emotion, feeling, control, and variety are unmatched by anyone I have heard. Anyone who does not recognize his talent does not know very much about music. Secondly, to the one who said that the lyrics to A Trace of Blood are "melodramatic", his kid died, jackass. The song is about his wife's miscarriage, and the other songs on the cd are all real as well; the "storyline" is the story of Gildenlow's life. There's no melodrama here. The music on this cd is astounding and deep. The songs are so filled with emotion that you can feel it. From sadness to love to anger to pain, you will feel it with full force. It is impossible to describe the feelings associated with these songs unless you sit down with no distractions and give the cd a few spins. I dont want to go into detail about the particular song styles, but trust me when I say that this is truly one of the most amazing musical journeys you could ever take. The lyrics are a trip through the human psyche. Another comment was made that they do not have the "chops" to compete with Dream Theater; Pain of Salvation never said that they were as technically talented as Dream Theater. I don't see why this comparison should even be made. Gildenlow has never said that PoS should be labeled "prog metal"; that is just the genre that it most fits in. Don't listen to ignorant, unfounded comments that are directed at this album; give it a try yourself, see what you think. It just may change your life.

Pain of Salvation are one of those bands that you'll probably either love or dislike rather strongly. There are many elements in their music that some people find awkward, irritating, or just a little too melodramatic. I can understand that, but I'd disagree. I'm very much in love with this band. This album was a bit weird when I first heard it, but repeated listenings allowed it to grow on me to the point where it's one of my favorite albums.

The first time you hear PoS, you will probably not know what to think. But, I recommend that you don't give up there, and try a few repeated listenings. This band is known for growing on you. Anyway, let me get to an actual review now...

If there's one thing about PoS' music, it's that it's diverse. Heavy metal, rock, ballads, jazz, (a little) rap-metal, and more. If you think, "no way!", well, buy this album. It's done well, in my opinion, and it's really impressive.

This is a concept album, not told in chronological. What an interesting idea. It's executed very brilliantly I must say, and Daniel Gildenlow's lyrics are awesome. Many themes, musical and lyrical, come up several times in the album. This is a real concept album, jack. The musicianship may not stand out at first, but listen closer, you will hear subtle polyrhthyms and time changes and excellent atmospheric keyboards. The guitars play in odd time signatures as well, and Daniel Gildenlow and Johan Hallgren bust some pretty mean solos. As a singer, Daniel Gildenlow's range is simply amazing. He can sing metal, nice ballads, and he can let out those high pitched screams like Rob Halford! (OK, maybe he's not quite as good, but close). He sings with great emotion also.

Some highlights for me: "A Trace of Blood" is probably my favorite song. The subject matter is rather unpleasant, but executed oh-so well. This is actually also a pretty good example of their style. The verse is sung in DG's low metal growl. The song then transitions to an emotional chorus and later you get to hear his Halford scream. "This Heart of Mine" is a pretty ballad, coming to a powerful finish with an excellent guitar solo by Gildenlow. "Undertow" is a dark song, and the end is also very powerful. "Rope Ends" shows many odd time signatures. The jazzy buildup/solo section is quite cool. "Dryad of the Woods" is a beautiful song, the acoustic guitars and piano mixing are heavenly. "Second Love" is a good ballad, with another excellent solo from Gildenlow. "Beyond the Pale" is the album's finale. Recalling many musical and lyrical themes, and also many different styles of music. This song is the most powerful one on the album, and an amazing finale to a great album.

Well, again, you'll either love this, or you won't at all. But, one thing's for sure, you can't judge them by hearing only one of their songs one time, because they're diverse and known to grow on you. If you're interested in prog. or metal, check this out. Really, I could recommend this to anyone, because who knows if you'll like them? Bottom line: Look into this album.

Remedy Lane was the album that converted me to Pain Of Salvation. And what an album it is! If you've read my review of One Hour By The Concrete Lake, you'll know that unlike many fans of the band, I don't consider them one of my all time favourites nor do I love everything they've done. However, Remedy Lane is one of my favourite albums of any genre, so I figure throwing in yet more praise for the band wouldn't do any harm.

As you may or may not know, every one of Pain Of Salvation's albums is a concept of some sort. The basic concept of Remedy Lane is one of love and relationships and the pain of losing someone you love. I won't go into the entire story here, but the concepts of individual songs deal with rather grissley subjects such as the suicide of a loved one or the miscarraige of a child (the latter being based on a real life experience of vocalist/guitarist/chief songwriter Daniel Gildenlow). Of course, there are nicer subjects to be found - This Heart Of Mine is a gorgeous love ballad - but for the most part the album deals with darker and more painful side of an otherwise beautiful thing.

Musically, the band rarely faulter. Experiments with odd rhythms and melodies are far more successful than on earlier albums, such as on Fandango and Rope Ends, and the album on the whole is very diverse, be it the uplifting melodies of This Heart Of Mine, Chain Sling and Dyrad Of The Woods, the prog metal of Rope Ends and Trace Of Blood, the omnious darkness of Ending Theme and Undertow or the sheer grandeur of Beyond The Pale.

Then of course we have the band themselves. Daniel Gildenlow is the mastermind here. The man's voice is simply incredible. His passion is intense and his technical ability is beyond impressive. But most of all is his creativity. The majority of this album was written exclusively by him. Its incredible to imagine that this huge, complex and incredibly epic album was the product of one man's mind. The rest of the band compliment him perfectly but lets not beat around the bush here: intentionally or otherwise, Gildenlow is the star of the show.

How to sum up this review? Well... if you want truly original music that proves that complexity can be passionate and that metal can be progressive, it is simply essential. Get it and get it now.

I, just like most fans of this genre, spend lots of time seeking out music that will satisfy my jones for complicated, melodic, powerful, metalish, headbanging, symphonic tunage. We all have different proclivities, but most of us seem to congregate around some center. Yes and Genesis used to be the mainstream torch bearers, then Dream Theater took the torch. But There are constantly new interpretations of the blend of all the musical characteristics I previously mentioned.

Pain of Salvation is an original from my point of view. They pay homage to their influences, but their total composition and playing is completely them, much like another fave of mine, Symphony X. They are neither the best, nor the worst. They are, on their own, fantastic. They are not bombastic ego maniacs, where individual technical prowess matters. They are are a team, like SymphX and even swedish metallers like Soilwork.

This album, Remedy Lane, is massive, moody, draining, brilliant, fantastic, mature. It, like all the more progressive collections of song that I have grown to love over the years, takes time to grow on you. You don't get magnetized on the first listen, sometimes not even the 20th listen glues you to every song. It can take months, maybe years, to attach yourself to the entire body of work.

I have this one in heavy rotation right now. I cannot seem to get bored, always finding something new. I will not ever critisise someones subjective taste like many people who post reviews seem to do. I hope these guys stay together and keep making music forever, growing and changing, so their real fans can keep discovering and listening

pain of salvation always knows how to innovate...This album is different from the others, very dark and very progressive...they play with different elements like metric, tempo, harmony and melody in their own way...nobody does this...The lyrics are...kicking, like always, and Daniel Gildenlow`s voice is remarkable...definitely as must have for any progresive metal fan...

This music is not about virtuosity and long, fast soloing, but Composition. All five men are really on the top and put up a good show, though we know that Daniel Gildenlöw is the Brain. I have to emphasize the magnificient work of the drummer and the keyboardist. Its wonderful how Daniel is playing with his voice in a whole spectre from murmuring to those rare moments when he lets it fly high. The music is lacking real heavy moments as well its not about revolutionary innovation (whats more, sometimes its not richer than a better Bon Jovi song), but still this is one of the finest works of recent times. By the way I cannot consider it progressive metal since its neither progressive nor heavy in the way of f.e. Dream Theater, the doyen of the genre. But the small tricks, some crazy riffs and tricky rhythms make it stunning enough! The epic last track made me recall Diary Of A Madman of Ozzy Osbourne and well, its not a bad reference.

In the centre there are relations, pleasure and pain, finding and losing, love thats life unbound, and death, too, seeking the way and searching the truth. Daniels mind is becoming something like an opened book, and the words may become a mirror for us. A real emotionful and feelingful album, Romantic in its best way of sense like that is the epic works of Liszt and Sibelius. Concerning my nationality it is especially appealing to me that Budapest and Hungary is a very important location in the songs. But dont be afraid over the sea: this is a universal and timeless work.

"We will always be so much more human than we wish to be...."

Pain of Salvation.

This band is my favorite ever.

I'm sorry to resort to hyperbole, but no band has ever had such a powerful emotional draw for me, and Remedy Lane is a perfect example of these powerful emotions that PoS evokes so wonderfully. While I do feel that The Perfect Element pt. I is their best album as a whole, I think many of the individual songs on Remedy Lane stand out strongly. I NEVER tire of listening to this album, and even the songs that initially sounded strange because of the polyrythms sound "just right" to me now.

It certainly helps that Daniel Gildenlow is also one of my favorite vocalists ever. Many people say he is over the top or something, but that's how I like my singers to be: theatrical, dramatic, evocative, versatile...there are so many times where his voice both lifts me uup and drowns me in intense pain. That moment in "Trace of Blood" where he mournfully wails, "too late we learned!" just breaks my heart every time. And there is of course the amazing "Undertow" that just builds and builds, and Fandango is one of the strangest but most interesting songs, and "Beyond the Pale" still gives me chills... "its just another small thorn in my crown/ Then suddenly one day there was too much blood in my eyes/ and I had to take this walk down Remedy Lane of whys and whys.....

Pain of Salvation.

Watch them dance down the Remedy Lane and let the Undertow sweep you away....

This is a stellar year for the prog community. Not one but two brilliant albums being released in the same year. One "Six Degree's of Inner Turbulence" by Dream Theater, and also this offering by Pain of Salvation. Though I was at first a tad reluctant to admit it Remedy Lane is the better of the two albums. Although not as fast nor as technical as the release by Dream Theater (though is album is both heavy and technical) for a continuous stream of great song writing after great song writing this album is tops. Full of emotion and excellent lyrics through. Dare I even say that the brainchild of this band and lead singer Daniel Gildenlow is even a better vocalist then James LaBrie? It's a close match but the man pours his heart and soul into songs such as "A Trace of Blood" (which deals with the pains of a miscarriage) and of course the feeling poured forth in "Undertow" and "Beyond the Pale" is equally as powerful. For brilliant softer song you don't get much better then "Chain Sling" which features some great wacky vocal affects. For beautiful love songs one of the best I've heard in a long time is "This Heart of Mine." This album comes heavily recommended and if you like me are starting out new with Pain of Salvation this album is perfect for starting with. Take a walk down Remedy Lane and you'll not regret it.