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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One word: Powerful., April 3, 2002
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.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everyone should own this album, May 8, 2003
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.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I like it. Very much, actually., March 12, 2003
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.
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