Pain Of Salvation – Remedy Lane (Japanese Edition) (2002)
Artist: Pain Of Salvation
Album: Remedy Lane (Japanese Edition)
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Avalon
Year Of Release: 2002
Quality: FLAC (tracks+.cue)
Tracklist:
1. Of Two Beginnings 2:24
Chapter 1
2. Ending Theme 4:59
3. Fandango 5:51
4. A Trace Of Blood 8:17
5. This Heart Of Mine (I Pledge) 4:01
6. Thorn Clown (Bonus Track) 7:23
Chapter 2
7. Undertow 4:47
8. Rope Ends 7:02
9. Chain Sling 3:58
10. Dryad Of The Woods 4:56
Chapter 3
11. Remedy Lane 2:15
12. Waking Every God 5:19
13. Second Love 4:21
14. Beyond The Pale 9:56
Personnel:
– Daniel Gildenlöw / guitars, lead vocals, co-producer
– Johan Hallgren / guitars, backing vocals
– Fredrik Hermansson / keyboards
– Kristoffer Gildenlöw / bass, backing vocals
– Johan Langell / drums, backing vocals
This album has successfully created a superb stream of music that flows beautifully from track 1 right through track 13 and .. provides the true and “ultimate” satisfaction to the mind of music buffs [my view]. After the success of Perfect Element Part 1, the band returns with this wonderfully crafted album. As for comparison, this album is at par excellent with previous one. For my personal taste, this is something new for me as I have never heard the kind of music both albums have produced. But I would say now that I’m totally hooked to the band. They are really geniuses that have created unpredictable, never imagined before, but amazing music.
The album kicks off with “Beginnings” with guitar fills, vocal and augmented with a keyboard sound at background in mellow style. It turns into higher register notes with full music. It flows almost seamlessly with a melodic “Ending Theme”. The simple guitar fills have created excellent nuance of this track and have projected a trademark of the band’s music.
“Fandango” opening part provides a spacey mood with some symphonic touch. It sounds like the music and voice line do nit move in the same direction but it creates powerful harmony before the chorus line.
“A Trace Of Blood” intro sounds like (nuance-wise) Peter Gabriel’s tune “On The Air” [my taste and my view; you may disagree with me – it’s okay, this is prog world, my friend .]. Of course both of them have different textures. When guitar solo enters the music with riffs at background, it provides a nice platform for vocal to enter the music.
“This Heart Of Mine (I Pledge)” starts completely mellow. Halfway through, the music turns in higher register notes with excellent guitar solo. It then ends up in a mellow style. “Undertow” – this track has subconsciously penetrated firmly into my mind, because I was struck when listening to the acoustic version in 12:5 album. When it enters this track, the melody really rang me a bell that I got used to hear it. And I went back to previous albums of PoS and found out in this album. Yes, this track is very easy for listener to emulate as it’s a kind of ballad song, composed and performed in simple structure.
“Rope Ends” has a very strange opening where all instruments played at the same time but “look like” each of the instrument has different direction (melody wise) with unusual time signatures. When voice line enters the music, its melody is catchy and memorable. The tempo changes are also composed nicely with smooth transition. When it enters interlude part with guitar solo, there’s a kind of eastern music nuance. The guitar solo itself is stunning. After interlude part, the music goes to an excellent transition before it finally returns to original tagline melody / harmony. It’s a superb track! One of my PoS favorite tracks.
The opening guitar fills and also the tagline melody of “Chain Sling” is catchy and has become something that I always emulate whenever I’m with no sound of music (be it in the business meeting, or other occasion where listening to music is impossible and/or inappropriate). That’s the beauty of having prog mind – prog music has always flown in my mind, every time! Oh man, I love the kind of music Pain of salvation plays.
“Dryad Of The Woods” closes the chapter brilliantly through the exploration (and improvisation) of acoustic guitar augmented with symphonic keyboard style. Fantastic! If this track is enjoyed as a stand alone track, you may perceive it as neo progressive rock vein but as it happens with this album that it’s part of four-piece song under a chapter 3 of the track. So, it projects different nuance if we put it under this perspective.
“Remedy Lane” is a short track exploring keyboard, guitar and strange drum beats / percusiion work. It provides a sound atmosphere for next track to enter our zone of musical enjoyment through “Waking Every God”. This track is performed in relatively fast tempo with high tonal voice.
“Second Love” opens with a mellow style with excellent guitar fills and low register vocal. It’s kind like a ballad / slow rock song for this album, with strong melody – of course. Piano accentuates the harmony and melody really well. This track is accessible to most music buffs, I think.
“Beyond The Pale” concludes the album. The guitar intro is performed in strange fashion with repetitive chords – but . it’s not boring at all. It’s probably thee vocal line that comes with it has made the piece has a terrific sound. Amazingly this repetitive chords happen for a long period augmented with riffs and energetic vocal. When the voice turns higher, the music changes in another musical landscape. Believe me, this track is amazing!
Highly recommended album that you should not miss at all. It has a crispy musical concept, tight and powerful songwriting, and flawless delivery. This kind of music would set the future of progressive music [my view]. Keep on progging!!
Review by Gatot
