When the Who released the first ever rock opera, Tommy in 1969, it gave birth to an entirely new line of thought in the rock world. Tommy was an album that wasnt simply a collection of songs. The lyrics told a complete story, and the music was the accompanying soundtrack (hence the rock opera moniker operas are musical theater). Ever since, there have been denizens of these concept albums released in the ambiguous genre known as progressive. Some have told coherent stories, much like Tommy. Others have been sociological observations (Pink Floyds Animals). Still others have been stream of consciousness prose that ties together through an underlying theme (Captain Beyonds Sufficiently Breathless is a good example). Thats the true beauty of a concept album. The album is a complete piece of work, but there are no real rules to it, other than that it has to relate in some way.
All of this begs the questions of what is progressive rock music, and what does it have to do with conceptual music. While there have been hundreds of bands that can accurately be labeled as progressive (or prog for short), trying to put a solid definition on the genre is akin to Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill in Hades. Just when you think you know all there is to know, something new comes along to completely level everything you thought you knew, and rewrite the book in its entirety. And thats precisely what MAKES it progressive!
Pain of Salvations 2002 masterpiece, Remedy Lane is one such album. It is truly progressive in that it challenges not only the musicians, but also the listener, and once it clicks, you cant help but be completely floored by the sheer scope, amazing musicianship, and flawless execution of the entire concept that these five Swedes have accomplished here. It is, in my opinion, the most fully realized concept album ever recorded by a rock or metal band (Pain of Salvation falls under the progressive metal label in the standard musical dichotomy).
A bit of history about the band: Pain of Salvation was officially formed in 1991, but front man/vocalist/guitarist/primary songwriter Daniel Gildenlow started his first band at the age of 11, and was winning vocal awards by the age of fourteen. Remedy Lane is the bands fourth album, and each has seen their music getting more mature and focused the last, The Perfect Element Pt. 1, drew almost universal praise from nearly everyone in the metal community. The band has seen a few lineup changes over the years, but today, they consist of Daniel Gildenlow on lead vocals and guitar, Fredrik Hermansson on keys, Johan Hallgren on guitar, Johan Langell on drums, and Kristoffer Gildenlow on bass, with each member except Hermansson doing background vocal duty. These are five dedicated and amazing musicians, and they absolutely pour their hearts and souls into their work, which really shines through.
Over the years, Pain of Salvation has developed a very unique sound that, while it can still be defined as progressive metal is a far cry from the likes many of their peers, such as the technical circus that is Dream Theater, or the sci-fi epics done by Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One). To be honest, the progressive metal genre is one that I generally shied away from, as I find the vast majority of it to be mostly a technical showcase, and overly pretentious, with very little real emotion showing in the music.
Pain of Salvation, however, is a far cry from that generalization. Their music blends many different influences into a sound that is always unique, but remains coherent. They use all of their instruments very effectively (every band member is an equal cog in the wheel), and never lose focus of the songs or concepts in order to show off their individual skills. Elements from many different corners of the musical world can be heard in their music everything from folk music, to classical, to operatic, and even nu metal can be heard in the lush soundscape that the band manages to create, and never has it been so apparent as on their latest release.
Essentially Remedy Lane is a concept album focusing on a 12-year relationship that begins when its two protagonists are very young the man in this relationship acts as the narrator. Each song is a musical snapshot of various events throughout the course of this relationship (all the songs are dated and have noted locations), and shows how the two protagonists react emotionally as these events are played out.
The album opener, Of two beginnings is mostly an intro track. It draws its title from the fact that it discusses the narrators state of mind at the beginning of the relationship a ten year old, innocent, nervous child who is getting started in the world of adulthood much too soon, and the end of the relationship a hardened, but still nervous man who is beginning an entirely new chapter of his life, that he may or may not be ready for.
Ending Theme is the first real song on the album, and is set at the tail end of the relationship. The narrator, in an effort to break away from his past, has taken a new woman into his bed in the same hotel that he first met the woman hed been with for the past twelve years. He hopes that this act of adultery and defiance will free him from the shackles of his old relationship, both mentally and physically. But he ends up feeling more empty than ever, as he realizes that sex is a petty act when there is no love behind it, and freeing himself is not going to be as simple as he had desperately hoped by coming here (the concept that you can love without having sex, and have sex without love is widely played out in this album). Gildenlows vocals here, as on the entire disc, are simply incredible. I have never heard a vocalist that can put more character into a song. He perfectly voices the emotions involved in this track confusion, hopefulness, and desperation. There is a large spoken word section towards the middle something you dont hear too much in metal music, and it crams in many different thoughts and emotions into a short passage, effectively echoing the narrators troubled mind.
Fandango is an oddly structured song about the long-term relationship in general, focusing on lost innocence, sex, and true love. The odd structure is somewhat baroque, and, I believe, uses a 7/4time signature, something that Pain of Salvation did a lot of in their past, but not quite as much on Remedy Lane.
The fourth track on Remedy Lane, A Trace of Blood, is quite simply one of the most incredible songs I have ever heard. It starts off with some excellent piano/guitar interplay, and builds from there, until it reaches a crescendo that is so emotional it will leave you feeling completely drained. The song deals with the miscarriage of a child, which is something I never want to experience, but almost feel as if I HAVE after hearing this track. Gildenlow absolutely IS the narrator in this song his voice conveys the bitterness, frustration, and sinking despair of losing a child (I have read that this song draws from real life personal experiences hes had, and I completely believe it songs just dont get any more real than this). His voice starts as a deep growl as he narrates the events, but he seems to be gradually losing control of his emotions during the retelling, and is practically breaking down during the crescendo: I never saw your face and now youre gone without a trace, except the trace of blood thats deeply scarred into my eyes to fill your place, he wails. The desperation and frailty is so real that I find myself lost entirely in this song, and at this point in the album, I was completely engaged in the story, and the fate of the characters it presented.
This Heart of Mine is a beautiful love song that is an excellent juxtaposition to the heart-breaking A Trace of Blood. The song is a very rich ballad, and is composed wonderfully. This would be a great song to play at a wedding. It seems much more believable than most love songs out there.
Undertow, is widely regarded as the true masterpiece of Remedy Lane. The music and lyrical concept on this track is played out perfectly. It begins sort of withdrawn, with Gildenlow singing in a reserved and calm voice. Let me go, let me go, let me seek the answers that I need to know, let me find a way, let me walk away through this undertow, please let me go, he starts off. Undertow is set towards the end of the relationship, and reflects the narrators desire to escape from it. The song builds and builds into a vortex emotions as the narrator realizes that the relationship is much more a part of his life than he thinks at the surface. It is deeply rooted in his childhood, and wont be so easy as just walking away. Finally, Gildenlow simply shouts: Let me Drain! Let me die! Let me break the things I love, I need to cry! Let me burn it all! Let me take my fall through the cleansing fire! Now let me die! Stirring.
Rope Ends is another song that is emotionally draining (like A Trace of Blood), but also quite compelling. The song portrays the second large event in the story the female protagonists attempted suicide by hanging herself with one of her husbands ties. The music again represents the concept wonderfully, opening with an odd time signature guitar riff that conveys the turmoil going on in this young womans mind. This track features some simply amazing vocal harmonies, another thing Pain of Salvation do better than most bands out there today, and is the second song on the disc that will give you goose bumps every time you hear it.
Chain Sling is styled after old Swedish folk music, which adds yet another layer of diversity to this incredible disc. Once again, the vocals are spectacular, with Gildenlow taking on two roles, that of both protagonists, in one last, desperate attempt to rescue their relationship.
Dryad of the Woods is an instrumental, and quite possibly my favorite instrumental track ever. The music is so incredibly lush that it paints a picture of the concept of the song the narrator realizing how deeply he loves his wife - without needing lyrics. The solo, played entirely acoustic, is absolutely beautiful - played to utter perfection, and the coda is just as moving.
The title track, Remedy Lane is a musical refresher, using a synthesizer to touch on parts from all the previous songs. This gives the very cool effect of making you remember the lyrical concepts of the story just by hearing a synthesizer play their main themes.
Waking Every God is one of the most hopeful songs on the disc, and features some excellent dynamics between the two guitarists. Lyrically, this track finds the narrator somewhat optimistic about rebuilding the shards of his relationship and love: Through her eyes I can see who you used to be. Through my eyes, she can see what that feeling means to me, Gildenlow croons in a light falsetto.
Second Love is another ballad, and has one of the most standard progressions on the disc. The credits read that Gildenlow wrote this song in 1987, which is amazing, because he would have only been only fourteen years old, and this song sounds far too advanced for someone that age. It depicts a lonely night under the stars the narrator longing for the woman he loves. It follows a pretty standard verse-chorus formula, but is still an excellent piece of work.
The final song, Beyond the Pale wraps up some concepts, but acts more as a retrospective of the narrators life and the relationship he has been in for the past 12 years. The song is the most epic in length, spanning nearly ten minutes, and uses it all very effectively. Like I said, a few concepts are wrapped up, but in the end, we are left with anything but a sense of closure. We will always be so much more human than we wish to be, Gildenlow repeats over and over again as the music fades around him ending the disc with more of a grim proverb than a beacon of hope for the future.
What makes Remedy Lane my favorite disc of all time are the same things that were discussed earlier (things that make something progressive to begin with). Simply put: Great challenge to the listener and great rewards for those who keep with it. The first time I listened to Remedy Lane was in my car stereo. I didnt give it my full attention, and I didnt really enjoy it all that much. It wasnt until one dark night alone with just the disc, headphones, and a flashlight (the power was out) that it finally clicked for me. Remedy Lane is an album that you will only enjoy if you give it your full and undivided attention. Listening to the music, and reading along with the lyrics that night was one of the most incredible experiences Ive ever had with music, and music is my greatest passion in life. The way the songs build and flow perfectly with their concepts; the way the instrumental solos perfectly reflect the mood of the song; the way Gildenlow conveys true human emotion through his singing; the way the disc is fully aware of itself, and even makes musical references to other songs on it; the way nothing is resolved until the end, and even then you want more. All of these ingredients just add up to an album that I have listened to at least once every day since I bought it, and am still enjoying it just as much as I did that night on the couch with my headphones and flashlight.
Every music fan deserves to own Remedy Lane.
All of this begs the questions of what is progressive rock music, and what does it have to do with conceptual music. While there have been hundreds of bands that can accurately be labeled as progressive (or prog for short), trying to put a solid definition on the genre is akin to Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill in Hades. Just when you think you know all there is to know, something new comes along to completely level everything you thought you knew, and rewrite the book in its entirety. And thats precisely what MAKES it progressive!
Pain of Salvations 2002 masterpiece, Remedy Lane is one such album. It is truly progressive in that it challenges not only the musicians, but also the listener, and once it clicks, you cant help but be completely floored by the sheer scope, amazing musicianship, and flawless execution of the entire concept that these five Swedes have accomplished here. It is, in my opinion, the most fully realized concept album ever recorded by a rock or metal band (Pain of Salvation falls under the progressive metal label in the standard musical dichotomy).
A bit of history about the band: Pain of Salvation was officially formed in 1991, but front man/vocalist/guitarist/primary songwriter Daniel Gildenlow started his first band at the age of 11, and was winning vocal awards by the age of fourteen. Remedy Lane is the bands fourth album, and each has seen their music getting more mature and focused the last, The Perfect Element Pt. 1, drew almost universal praise from nearly everyone in the metal community. The band has seen a few lineup changes over the years, but today, they consist of Daniel Gildenlow on lead vocals and guitar, Fredrik Hermansson on keys, Johan Hallgren on guitar, Johan Langell on drums, and Kristoffer Gildenlow on bass, with each member except Hermansson doing background vocal duty. These are five dedicated and amazing musicians, and they absolutely pour their hearts and souls into their work, which really shines through.
Over the years, Pain of Salvation has developed a very unique sound that, while it can still be defined as progressive metal is a far cry from the likes many of their peers, such as the technical circus that is Dream Theater, or the sci-fi epics done by Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One). To be honest, the progressive metal genre is one that I generally shied away from, as I find the vast majority of it to be mostly a technical showcase, and overly pretentious, with very little real emotion showing in the music.
Pain of Salvation, however, is a far cry from that generalization. Their music blends many different influences into a sound that is always unique, but remains coherent. They use all of their instruments very effectively (every band member is an equal cog in the wheel), and never lose focus of the songs or concepts in order to show off their individual skills. Elements from many different corners of the musical world can be heard in their music everything from folk music, to classical, to operatic, and even nu metal can be heard in the lush soundscape that the band manages to create, and never has it been so apparent as on their latest release.
Essentially Remedy Lane is a concept album focusing on a 12-year relationship that begins when its two protagonists are very young the man in this relationship acts as the narrator. Each song is a musical snapshot of various events throughout the course of this relationship (all the songs are dated and have noted locations), and shows how the two protagonists react emotionally as these events are played out.
The album opener, Of two beginnings is mostly an intro track. It draws its title from the fact that it discusses the narrators state of mind at the beginning of the relationship a ten year old, innocent, nervous child who is getting started in the world of adulthood much too soon, and the end of the relationship a hardened, but still nervous man who is beginning an entirely new chapter of his life, that he may or may not be ready for.
Ending Theme is the first real song on the album, and is set at the tail end of the relationship. The narrator, in an effort to break away from his past, has taken a new woman into his bed in the same hotel that he first met the woman hed been with for the past twelve years. He hopes that this act of adultery and defiance will free him from the shackles of his old relationship, both mentally and physically. But he ends up feeling more empty than ever, as he realizes that sex is a petty act when there is no love behind it, and freeing himself is not going to be as simple as he had desperately hoped by coming here (the concept that you can love without having sex, and have sex without love is widely played out in this album). Gildenlows vocals here, as on the entire disc, are simply incredible. I have never heard a vocalist that can put more character into a song. He perfectly voices the emotions involved in this track confusion, hopefulness, and desperation. There is a large spoken word section towards the middle something you dont hear too much in metal music, and it crams in many different thoughts and emotions into a short passage, effectively echoing the narrators troubled mind.
Fandango is an oddly structured song about the long-term relationship in general, focusing on lost innocence, sex, and true love. The odd structure is somewhat baroque, and, I believe, uses a 7/4time signature, something that Pain of Salvation did a lot of in their past, but not quite as much on Remedy Lane.
The fourth track on Remedy Lane, A Trace of Blood, is quite simply one of the most incredible songs I have ever heard. It starts off with some excellent piano/guitar interplay, and builds from there, until it reaches a crescendo that is so emotional it will leave you feeling completely drained. The song deals with the miscarriage of a child, which is something I never want to experience, but almost feel as if I HAVE after hearing this track. Gildenlow absolutely IS the narrator in this song his voice conveys the bitterness, frustration, and sinking despair of losing a child (I have read that this song draws from real life personal experiences hes had, and I completely believe it songs just dont get any more real than this). His voice starts as a deep growl as he narrates the events, but he seems to be gradually losing control of his emotions during the retelling, and is practically breaking down during the crescendo: I never saw your face and now youre gone without a trace, except the trace of blood thats deeply scarred into my eyes to fill your place, he wails. The desperation and frailty is so real that I find myself lost entirely in this song, and at this point in the album, I was completely engaged in the story, and the fate of the characters it presented.
This Heart of Mine is a beautiful love song that is an excellent juxtaposition to the heart-breaking A Trace of Blood. The song is a very rich ballad, and is composed wonderfully. This would be a great song to play at a wedding. It seems much more believable than most love songs out there.
Undertow, is widely regarded as the true masterpiece of Remedy Lane. The music and lyrical concept on this track is played out perfectly. It begins sort of withdrawn, with Gildenlow singing in a reserved and calm voice. Let me go, let me go, let me seek the answers that I need to know, let me find a way, let me walk away through this undertow, please let me go, he starts off. Undertow is set towards the end of the relationship, and reflects the narrators desire to escape from it. The song builds and builds into a vortex emotions as the narrator realizes that the relationship is much more a part of his life than he thinks at the surface. It is deeply rooted in his childhood, and wont be so easy as just walking away. Finally, Gildenlow simply shouts: Let me Drain! Let me die! Let me break the things I love, I need to cry! Let me burn it all! Let me take my fall through the cleansing fire! Now let me die! Stirring.
Rope Ends is another song that is emotionally draining (like A Trace of Blood), but also quite compelling. The song portrays the second large event in the story the female protagonists attempted suicide by hanging herself with one of her husbands ties. The music again represents the concept wonderfully, opening with an odd time signature guitar riff that conveys the turmoil going on in this young womans mind. This track features some simply amazing vocal harmonies, another thing Pain of Salvation do better than most bands out there today, and is the second song on the disc that will give you goose bumps every time you hear it.
Chain Sling is styled after old Swedish folk music, which adds yet another layer of diversity to this incredible disc. Once again, the vocals are spectacular, with Gildenlow taking on two roles, that of both protagonists, in one last, desperate attempt to rescue their relationship.
Dryad of the Woods is an instrumental, and quite possibly my favorite instrumental track ever. The music is so incredibly lush that it paints a picture of the concept of the song the narrator realizing how deeply he loves his wife - without needing lyrics. The solo, played entirely acoustic, is absolutely beautiful - played to utter perfection, and the coda is just as moving.
The title track, Remedy Lane is a musical refresher, using a synthesizer to touch on parts from all the previous songs. This gives the very cool effect of making you remember the lyrical concepts of the story just by hearing a synthesizer play their main themes.
Waking Every God is one of the most hopeful songs on the disc, and features some excellent dynamics between the two guitarists. Lyrically, this track finds the narrator somewhat optimistic about rebuilding the shards of his relationship and love: Through her eyes I can see who you used to be. Through my eyes, she can see what that feeling means to me, Gildenlow croons in a light falsetto.
Second Love is another ballad, and has one of the most standard progressions on the disc. The credits read that Gildenlow wrote this song in 1987, which is amazing, because he would have only been only fourteen years old, and this song sounds far too advanced for someone that age. It depicts a lonely night under the stars the narrator longing for the woman he loves. It follows a pretty standard verse-chorus formula, but is still an excellent piece of work.
The final song, Beyond the Pale wraps up some concepts, but acts more as a retrospective of the narrators life and the relationship he has been in for the past 12 years. The song is the most epic in length, spanning nearly ten minutes, and uses it all very effectively. Like I said, a few concepts are wrapped up, but in the end, we are left with anything but a sense of closure. We will always be so much more human than we wish to be, Gildenlow repeats over and over again as the music fades around him ending the disc with more of a grim proverb than a beacon of hope for the future.
What makes Remedy Lane my favorite disc of all time are the same things that were discussed earlier (things that make something progressive to begin with). Simply put: Great challenge to the listener and great rewards for those who keep with it. The first time I listened to Remedy Lane was in my car stereo. I didnt give it my full attention, and I didnt really enjoy it all that much. It wasnt until one dark night alone with just the disc, headphones, and a flashlight (the power was out) that it finally clicked for me. Remedy Lane is an album that you will only enjoy if you give it your full and undivided attention. Listening to the music, and reading along with the lyrics that night was one of the most incredible experiences Ive ever had with music, and music is my greatest passion in life. The way the songs build and flow perfectly with their concepts; the way the instrumental solos perfectly reflect the mood of the song; the way Gildenlow conveys true human emotion through his singing; the way the disc is fully aware of itself, and even makes musical references to other songs on it; the way nothing is resolved until the end, and even then you want more. All of these ingredients just add up to an album that I have listened to at least once every day since I bought it, and am still enjoying it just as much as I did that night on the couch with my headphones and flashlight.
Every music fan deserves to own Remedy Lane.
