What do you guys think of this review/essay I wrote about "Remedy Lane" by PoS?

[Opethfan1980]

Great post, wankerness. I pretty much got all of the stuff you mentioned, but I was unclear on the "Rope Ends" theme. I was actually discussing this with progfan on the inside out forum. That was the one song I thought I may have gotten wrong in my analysis (although the real theme of the song is suicide). The line "A child longing to be a mother" was what made me think it was the female protagonist, but, as you said, the "two children from different fathers" line pretty much says otherwise. What do you make of the "child longing to be a mother" line?

 

[ProgMetalFan]

You're spot on, Wankerness. Though I think the music to "Beyond The Pale" is awesome.

 

[wankerness]

Great post, wankerness. I pretty much got all of the stuff you mentioned, but I was unclear on the "Rope Ends" theme. I was actually discussing this with progfan on the inside out forum. That was the one song I thought I may have gotten wrong in my analysis (although the real theme of the song is suicide). The line "A child longing to be a mother" was what made me think it was the female protagonist, but, as you said, the "two children from different fathers" line pretty much says otherwise. What do you make of the "child longing to be a mother" line?

The line's actually "a child dying to be a mother." I think the stress of motherhood is too much for her, and the prechorus has that thing about "she has learnt all that there is to know about hope/helplessness" suggesting that she's not ready for motherhood (she doesn't know what to do - helplessness) and thinks she never will be (hopelessness). She's only 20, so I figure she had the kids way too early and is essentially still a child and can't cope with the stress and the guilt that resulted from having an illegtimate child, and is therefore trying to kill herself as a result of being a mother. Yeah. It's basically just a narrative, but then, as the poem on the next page reveals, it just thoroughly upset him. I heard somewhere that DG's wife actually DID have a friend that tried to hang herself and it DID freak him out quite a bit, but as far as I know, it didn't eventually lead him to go to Budapest to have an affair...

 

[wankerness]

You're spot on, Wankerness. Though I think the music to "Beyond The Pale" is awesome.

It's not that it's BAD, it just repeats for too long. That nasty intro thing drills into my brain and hurts, and it keeps going on and on. I like the chorus a lot too, but the whole verse is just ugly, I guess. Still, it doesn't come close to my all time least favorite POS moment...THE CHORUS TO KING OF LOSS! (WWWWWOOOOOOWWWWW wahhhh WWOOOOOWWWWW wah WWWWOOOOOOWWWWW wahhh WOOOOOWWWWW wah! *PUKES FROM FEELING SEASICK*)

 

[Opethfan1980]

Yeah, I can't stand the chorus to "King of Loss." I totally agree with that one.


Thanks for the analysis of "Rope Ends." That certainly helped clarify the meaning on that one.

 

[Demonspell]

I agree with Rope Ends, a brutal depiction of a young single mother being driven to attempt suicide by the pressure of raising children and feeling abandoned by an unforgiving world, filtered through the blackest of humour.

 

[ProgMetalFan]

It's not that it's BAD, it just repeats for too long. That nasty intro thing drills into my brain and hurts, and it keeps going on and on. I like the chorus a lot too, but the whole verse is just ugly, I guess. *)

I think that's the point. It's supposed to be ugly, painful and dissonant. I think it's really quite ingenious. Pain of Salvation is truly progressive in that they are not afraid to explore the world of dissonance and ugly music. It is merely another weapon in their musical arsenal. This same principle is in effect in the brilliant "King of Loss". The last couple minutes of that masterpiece as absolutely brutal and maddeningly frustrating. I had to skip over the end of that song for months.

 

[wankerness]

I think that's the point. It's supposed to be ugly, painful and dissonant. I think it's really quite ingenious. Pain of Salvation is truly progressive in that they are not afraid to explore the world of dissonance and ugly music. It is merely another weapon in their musical arsenal. This same principle is in effect in the brilliant "King of Loss". The last couple minutes of that masterpiece as absolutely brutal and maddeningly frustrating. I had to skip over the end of that song for months.

Good point, you're right. It makes me want to listen to beyond the pale again! I still hate the chorus on king of loss, though...the outro I always thought was ingenious however.