PAIN OF SALVATION – REMEDY LANE
Inside Out Music - 2002
By Rodrigo
If
Perfect Element was the album that finally hooked me to
Pain of Salvation then
Remedy Lane has made me a fan. This is the fourth album by the Swedish band and once again we are treated to another conceptual work of art. This time around we get a sad love story about two people, spread out in several years, and it definitely is one emotional story. Also, the music seems to have gotten simpler or not as complicated as their previous albums. I base this to the fact, that upon my first listen I immediately remembered several moments of songs which didn’t happen in their last three albums.. But at the same token, during those first listens there is no song in
Remedy Lane that grabs you as strongly as "Used" or "Ashes" did from
Perfect Element. I see the paradox in my words but let me reassure you that
Remedy Lane has just as many strong moments as the last album.
The first couple of songs, "Of Two Beginnings" and "Ending Theme" start the album slowly, introducing the story as well as the musical ideas but once "Fandango" starts playing, the fun really begins! "Fandango" has one of the strangest melodies and rhythms I have ever heard. The melodies that both the piano and guitar play are really strange but totally enjoyable and it only gets better when Daniel Gilldenlöw starts singing along with it. The majority of the song stays in a slower tempo only picking it up during the chorus. The next song "A Trace of Blood" really speeds up the pace of the album. The keyboards (Fredrik Hermansson) at the beginning are fantastic and the guitar lead complements them perfectly. The part I most enjoy the most is first heard at 4:18, I guess this would be the chorus, and it’s absolutely beautiful because of the music pace and the vocal melodies. The other part I think is fantastic is right at 7:21, which is when the guitar carries the melody from the chorus and I just simply love it every single time I hear it. "Rope Ends" is another up-tempo song that feature some heavier and distorted guitars but the lyrical theme is not very up beat. The really awesome part of this song is the bridge, where the drums really drive this part, and the chorus right after. This one of those strong moments I was referring to. "This Heart of Mine (I Pledge)" is a slow and heart wrenching song. Daniel’s singing is absolutely emotional in this piece as well as in "Second Love", which has similar theme. When Daniel sings "I’ll never believe in love anymore", you just have to give out your heart for the character. Finally, another song I highly enjoy is the brilliant instrumental "Dryad of the Woods". It starts off slowly with the guitars leading and some minimal drumming (Johan Langell) and bass (Kristoffer Gildenlöw) in the background. When the keyboards come in at 1:28, it’s when the song slowly begins to speed up. The best part starts at 3:17 and it goes all the way to the end, where both guitars come in and the keyboards add some atmospheric tones and the drumming speeds up more.
If you haven’t noticed already this is not a very uplifting album. The story itself is very sad and dramatic and the music definitely reflects that. Even when there are faster parts, they aren’t as fast or as heavy like the last album.
Remedy Lane is really a dark and somber musical journey but one that can’t be missed. Once again
Pain of Salvation have given us another beautiful album to listen to and it would be a shame if you missed out on it.
Inside Out Music Website
Pain of Salvation Official Website
