REMEDY LANE

Pain Of Salvation is yet another top-brand from Sweden, a true marvel in progressive metal, standing out from the pack by their eclectic nature. They steer their music in all sorts of directions, ranging from progressive Gentle Giant adventures to biting Faith No More epics, from melodious guitar leads to System of A Down alternative metal aggression.

As such they manage to have power as well as subtlety, originality and intensity. Add their clever catchiness and a wealth of inspiration to that and you got the ultimate recipe to make a peak album in the progressive metal field. Unfortunately, their versatility comes with some weird breaks and modulations that you got to be in the mood for. The chorus of Fandango is such a moment where they come off slightly cheesy to me. But you get used to it over time.

Remedy Lane served as my introduction to Pain of Salvation and for me it shows a band on the brink of a really stunning release. The highlights and creative surprises follow one another in an unrelenting pace, but near the end sit a couple of ballads that sound like leftovers from the previous album. With a more selective approach to their own songwriting it might have been a stronger album.

If Pain of Salvation had restrained themselves more they might have crafted a masterpiece here. On the other hand, if restraint would have trimmed their imaginative excessiveness, it would sure have been a lesser album. So I'll accept it as it is and skip the filler bits. A huge musical improvement over the preceding album.