12 Dec 2006, 06:10
= Prelude =
This isn't really a review of the Scarsick album, more of a "notes from a first impression". I'm not going to talk too much about the semantics of these tracks, nor the concept of the album. This is gut-shot stuff, with a bit of heart thrown in for good measure.
Scarsick
Sounds like something that was left over from the incredibly pretentious "Be" album. Fortunately, the reason it wouldn't have made it there is the reason I enjoy it; it's harder, rawer, and the title doesn't come in latin. However, Daniel sing with a forced voice which I find somewhat tiring. Even so, a good opener.
Spitfall
The infamous(?) "rapping" track. When listening through the 30s samples that were released, this is the track I thought would have the most potential. I like the rapping, I like how it delivers the (ironic?) Message. This is what I'd call "Progressive Within Bounds". It's a new sort of delivery for PoS, but the core is familiar.
Cribcaged
The track with the second biggest potential as determined from the 30s samples, turns out to overtake "Spitfall" for first place on this album. Angry with a touch of sadness and piano, that's the fucking way to my heart. Only problem is the child-giggles at the beginning and end. The third time they were really starting to grate me. Best part ''fuck their lack of originality, personality, fuck this travesty. ... fuck the way they fuck equality''.
America
Ah, yes. What to say? A fairly straight-forward romp on the concept of America (land of the free, brave, etc) and how it's going all wrong. In my opinion, anyone who take this as some sort of personal insult need to step away from the Kool-Aid (aka Fox "News" and CNN) and go get a skin-thickening operation. Best part ''We'll be back after this short break ...'', and the lines leading into it.
Disco Queen
Guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser live, Disco Queen must be the progressivest (I just made that word up, it's like how Truthiness is to Truth) track on the album, with it's sudden tempo-changes and accompanying high-pitched singing. For some, I can see this becoming a dirty little secret, that track that is dismissed in public but played on repeat when no-one is around, the chorus is just that catchy. It's odd, it's out there, potentially commercial, and I like it.
Kingdom of Loss
Pretty vanilla hippie-track. Might grow on me, but I'm thinking that if you'd cut the lyrics and tricked it out, it'd make a great instrumental track. And get this, it fades out. Fades. Out.
Mrs. Modern Mother Mary
At 4:15, this is the shortest track of the album, which I find is a most fortunate blessing, considering it seems to be about finding "god", which I find highly offensive. Can we please bring back the fuckoffs?
Idiocracy
Starts out sort of like it's going for safe mood-music guaranteed to offend no-one, but about three minutes in there's a bit of screaming, guaranteed to make the older populace run down the stairs to change the station. That part soon passes though. I don't know, it's not that it's a bad track necessarily, it's just not very interesting either. Just ''Close your eyes'' and it'll be gone. Gee, with a title like that, you'd expect a some plain old political ranting, no?
Flame to the Moth
A good solid track which in some parts made me think of Dream Theater, for some reason (they're not a group I listen to regularly). It's got a nice... I don't know... groove? Thumbs up, without being exceptional in any way.
Enter Rain
Somewhat of a disappointment. The typically very strong closing track (I'm always glad to hear "The Perfect Element" or "Beyond the Pale") is now a sad slow drawn out ordeal of a track. Its apex, if such is even to be found, is as low as it's dull. This is where we expect that delivering release of energy, the closing knock-out punch. Instead we're treated a long build-up into virtual nothingness.
= Outro =
One should remember that this is Pain of Salvation, so a track that is "meh" is still pretty darn good compared to track placed twentieth of the national Top-40. Also, tracks and albums grow on you. This can't be overstated. I was pretty hard on "Remedy Lane" too first, but now it's only that truly dreary "This heart of mine" that sits there as an infected pimple on an otherwise fantastic album.
So keep that in mind as you engage the flame-throwers.
This isn't really a review of the Scarsick album, more of a "notes from a first impression". I'm not going to talk too much about the semantics of these tracks, nor the concept of the album. This is gut-shot stuff, with a bit of heart thrown in for good measure.
ScarsickSounds like something that was left over from the incredibly pretentious "Be" album. Fortunately, the reason it wouldn't have made it there is the reason I enjoy it; it's harder, rawer, and the title doesn't come in latin. However, Daniel sing with a forced voice which I find somewhat tiring. Even so, a good opener.
Spitfall
The infamous(?) "rapping" track. When listening through the 30s samples that were released, this is the track I thought would have the most potential. I like the rapping, I like how it delivers the (ironic?) Message. This is what I'd call "Progressive Within Bounds". It's a new sort of delivery for PoS, but the core is familiar.
Cribcaged
The track with the second biggest potential as determined from the 30s samples, turns out to overtake "Spitfall" for first place on this album. Angry with a touch of sadness and piano, that's the fucking way to my heart. Only problem is the child-giggles at the beginning and end. The third time they were really starting to grate me. Best part ''fuck their lack of originality, personality, fuck this travesty. ... fuck the way they fuck equality''.
AmericaAh, yes. What to say? A fairly straight-forward romp on the concept of America (land of the free, brave, etc) and how it's going all wrong. In my opinion, anyone who take this as some sort of personal insult need to step away from the Kool-Aid (aka Fox "News" and CNN) and go get a skin-thickening operation. Best part ''We'll be back after this short break ...'', and the lines leading into it.
Disco Queen
Guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser live, Disco Queen must be the progressivest (I just made that word up, it's like how Truthiness is to Truth) track on the album, with it's sudden tempo-changes and accompanying high-pitched singing. For some, I can see this becoming a dirty little secret, that track that is dismissed in public but played on repeat when no-one is around, the chorus is just that catchy. It's odd, it's out there, potentially commercial, and I like it.
Kingdom of Loss
Pretty vanilla hippie-track. Might grow on me, but I'm thinking that if you'd cut the lyrics and tricked it out, it'd make a great instrumental track. And get this, it fades out. Fades. Out.
Mrs. Modern Mother Mary
At 4:15, this is the shortest track of the album, which I find is a most fortunate blessing, considering it seems to be about finding "god", which I find highly offensive. Can we please bring back the fuckoffs?
Idiocracy
Starts out sort of like it's going for safe mood-music guaranteed to offend no-one, but about three minutes in there's a bit of screaming, guaranteed to make the older populace run down the stairs to change the station. That part soon passes though. I don't know, it's not that it's a bad track necessarily, it's just not very interesting either. Just ''Close your eyes'' and it'll be gone. Gee, with a title like that, you'd expect a some plain old political ranting, no?
Flame to the Moth
A good solid track which in some parts made me think of Dream Theater, for some reason (they're not a group I listen to regularly). It's got a nice... I don't know... groove? Thumbs up, without being exceptional in any way.
Enter Rain
Somewhat of a disappointment. The typically very strong closing track (I'm always glad to hear "The Perfect Element" or "
Beyond the Pale") is now a sad slow drawn out ordeal of a track. Its apex, if such is even to be found, is as low as it's dull. This is where we expect that delivering release of energy, the closing knock-out punch. Instead we're treated a long build-up into virtual nothingness.= Outro =
One should remember that this is Pain of Salvation, so a track that is "meh" is still pretty darn good compared to track placed twentieth of the national Top-40. Also, tracks and albums grow on you. This can't be overstated. I was pretty hard on "Remedy Lane" too first, but now it's only that truly dreary "This heart of mine" that sits there as an infected pimple on an otherwise fantastic album.
So keep that in mind as you engage the flame-throwers.
Comments
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gangstayoda wrote:
it's interesting to hear everyone's different first impression of this. i think a lot of POS fans have this weird idea of what POS is supposed to be and this cd doesnt conform to their preconceived expectation, so they dismiss it. how un-progressive is that ! here's what i wrote on the mikeportnoy forum: everyone's entitled to their own opinion but the criticism doesn't really make sense to me anymore. at the same time the people who don't like this cd are saying they don't like this new direction pos is taking because it's not progressive. but that just doesn't make sense to me because new direction is progressive. right? if this was released by some band i've never heard of before i would have really liked it the first time i listened to it, but since it was PoS i had this weird expectation of something completely mindblowing. but then after a few listens my expectations didnt matter any more and now i really like this cd. probably about on the same level as entropia. (still not as good as RL, TPE, BE, imo)... but i think if you don't have any expectations and go in open minded, i think you'll be more satisfied with this cd than if you have this idea of what you think Pain of Salvation is supposed to be and if you think the cd is supposed to conform to your subjective ideas. oh, and Disco Queen is a cool song. i dont care who wrote it.
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Damaged wrote:
Cribcaged, Scarsick and Flame to the Moth are the stand out tracks. However I totally love the whole album. As gangstayoda said, why hate on a new musical direction - that's what progressive music is all about. It's like those that hate Be. Be is a work of pure genius, just like every other PoS album. I have my favs like anyone, but I don't dislike any PoS album.
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pedrosaboya wrote:
I had a very similar first impression of the album. Despite I think Mrs. Modern Mother Mary a GREAT track, specially in the vocals and the atmosphere of the chorus. I still didn't found it's Lyrics in the web, and my english isn't all that good (as you can see). So I only understand a few song parts...
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Forks wrote:
The whole album is so angry and sarcastic. I didn't know daniel had it in him.
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vihreatee wrote:
Well said, Forks. I like how Scarsick is a collection of songs from very different genres but still manages to hold well as an album - something that BE lacked in my opinion. I think America and Flame to the Moth stand out as individual songs.
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Ajaxhunter wrote:
I love the first 5 tracks, except for America. The lyrics in that song are just too stupidly straightforward, it's like listening to something System of a Down wrote. Seems to me if you want to write something like that and be taken seriously, don't go perpetuating the system you hate by selling your album in the US... Plus, anytime I hear some complaint about warmongering or a new war each day or something to that effect I just stop taking the song seriously. But then again maybe he's just having fun. I would hope for better from Gildenlow, he's written some of the best lyrics (even political lyrics) I've read in the past. Overall the album is different but still great like only a PoS album can be.
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MikeDoyle wrote:
No one on any boards I have browsed has mentioned the drumming on this album. It is SO solid, and a reason why Langell is one of my favorite all around drummers. His pocket grooves are so tight, and some of the bass/snare patterns he does while keeping a steady cymbal beat. Check out the chorus of Mrs. Modern @ 1:28. Deceptively difficult stuff!!! Actually, alot of the guitar work is really hidden, but very interesting, you just have to really listen, this album has alot of varied levels than what POS is used too. For the arguments against its progressiveness....I dunno, it sounds as subtley complex as PoS ever has. The one thing I always point out with this band is how you can listen to their songs as if they are pretty standard 4/4 rock tracks, yet if you look at the scores they are quite deep. I see the same thing here in almost all their songs. If complexity even matters to you, that is :)
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eloj wrote:
Two things: a) Langell is the most underappreciated member of PoS for sure, even taking into account that there seems to be a huge cult built on worshipping Gildenlöw, basically treating PoS and Gildenlöw as an equality. I remember way back when we were at some church event (the details of which I have happily supressed), but as I remember it things were winding down, when Johan suddenly sat down behind the drums and started adlibbing, and everyone in the room just stopped dead in their tracks and turned to listen. And for better words; it was teh awesome. I'd seen him in concert, I'd heard him practice, but that was the exact moment I realized he was brilliant. b) I have no idea where this weird idea of this being a critique involving how progressive this album is or isn't is coming from. I consider it a total strawman. Progressive implies directionality, as if the music is on some asymptotically monotonic path toward ever higher greatness, a notion I find almost absurd in this context. Really it's just the pretto-word for changing, the magnitude of which is much less interesting than the directionality. To be sure, I like their old stuff better, so for me the direction is sadly out of tune. For _me_ moving from Repent, Timeweaver's Tale toward Idiocracy is devolution. The truth is that, simplifying somewhat, every new album bring more tracks that I don't particularly care for than the previous one did. Sadly, voicing this where it can be heard by followers of the cult of Gildenlöw is likely to translate into accusations of not understanding the complexity, the concept or the nature of progressive music, if not outright Heresy.
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6Stringer wrote:
Pain of Salvation – Mrs. Modern Mother Mary At 4:15, this is the shortest track of the album, which I find is a most fortunate blessing, considering it seems to be about finding god, which I find highly offensive. Can we please bring back the fuckoffs? So are you a conservative religious fanatic or don't you get the point of the song? I'm pretty sure it's not about finding god, but about those religious people with the holier than thou -attitude. See, I have a bigger world since I found god. Seems to me like that...
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Deliverancer wrote:
I think this is the first POS album where each song stands out for itself as an individual track - but all have a common denominator and are somehow meant to be listened one after another to understand the whole concept. After many spins there are still some part i can't figure out what he's saying, but most of it is quite clear. Not too sure about what he's screaming in Flame of the moth and how what he tells in Enter rain are connected... Notice some tracks end with samples (breathing, running, water-like sounds, the baby on cribcaged, the turnable player before and after disco queen ect.) and that each song is like a sarcastic cover to a different genre (connecting to what someone here said about this being not what fans expected). Well, this is indeed no what the fans expected - a well justified spit in the face to whoever the fuck Gildenlow wants to spit at.
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SlarynSirethey wrote:
The one thing here I sort of disagree with is the instrumental KoL comment... part of what made that song is the vocals (especially the first minute or so), and the last riff before the fade out (if you're tearing down my world...) is absolutely epic. The vocals really made that outro 10x more grand. Overall a great album, and well put in your post.
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TheFlyingTeapot wrote:
Hmmm... I think the album has a few good ideas (like Disco Queen), but the stupid Fuck off lyrics just spoils alot of the songs for me, it's too bad the lyrics are so bad, since this album depends om then much more than earlier albums.
