Trademarks include concept albums focusing on social, environmental, philosophical, and emotional issues as well as songs that incorporate complex rhythms and time changes but retain flowing melodies.
The band was formed by Gildenlöw in 1984 under the name Reality. The band used to participate in many music contests in their homeland of Sweden. The first EP, Hereafter, was recorded in 1996 under the monicker Pain of Salvation, which has been the name of the band since 1991. The Lineup of the band was the same for their first official full length album, Entropia(1997).
After the departure of Daniel Magdic for continuing disagreements with the others over committing to the increasing demands of the band, the band recorded One Hour By The Concrete Lake(1999), a concept album about the issues of nuclear power/waste, disposition of indigenous peoples,industry and human discovery. The band began to receive more attention from critics and magazines all around the world. In 1999 they also played at the famous ProgPower festival in The Netherlands.
Their third and most famous album, The Perfect Element I was released in 2000 and received a great response from the crowd and critics, making them the second most famous Progressive Metal band over the world: a success confirmed by their fourth album, Remedy Lane (2002), a semi-autobiographical album written by Daniel Gildenlöw about loss, love, and life.
2004 saw the release of two different albums, an acoustic live show recorded at Eskilstuna called 12:5 where the band played most of their old famous songs rearranged, and the epic concept album about the origin of humanity and God called BE: It was the first album to divide the fan base in opinion, due to its musically experimental and philosophical nature; and perhaps also its lack of cohesive progressive metal pieces.
BE album was also released in a special DVD edition called BE: The Original Stage Production (2005). With a live CD recorded during the 2003 presentation of the album and a DVD rappresentation from the same dates.
On 21 February 2006, Kristoffer Gildenlöw was asked to leave the band due to him not being able to attend rehearsals, since he lived in Holland and the band lived in Sweden. Kristoffer has a solo album planned for the future, as well as a side project called Dial.
The new album, Scarsick, was released on January 22, 2007. It is more band oriented than BE, with Daniel Gildenlöw playing bass in the studio. Recent interviews with Daniel have revealed that Scarsick is, in fact, the second part of The Perfect Element, confirming the speculation of many fans.
A European tour to support the new album has been announced (it started February 17, 2007). The band will be playing with Simon Andersson, a new replacement bassist on this tour. On the 10th of March, after the Copenhagen show, Simon Andersson was welcomed into Pain of Salvation as a full member. The band issued this message on their website:
He (Simon Andersson) did an outstanding job on the tour and we are looking forward to the coming years with great anticipation. Since his girlfriend is a huge Pain of Salvation fan, we happily expect to see this decision put a little silver lining on their sex life as well, since she can now all of a sudden go to bed with a member of the band :-) Congratulations Simon, and welcome to the family!
In May 2007 it was announced that drummer Johan Langell had decided to leave the band to spend more time with his family.
For Progressive Nation 2009 Tour the band took a new bass guitar player - Per Schelander.
According to their website, there is a new EP "Linoleum" due in November 2009, while a double album "Road Salt", consisting of two parts (Ivory and Ebony) is recorded and to be released in 2010, 2011.
Current lineup:
Daniel Gildenlöw – vocals, guitar
Johan Hallgren – lead guitar, backing vocals
Léo Margarit - drums
Gustaf Hielm - bass guitar, double bass, vocals (1992–1994, 2011–present)
Daniel "D2" Karlsson – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
Former members:
Daniel Magdic – guitar, backing vocals
Kristoffer Gildenlöw – bass guitar, double bass, backing vocals
Johan Langell – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Magnus Johansson - bass guitar (1990)
Joakim Strandberg - bass guitar (1984–1990)
Mikael Pettersson - drums (1984–1990)
Fredrik Hermansson – keyboards
Simon Andersson - bass guitar, backing vocals (2007-2008)
Per Schelander - bass guitar, backing vocals
Ragnar Zolberg - guitar, vocals, mandolin
12-Plains Of Dawn
Pain of Salvation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sheltered from the cold, a soldier guards a boy.
Clocks are cutting as times pass by their pain
(bringing release through the book on his knees)
(keep trying, keep trying, keep dying inside)
"Hush now little child, it's time to say goodnight.
I'll still be here when the nightmists draw near"
(blind figures controlling his life)
(keep falling, keep falling, keep falling down now)
"Have faith my son - reach for my hand
And I'll walk with you till the sun goes down.
Follow me now, we will meet again in your land.
(have faith my son) Now I'll lead you home."
Opening stillness, reaching through illness.
They walk in nightmist.
"Now, we meet again. I'm so close to you now. Again we laugh."
Where shallow waters reach
For unknown mystic shores
They gaze at the horizon and smile
"Behold my son - reach for the vision that fills your mind, just let go and
Run. Follow the path that was meant for you long ago. (behold my son) And
Cross the plains of dawn."
Wordless questions, tearful confessions.
They meet at last now, when it is time to go separate ways
(fading pages) They have touched through ages.
"Remember me my son, it's time to say...goodbye.
I'll free you from your prison - now go!
You're free now, the wave meets the shore!"
(keep running, keep running, keep running home kid)
(winning a war made him lose evermore)
"Farewell my son -
The tubes that were straining you
To a death within life are gone.
Wait for us, I and your mother will cherish you my son. I cry
As I'm watching you run across plains of dawn."
...and so through that evening
A soldier is leaving
His son once again
And a war has been lost...
Forlorn he is reeling,
Unmendably kneeling.
But fate leaves no choice: now
He must close the book!
The song "12-Plains of Dawn" by Pain of Salvation tells the story of a soldier and his son. The soldier is guarding his son, and they are sheltered from the cold together. The soldier tries to comfort his son by telling him to find rest in his lullaby and to have faith that he will lead him home. However, the soldier knows his life is controlled by blind figures and worries about the fate of his son. The soldier and his son then walk into the nightmist towards a vision that fills the son's mind. They have tearful confessions and meet at last, but it is time to say goodbye. The soldier frees his son and lets him run across the plains of dawn. The soldier is forlorn at losing his son but knows that fate leaves him no other choice than to close the book.
The song is about the sacrifice that soldiers make when they go to war. It shows how soldiers try to provide comfort to their loved ones, and how they have to let go of them when they die. It's a poignant reminder of the emotional turmoil soldiers go through during war times, and the lasting impact it has on their loved ones. The lyrics show the despair of a soldier who has lost a war and his son, but also his hope that his son could find peace across the plains of dawn.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm here now, by your side
A soldier protects a child from the bitter cold of a war-torn land.
Hush now little child, it's time to say goodnight. Find rest in my lullaby this night. I'll still be here when the nightmists draw near
The soldier comforts the child and sings him to rest, promising to not leave his side despite the chaos.
Have faith my son - reach for my hand. And I'll walk with you till the sun goes down. Follow me now, we will meet again in your land. (have faith my son) Now I'll lead you home.
The soldier encourages the child to trust him and leads him towards safety, promising that they will see each other again.
Behold my son - reach for the vision that fills your mind, just let go and Run. Follow the path that was meant for you long ago. (behold my son) And Cross the plains of dawn.
The soldier urges the child to follow his dreams and embrace his destiny, and to go forth and live his life to the fullest.
Remember me my son, it's time to say...goodbye. I'll free you from your prison - now go! You're free now, the wave meets the shore! (keep running, keep running, keep running home kid) (winning a war made him lose evermore)
The soldier sets the child free from the horrors of war, but is left with his own inner turmoil and regret over the violence he has witnessed.
Farewell my son - The tubes that were straining you. To a death within life are gone. Wait for us, I and your mother will cherish you my son. I cry As I'm watching you run across plains of dawn.
The soldier bids his child farewell as the boy enters the afterlife, knowing that he will be reunited with him one day and that his memory will be cherished by his family.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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