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
Home
Pain of Salvation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that's our homeland for
Thousands of years. That's our home, and we will never leave. No matter how
Contaminated it gets. We live there! We have always lived there and we will
Always live there.'
This is our home, our roots go deep
Where our ancestors sleep
But never ours to keep
My tribe is crying, our land is dying
But we can't leave, this is our home
We can't let our past go
We're left with your legacy
Wide awake, deep at our roots
While you move on exploiting
We'll sing lullabies for half a million years
When my son asks why, what will I reply?
But we can't leave, this is our home
We can't let our past go
But we can't leave, this is our home!
If you like concrete alone
Then don't make your high lives depend
On that past that you let go
In Pain of Salvation's song "Home," the lyrics express the deep connection between indigenous peoples and their land. The opening lines comment on the transience of the white man, who can come and go from the land, unlike the native people who consider it their home for thousands of years. The lyrics emphasize that no matter what happens to the land, how it becomes contaminated and polluted, the native people cannot abandon it. They have always lived there, and they will always live there because their roots are so deeply intertwined with the land that they cannot leave it behind. The pain of watching their land die is unbearable, but still, they cannot give up on their home, their past, their legacy.
The second part of the song continues to lament the loss of the land and the connection between past, present, and future generations. The artist talks about how they cannot let go of their past and their roots, even though they are left with a legacy of exploitation by others. The artist sings about how they will keep singing lullabies for half a million years, even after they are gone, to keep the memory of their land and their people alive. The lyrics express the frustration of not being able to leave or save their home, while the powers that be profit from their land and move on. At the end, the artist emphasizes that if someone does not appreciate the land and only wants concrete, they should not depend on the past that they have let go.
Overall, "Home" is a powerful, emotional song that highlights the relationship between indigenous peoples and their land. It emphasizes the deep connection between people and their home, and how it is impossible to sever those roots. At the same time, it speaks to the frustration and sadness that comes with watching the land and the people slowly die.
Line by Line Meaning
The white man, he comes and goes. He can go.
White colonizers often show up uninvited, take what they want, and leave. They have the privilege to come and go as they please.
But that's our homeland for
Thousands of years. That's our home, and we will never leave.
Indigenous people have lived on this land for thousands of years. They have a deep connection to it and will never abandon it or their way of living on it.
No matter how
Contaminated it gets. We live there! We have always lived there and we will
Always live there.'
Even if the land is polluted or poisoned by outside forces, indigenous communities will still inhabit and care for it. They will always have a connection to their home.
This is our home, our roots go deep
Where our ancestors sleep
This is the land we've nursed for countless aeons
But never ours to keep
Indigenous people have a deep-rooted connection to the land where their ancestors are buried. Even though they have taken care of this land for centuries, it is never truly their own.
My tribe is crying, our land is dying
But we can't leave, this is our home
We can't let our past go
When the land is being destroyed or taken away, indigenous people feel the pain and their voices cry out. However, they have no choice but to stay and fight for their right to live there.
We're left with your legacy
Wide awake, deep at our roots
While you move on exploiting
We'll sing lullabies for half a million years
Indigenous people often suffer from the negative effects of colonialism, such as poverty and lack of resources. However, they continue to cherish their land and their heritage for generations to come.
When my son asks why, what will I reply?
But we can't leave, this is our home
We can't let our past go
When future generations ask about their roots and heritage, indigenous people will continue to tell them their stories and explain why they must stay on their land, no matter the obstacles.
But we can't leave, this is our home!
If you like concrete alone
Then don't make your high lives depend
On that past that you let go
Indigenous people will not leave the land that has been their home for thousands of years, even if newcomers have made it their own. Those who take over indigenous land and resources cannot erase the past or its connection to the people who have always lived there.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL GILDENLOW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind