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
Lilium Cruentus
Pain of Salvation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At first I don't know why your presence fills me with unease
Though I've missed you more than life itself
I freeze
It's like you've been lost and now you're glad to see my face
But as you sit down my confusion turns to distress
Not knowing how to let you know that you are
Dead
They tell me you are better off
Where you are now
Well, I don't care
They tell me that your pain is gone
Where you are now
Well, you left it here
See, I need to be strong
Need to be brave
I need to put faith in something
How could I live on
Not hoping we will meet
Again?
A scene in white and grey:
Under the icon's weight the old thoughts lay
Under the cross so still and pale
The flowers usher the stale breath of death away
And someone tries to sing
But the bird of song has lost its wings
Now it twitches
Rips the stitches of a chest where tears are torn
And where all loss begins
Life seems too small when death takes its toll
I need something to blame for this pain
A scene in amber - flawed:
And have you ever had that dream
Where one you love passes away?
And you wake up crying to a world
Where she's long since gone
But you feel the pain
So close
As if she'd died today
But I need to be strong
I need to be brave
I need to put faith in something
How could I live on
Not hoping we will meet
Again
Some day?
Earth to earth, dust to dust
A verse we know too well
Like a nursery rhyme
Just in reverse
'cause we are all the little tin man
With hearts like little tin cans
And as we line them down with tears
Over the years
They inevitably turn
To rust
Life seems too small when death takes its toll
I need something to blame for this pain
I try, I fail, I fall, like anyone you know
I break, I bleed, like anyone you know
A scene in blood on white:
Where the linen's changed just for tonight
And somehow we beat her to this sight
This ghostly room of exit
That she enters by the flicker of candle light
And in her breast
A desert storm is taking form
An old thirst that can never be quenched or killed
Sweeps over the cold
Broken but thousandfold
"My love!"
The song "Lilium Cruentus" by Pain of Salvation is a deep and emotional exploration of the pain, confusion, and grief that comes with losing a loved one. The song is divided into several different scenes, each of which touches on a different aspect of this experience. The first scene is in brown and yellow, and it describes the confusion and distress that comes with the sudden presence of a loved one who has passed away. The singer is overcome with unease, unsure of how to let this person know that they are no longer alive. As the scene progresses, the realization hits him hard, and he wakes up sweating from the dream.
The second scene is in white and grey and describes the aftermath of death. The weight of the cross and the stale breath of death fill the room as the singer struggles to come to terms with his grief. He needs something to blame for this pain, but nothing seems to make sense. Finally, the last scene is in blood on white, describing the moment when the singer finally comes face to face with his loved one's passing. In this ghostly room, she enters by candlelight, broken but thousandfold, and the singer cries out in pain and longing: "My love!"
Overall, "Lilium Cruentus" is a hauntingly beautiful song about the various stages of grief that one goes through when losing a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
A scene in brown and yellow:
The singer describes a scene in brown and yellow as they introduce the theme about a confusing, distressing interaction with someone they have missed.
At first I don't know why your presence fills me with unease
The singer feels unsettled by the presence of someone they missed for an unknown reason.
Though I've missed you more than life itself
The singer has an intense longing for the person they're referring to, stronger than anything they've ever experienced.
I freeze
The artist freezes in response to their unsettling feelings upon seeing the person they missed.
It's like you've been lost and now you're glad to see my face
The artist perceives that the person they missed is happy to see them, like they've been looking for them for a long time.
But as you sit down my confusion turns to distress
The singer becomes more distressed and confused as the person they missed sits down.
Not knowing how to let you know that you are
The singer struggles with how to communicate to the person they missed that they are no longer alive.
Dead
The artist reveals that the person they missed has passed away.
(I wake up sweating)
The artist reveals that this is a dream that causes them to wake up sweating.
They tell me you are better off
The artist is aware that people say that the person they missed is better off now that they have passed away.
Where you are now
The singer is referencing the afterlife.
Well, I don't care
The artist doesn't care about where people say the person they missed is, they just miss them.
They tell me that your pain is gone
The singer knows that people say that the person they missed is no longer in pain.
See, I need to be strong
The singer acknowledges that they need to be strong in the face of losing someone they loved.
Need to be brave
The singer recognizes that being brave is necessary in order to face the pain of losing someone.
I need to put faith in something
The artist believes that having faith in something will help them cope with the loss of the person they missed.
How could I live on
The artist expresses doubt about being able to go on living after losing someone they loved so much.
Not hoping we will meet
The singer can't imagine living without hope of someday being reunited with the person they missed.
Again?
The singer asks if they will ever see the person they missed again.
A scene in white and grey:
The artist transitions to describing a new scene, in white and grey, where they continue to express their pain and grief.
Under the icon's weight the old thoughts lay
The artist describes feeling emotionally weighed down by their thoughts and emotions, which they attribute to being under the weight of an icon or symbol.
Under the cross so still and pale
The artist senses a somber, religious image in this scene.
The flowers usher the stale breath of death away
The singer sees flowers as an effort to rid the air around them of the stale, suffocating scent of death.
And someone tries to sing
The artist observes someone trying to sing, perhaps at a funeral or memorial service.
But the bird of song has lost its wings
The singer feels that the power of song or music to bring comfort or solace in times of grief has been lost.
Now it twitches
The singer describes a bird-like figure, probably symbolic, that is now writhing or twitching.
Rips the stitches of a chest where tears are torn
The singer feels the physical and emotional pain of losing someone loved and describes it as tearing apart stitches and causing sobbing tears.
And where all loss begins
The artist suggests that the pain of loss and grief is where a person's healing or journey towards acceptance must begin.
Life seems too small when death takes its toll
The artist feels like death has reduced the value and significance of life itself.
I need something to blame for this pain
The singer expresses a desire to blame someone or something for the pain and suffering caused by loss and death.
A scene in amber - flawed:
The singer introduces another scene, this time with imagery associated with amber and its flaws, as they continue to grapple with grief.
And have you ever had that dream
The artist addresses the listener, asking if they themselves have ever had a dream such as this.
Where one you love passes away?
The artist refers to the dream mentioned earlier, where someone they love is no longer alive.
And you wake up crying to a world
The artist describes how they wake up to a world that feels even more desolate and empty upon waking from this dream.
Where she's long since gone
The singer feels like the person they miss has been gone for a long time, adding to their sense of loss.
But you feel the pain
The artist describes feeling the pain of loss and grief as intensely as if it were happening in the present.
So close
The singer reflects how the pain of loss can feel both distant and close, almost within reach.
As if she'd died today
The pain of the past can feel as raw and immediate as if the person had died only recently.
Earth to earth, dust to dust
The singer references a phrase associated with funeral services, marking the return of the body to the earth.
A verse we know too well
The artist admits that this phrase is all too familiar, perhaps indicating the frequency of deaths experienced.
Like a nursery rhyme
The artist compares this funeral phrase to a nursery rhyme, suggesting that the idea of death is commonplace and expected in a way.
Just in reverse
The singer notes that this funeral phrase depicts a reversal or undoing of the creation of life from the earth.
'cause we are all the little tin man
The singer positions all people as little tin men, insinuating that the human heart is made of metal and disconnected from emotions.
With hearts like little tin cans
The artist extends the metaphor of the tin man to the fear of having an empty, hollow heart.
And as we line them down with tears
The artist references lining cans, potentially symbolizing how people are arranged or characterized when commemorating a life lost.
Over the years
The artist comments on how many years have been spent grieving or losing loved ones.
They inevitably turn
The singer notes how the lined cans or hearts will deteriorate over time.
To rust
The artist equates the natural erosion of these hearts to rusting.
I try, I fail, I fall, like anyone you know
The singer describes the helpless feeling that comes with failed attempts to cope with grief.
I break, I bleed, like anyone you know
The singer also draws on imagery of physical pain and injury as they relate to their emotional state.
A scene in blood on white:
The singer concludes with a final scene, which is strikingly graphic and includes blood on white to denote grief and pain.
Where the linen's changed just for tonight
The artist references a scene that has taken place for only one night, with implications of burial or sacrifice.
And somehow we beat her to this sight
The artist describes arriving before someone else, possibly at a funeral or gravesite.
This ghostly room of exit
The singer references a room or location associated with death, which is ominous and ghostly.
That she enters by the flicker of candle light
The singer describes the way someone is entering this room, as if it is in a state of darkness or despair.
And in her breast
The artist references the chest of the person entering the ghostly room.
A desert storm is taking form
The artist uses a desert storm to represent the feelings of conflict and confusion building inside the person entering the room.
An old thirst that can never be quenched or killed
The artist describes the feeling of yearning that the person entering the room is experiencing, which can never be fulfilled or forgotten.
Sweeps over the cold
The singer suggests that the person entering the room is chilly or numb, swept over by this rush of feeling.
Broken but thousandfold
The artist references the suffering of the person entering the room and perhaps others before her, describing it as vast and profound.
"My love!"
The singer quotes someone as they enter the room, illustrating the desire to reach for someone who has passed away.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DANIEL GILDENLOEW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind