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
The Physics of Gridlock
Pain of Salvation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silently I sit on this road
Sifting the dust through my hands
To feel that I belong
Silently I weep from my soul
There's always been something I need
To feel that I am whole
I'm taking a trip down the line
Watching this new state of mind
All is mine
All is mine
Silently I weep for mankind
At some point we cut every rope
To touch the sun
And suddenly
And silently
Like hot air balloons
Our minds took to the skies
Hovering above luscious fields
With a beautiful view
But this hunger for the ground
Inside
And every red-light in town
Is screaming for lost and for found
All is mine
II: The End
We're all longing to belong
We're all longing to be home
Invincible young and strong
But we have lost it all
When we turn life into a road
A direction towards a goal
Ending where no one really wants to go
And so my friend
Welcome to the end
All who won't pretend
All who cannot mend
All who lost themselves
On life's dusty shelves
No one ever wins
We're but mortal kings
Of passing things
But I see a better man
His feet on his father's land
His head in his mother's hand
He still belongs
He's lying there on the shore
He never asks where to go
'Cause his is a grounded soul
He'll always know
III: On nous a donné la vie
Je suis la mer
C'est pourquoi je dis
Pour tous mes frères
Pour tous mes amis
Je vous donne la misère
Je vous donne la vie
Je vous donne la misère
Je vous donne la vie
Je vous donne la vie
Je suis la mer (Vous voyez tout en moi)
C'est pourquoi je dis (Vous voyez un dieu)
Pour tous mes frères (Je me vois en toi)
Pour tous mes amis (Dans chaque lieu)
Je vous donne la misère (Je vous donne cette croix)
Je vous donne la vievous (Je vous donne cette fleur)
Je vous donne la misère (Je vous donne cette croix)
Je vous donne la vie (Je vous donne cette fleur)
Je vous donne la vie (Je vous donne cette fleur)
Nous partageons ce sentiment d'impuissance
Toujours jeunes filles et garçons sans défense
Silenceusement nous allons
Silencieusement nous passons
On nous a donné la misère
On nous a donné la vie
On nous a donné la misère
On nous a donné la vie
On nous a donné la vie
On nous a donné la vie
The Physics of Gridlock is a deeply introspective song that touches on themes of belonging, existentialism, and the human experience. The first section, Gridlock (All Is Mine), explores the sense of belonging, or lack thereof, that the singer feels. The use of silence in the song is significant, as it represents the emptiness and void that the singer is feeling as he sits on the road. He sifts the dust through his hands to feel a connection, to feel that he belongs somewhere. The line, "All is mine," is repeated throughout, perhaps suggesting that the singer's sense of ownership over his life and his surroundings contrasts with the emptiness he feels inside. The second stanza explains how mankind has lost touch with nature and ourselves in search of something unachievable.
The second section, The End, is a reflection on mortality and the inevitability of death. The singer observes how we are all longing to belong somewhere, but life is like a road leading to a destination none of us want to arrive at - death. He proclaims that no one ever wins in the end, and we are mere "mortal kings of passing things." However, there is a glimpse of hope in the description of a better man who is grounded in his roots and always knows where he belongs.
The third section, On nous a donne la vie, is in French and its lyrics are marked by a sense of fatalism, powerlessness, and shared destiny. The singer puts himself and others in the same box, where everyone is given life and misery, and where everybody tries to make peace with their fate. The use of French language only adds to the feeling of displacement and detachment conveyed in the song.
Overall, the lyrics of The Physics of Gridlock offer a complex and deep commentary on the human condition. The song touches on relatable themes like belonging, mortality, and life's purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Silently I sit on this road
Quietly, I am sitting here on this path
Sifting the dust through my hands
I am running the sand through my fingers
To feel that I belong
Looking for a sense of identity and belonging
Silently I weep from my soul
I am shedding tears deep within myself
There's always been something I need
I have always yearned for something
To feel that I am whole
A sense that completeness can be achieved
I'm taking a trip down the line
I'm going on a journey along this path
Watching this new state of mind
Observing my altered perspective
All is mine
An affirmation that everything is under my control
Silently I weep for mankind
Quietly mourning for the state of humanity
At some point we cut every rope
Humans have severed all ties with our past and traditions
To touch the sun
To reach for the impossible and out of reach
And suddenly
Unexpectedly
And silently
With no sound or fuss
Like hot air balloons
Our aspirations rose like balloons full of hot air
Our minds took to the skies
Our imagination soared exotic heights
Hovering above luscious fields
Suspended over mesmerizing landscapes
With a beautiful view
Owning an enviable perch
But this hunger for the ground
Craving the warm embrace of reality
Inside
Within us all
And every red-light in town
Every traffic light in the city
Is screaming for lost and for found
It is an invitation to stop and think
We're all longing to belong
The desire for a sense of identity and connection
We're all longing to be home
Everyone needs a place they can call home
Invincible young and strong
Young ones feeling omnipotent
But we have lost it all
Despite our strength, we have still lost much
When we turn life into a road
By viewing life as a journey with a destination
A direction towards a goal
With a specific aim in the end
Ending where no one really wants to go
The final destination not being what we truly aim for
And so my friend
Addressing someone with a statement
Welcome to the end
Welcome to the conclusion of the adventure
All who won't pretend
Those unwilling to deceive themselves
All who cannot mend
Those who can't put back the remnants of the past
All who lost themselves
Those who have become unrecognizable
On life's dusty shelves
Like books that have been forgotten
No one ever wins
There is no final winner in life
We're but mortal kings
As humans, we are like the rulers but not eternal
Of passing things
Of things that come and go
But I see a better man
A glimpse of a superior human being
His feet on his father's land
Standing firmly on his origin soil
His head in his mother's hand
Grounded by the nurturing, maternal presence
He still belongs
He is still part of the group
He's lying there on the shore
Lying by the banks of a water body
He never asks where to go
He does not need direction
'Cause his is a grounded soul
Because his soul is anchored
He'll always know
He is so knowledgeable
Je suis la mer
I am the sea
C'est pourquoi je dis
That's why I say
Pour tous mes frères
For all my brothers
Pour tous mes amis
For all my friends
Je vous donne la misère
Is giving you misery
Je vous donne la vie
Is giving you life
Nous partageons ce sentiment d'impuissance
We share the sense of helplessness
Toujours jeunes filles et garçons sans défense
Always young girls and boys, helpless in nature
Silenceusement nous allons
We move silently
Silencieusement nous passons
We pass on silently
On nous a donné la misère
We are given misery
On nous a donné la vie
We have been given life
On nous a donné la vie
We have been given life
On nous a donné la misère
We are given misery
Je vous donne la vie
Is giving you life
Je vous donne la misère
Is giving you misery
Je vous donne cette croix
Is giving you this cross
Je vous donne cette fleur
Is giving you this flower
Je vous donne la misère
Is giving you misery
Je vous donne la vie
Is giving you life
Je vous donne la vie
Is giving you life
Contributed by Nathaniel R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ZeeGrego
definitely the kind of music that's probably great under the right cirumstances (setting, stereo, mood). i don't know if I'll ever appreciate PoS as much as I did 10 years ago though. moving on isn't the worst thing i suppose
Diarios de Berlín
It's been 10 years again. POS is the only band that dissapoints me with every new album but somehow I return to them every freaking time, rediscovering their stuffs...
AnimeFan896
I am the sea. That is why I speak. For all my brothers. For all my friends. I give you misery: I give you life. I give you misery: I give you life. All of you see everything in me. All of you see a god. I see myself in you. In every place. I give you this thought. I give you this flower. I give you this thought. I give you this flower. We all share this feeling of weakness. Every day young girls and boys with no defense. Silently we come. Silently we go.
Rafael Butu
Que banda, meus amigos!!
Nikos Mprekis
Daniel you are genius, to say the least!
o0mur
I can't describe how happy I am right now.
Emanuele Vecchiolini
Can i find a download link for the album somewhere? this is serious awesomeness!
Brombit
~first time experience~ The whole thing was great, but in the French part I collapsed <3 aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
DL
I am French myself and that was awesome
Pierre Eberling
Looks like you've been lacking the time, so here we go... Translation of Part III: I am the sea This iy why I say For all my brothers For all my friends (I give you misery I give you life) x2 You see everything in me You see a god I see myself in you In every place (I give you this cross I give you this flower) x2 We share this feeling of powerlessness Always defenceless young girls and boys Silently we go Silently we pass (We were given misery We were given life) x2 (We were given life) x2