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
Vocari Dei
Pain of Salvation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My wish is just selfish, maybe ignorant. But I beg you to put back the sense in my life.
Are you there? I, I, I just called to see if you're there. Sometimes, sometimes I feel upbeat, sometimes I hate you, mostly, I, I just wonder if you're there. Are you there?
God, If you are love, then why are we subjected to an increasing injustice throughout the world? Do you show us love by tormenting us? It doesn't make any sense.
The lyrics of Pain of Salvation's song Vocari Dei speak about the struggles and doubts that one may have about their faith. The spoken recordings overlaid on the music add depth to the emotional tone of the lyrics. The first recording talks about a wish that may be considered selfish or ignorant. However, the singer is begging for some sense to be put back into their life. This suggests a feeling of being lost or directionless. The second recording takes a more personal tone. The singer is wondering if God is there, sometimes feeling positive, other times negative. This is a sentiment that many people may share; the uncertainty of whether there is a divine presence that cares about them. The last recording is more critical, asking God why there is so much injustice in the world if He is supposed to be love. The singer is questioning the idea of a benevolent God, wondering if there is any truth to it.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a deep sense of questioning, doubt, and confusion about faith. It is an introspective piece that delves into the struggles that many people have with their beliefs. The spoken recordings add a sense of vulnerability and raw emotion, making the message of the song all the more poignant.
Line by Line Meaning
My wish is just selfish, maybe ignorant. But I beg you to put back the sense in my life.
I acknowledge that my desire is self-centered and may lack knowledge, but I plead with you to provide me with purpose and understanding.
Are you there? I, I, I just called to see if you're there. Sometimes, sometimes I feel upbeat, sometimes I hate you, mostly, I, I just wonder if you're there. Are you there?
I am uncertain of your existence and my fluctuating emotions towards you leave me with a constant question - are you truly present?
God, If you are love, then why are we subjected to an increasing injustice throughout the world? Do you show us love by tormenting us? It doesn't make any sense.
As a representation of love, I struggle to comprehend why there is an ongoing rise in mistreatment within our planet. Does your love manifest through our pain? It is beyond my understanding.
Contributed by Anthony D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.