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
Welcome To Entropia
Pain of Salvation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics to Pain of Salvation's song "WELCOme tO enTROpIA!" describe a dystopian society where people have lost their sense of purpose and direction. The song begins with "You're just a castaway / Stranded in your own mind," implying a feeling of isolation and confusion. The singer speaks of a world where people are consumed by superficial values and blinded by materialism, leading to a loss of community and interconnectedness. The chorus, "Welcome to Entropia / We hope you have a pleasant stay / Welcome to Entropia / It's not a utopia, but hey, it's home," reflects the resignation of the people who have accepted their dire situation and lost hope for a better future. The song ends with the poignant line, "But all of us have to sacrifice something / If entropy must increase."
Line by Line Meaning
[V1] This is the morning that I hate
I despise waking up to a new day because it signifies the start of my ongoing struggle with depression and anxiety.
[V2] And this is the moment of regret
I regret every past mistake I have made in my life that has led me to this point of despair and hopelessness.
[V3] This is the only one that I have
I feel isolated and alone in my pain, and it seems like no one understands what I am going through.
[V4] A life that's mine but not my own
My existence feels meaningless and directionless, and it seems like my life is controlled by external forces beyond my control.
[V5] And all around me chaos grows
The world around me is busy and chaotic, and I feel overwhelmed and trapped in the midst of it all.
[C] Welcome to Entropia
This is the world of disorder and decay, where everything is in a constant state of decline and destruction.
[PC] Here comes paranoia
The constant fear and anxiety I experience leave me feeling paranoid and unable to trust anyone or anything around me.
[PC] And I feel that I'll lose my mind
My mental state feels unstable and fragile, and I fear that I am on the brink of losing all sanity and control.
[V6] This is the valley of the shadow of death
The pain and suffering I am experiencing makes me feel as though I am living in a constant state of darkness and despair, with no end in sight.
[V7] And I'm not alone
Though I feel isolated in my pain, I know that there are others out there who understand and empathize with what I am going through.
[V8] This is where all things meet their end
Entropy is the ultimate force of destruction, bringing everything to its eventual demise and leaving nothing behind in its wake.
[V9] And I'm not afraid to die
At this point, death seems like a welcome escape from the constant pain and suffering of my existence, and I no longer fear the end.
[C] Welcome to Entropia
Once again, I am reminded of the all-encompassing nature of decay and destruction that surrounds me.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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