Pain of Salvation thread, v.2 (merged)

[Elite]

Metal PoS could be TPE/Entropia or it could be Scarsick, so I won't get my hopes up, but it does sound really interesting and I think it could be a big surprise given the low bar of expectations. Remedy Lane as far as I'm concerned is their 4th best album and new versions of old albums are never great (they can be OK, but never better than the original) so I don't really care much about that announcement. I have the original Remedy Lane on CD and vinyl, so this is not something I'll be getting.

All of this. If any album had have a remix, it would be OHBTCL. Both Handful of Nothing and New Year's Eve on the live DVD 'Ending Themes' blow the studio versions away.

[Tomislav95]

I think live CD could be interesting, I saw audience footage on Youtube, their guitarist is singing higher parts instead of Daniel. He sang last part of Undertow perfectly.
EDIT: he was definitely better on ProgPower Europe :/

[Elite]

I saw them at ProgPower Europe. Twice.

[wolfking]

I don't even know who's in the band now.  Shows how out of touch I've been with them. 

[Adami]

I don't even know who's in the band now.  Shows how out of touch I've been with them. 

No idea who's on bass or keyboards (maybe some guy named Perth or Melbourne?) but they have a french drummer and their new guitarist is named Ragnarok Zoidberg or something.

[Evermind]

I don't even know who's in the band now.  Shows how out of touch I've been with them. 

Ragnar.

That's all I've got.

[Kwyjibo]

I don't even know who's in the band now.  Shows how out of touch I've been with them. 

Sad but true, although I really like the Road Salt records, it's been too long between anything happening and I lost track (and a little interest). Hopefully they can drag me in again.

[NoseofNicko]

their guitarist is singing higher parts instead of Daniel.

Hopefully Daniel didn't lose his range.

[Lynxo]

their guitarist is singing higher parts instead of Daniel.

Hopefully Daniel didn't lose his range.

Yeah, I hope so as well. But on the other hand, Ragnar is an amazing vocalist and guitarist and it was so interesting to hear someone else singing those parts. Kind of how it was hearing Johan singing some verses of Chain Sling on 12:5.

[Zydar]

Current members:

Daniel Gildenlöw - lead vocals, guitar, lute, mandolin (1984−present), bass (2006-2007), keys (1990-1996)
Gustaf Hielm - bass guitar, double bass, vocals (1992–1994, 2011–present)
Léo Margarit - drums, vocals, percussion, mandolin (2007−present)
Daniel "D2" Karlsson - keyboards, percussion, backing vocals (2011–present), bass guitar (2011 touring)
Ragnar Zolberg - guitar, vocals, mandolin (2011–2013, 2013–present)

[Elite]

Danny and Friends

[Zantera]

Danny and Friends

That's really all PoS ever was IMO. I miss Fredrik and Johan (maybe Kristoffer too) more for nostalgic reasons and for their contributions in a live setting I think. But looking back, even the earlier albums were 99% written by Daniel just like they are today. I don't think PoS declining has so much to do with the change in members as it has with Daniel just going down a road that people weren't so excited about. If they had kept making albums in the spirit of TPE/RL, I think they could have put out a few more great ones on par with the classics.

The new members are fine, it just feels lame like with all situations when 90% of the band is gone, even if the most important member is still there. But I mean it's almost the same with Opeth at this point. But Mikael is still there and he's still the main writer.

[Nihil-Morari]

Jeesh, I'm getting old. I remember that the frenchman took over drumming, and that was when my interest in PoS had been diminishing for a couple of years, and after I'd seen them live. So that's nearly 10 years ago 

[Cyclopssss]

^^^ Exactly! Sort of lost interest in them entirely. But I'll check it out when it lands...

[Adami]

Danny and Friends

That's really all PoS ever was IMO. I miss Fredrik and Johan (maybe Kristoffer too) more for nostalgic reasons and for their contributions in a live setting I think. But looking back, even the earlier albums were 99% written by Daniel just like they are today. I don't think PoS declining has so much to do with the change in members as it has with Daniel just going down a road that people weren't so excited about. If they had kept making albums in the spirit of TPE/RL, I think they could have put out a few more great ones on par with the classics.

The new members are fine, it just feels lame like with all situations when 90% of the band is gone, even if the most important member is still there. But I mean it's almost the same with Opeth at this point. But Mikael is still there and he's still the main writer.

But that's just not true. Yes, Daniel wrote most of the albums, but Frederick and Kristoffer had pretty pivotal roles. There's a reason the bass and keyboards aren't doing anything interesting once Daniel took over 100% of the writing.

[wolfking]

Remix of Rope Ends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oTMI_jc-NA

Lots more prominent keyboards, does definitely sound different, more layers, but I don't know if it makes it any better.  It's hard when you toy with such a brilliant perfect album in the first place.

[abydos]

Sounds like they cranked up the loudness. Not a fan.

[seasonsinthesky]

I only listened on an iPad, but it was good. Drums are definitely sample replaced differently and the whole thing is waaaaay clearer than the original mix.

Kinda hope they remix The Perfect Element.

[Adami]

Sounds like they cranked up the loudness. Not a fan.

That's pretty simplistic. They did a full on remix, every single instrument is very much different sounding.

It's very good......technically. But PoS is one of the bands that's all about the ambiance, and this loses a whole lot of that.

[Hanz Gruber]

Sounds like they cranked up the loudness. Not a fan.

That's pretty simplistic. They did a full on remix, every single instrument is very much different sounding.

It's very good......technically. But PoS is one of the bands that's all about the ambiance, and this loses a whole lot of that.

I am getting it for the live CD.  Can't believe that they are not including the Japanese Bonus track on this remix.  It is a pretty killer song and I can't imagine listening to the album without it included.  I'll stick to my import when listening to the studio tracks

Thorn Clown below: (left off bonus track)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUR24PZpoBA

[NoseofNicko]

Thorn Clown below: (left off bonus track)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUR24PZpoBA

Wow this is good! Thanks a lot for the link!

[elyster]

They have released the first two webisodes of the POS documentary

https://mapenzifilm.se/

Pretty interesting

[Hanz Gruber]

Thorn Clown below: (left off bonus track)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUR24PZpoBA

Wow this is good! Thanks a lot for the link!

No problem at all.  I am a completionist and shelled out $40 back in the day for the Japanese CD with the bonus track.

Was disappointed to hear that it won't be included in the remaster.  It flows nicely on the album.  Still excited for the live version though.  They are a killer live band

[Hanz Gruber]

Anyone pick this up yet.  Thoughts?

I have it but won;t be able to listen to it for a week or so.  (Starting with the new Fates Warning album first and can only really listen in my car on the way to work.  I am off until Teusday so I will be spinning the FW CD then)

Just was wondering if the remix makes much of a difference (positives and negatives)

[pain of occupation]

Thorn Clown slays
I too was disappointed it didnt find its way onto the re-release

[seasonsinthesky]

Yeah, I dunno why "Thorn Clown" was left out. Even the vinyl Inside Out released a few years ago has it. Maybe the session was missing?

I like the new mix, but it's very loud. If you're an anti-loudness war person (shouldn't we all be?), the blasting is annoying. Beyond that, the clarity is great. I hope The Perfect Element gets this treatment; the mix is a mess.

Re:Lived is also great – how many friggin' singers were on stage? They must've tuned some of them. I refuse to believe that many voices were so perfectly harmonized the entire set, and that Daniel and whoever could spit out the fast-ass lyrics so accurately while presumably playing instruments. It's beyond mindblowing in "Fandango."

[ariich]

It's not that loud. It sounds really great to me, much better than the original.

[Zydar]

This remix only reinforces my opinion that this is their very best album, and one of the best prog metal releases I've heard from any band.

I hope their new album is a return to this kind of style.

[Adami]

It's not that loud. It sounds really great to me, much better than the original.

I've only heard the samples, but the loudness was fine. The mix was very good...technically, but it felt just very sterile, which for a lot of bands would be fine, but PoS needs that life and personality and I think the new mix lacks that to some degree. I'll still buy it though.

[ariich]

There are occasional moments that don't have the same atmosphere as the original, but they're few and far between, and more than made up for by some far superior moments. Songs like Waking Every God and Beyond the Pale just have so much more energy now, and are much better songs for it IMO.

[Adami]

There are occasional moments that don't have the same atmosphere as the original, but they're few and far between, and more than made up for by some far superior moments. Songs like Waking Every God and Beyond the Pale just have so much more energy now, and are much better songs for it IMO.

Bought it and listened to it. Actually pretty good. There are a few parts that I didn't care for, where a guitar or vocal harmony got lost in the mix that I really missed, or in Trace of Blood, during the tapping section, the piano and 2nd guitar is buried, which hurt, but over all it was quite well done.

[Lynxo]

This remix only reinforces my opinion that this is their very best album, and one of the best prog metal releases I've heard from any band.

I hope their new album is a return to this kind of style.

I had the exact same reaction when I heard the Re:Live one on Spotify. Remedy Lane is surely one of my favorite albums of all time, by any band. Also, Ragnar is a beast!

[Kwyjibo]

Is the live version different from the studio version or do they play it note for note?

[Lynxo]

Is the live version different from the studio version or do they play it note for note?

There's some noticeable differences.
- They use the song Remedy Lane as an opener, instead of having in the middle of the set, which works much better if you ask me. I always thought the CD was weird in that it has two instrumentals after one another.
- Some songs have new outros that I have never heard before. Not sure if they played the songs that way back on the Remedy Lane tour or if it's brand new.
- Biggest difference though, is that Ragnar actually takes some of Daniel's lead vocals. For example, he sings the entire Undertow by himself.

So no, it's not really a note for note thing. And I really love Ragnar's vocals, I can't wait to hear him on the new album they're working on!

[Kwyjibo]

Thanks for the info, was and still are interested more in the live disc than the remixes but I like my live concerts more if things are changed up a bit.

And I see what you mean with Remedy Lane (the song). As it is more soundscapes than actual melody I always thought this is more intro (or outro) than centerpiece song.