Pain of Salvation thread, v.2 (merged)

[faemir]

Braeking Darling Break... wtf that flute at the end?

edit: why was of salt a bonus track?

in fact, why are any of the extra songs on rs1/2 bonus tracks? Did the band ever mention why? They don't exactly feel like b-sides.

[perfectchaos180]

Road Salt Two was better than I was expecting

I hated Road Salt One at first, but most of the songs have grown on me (Innocence is phenomenal), and I've been obsessed with this band for the past couple of months

Softly She Cries and The Deeper Cut were really good

Mortar Grind was amazing

Disappointed in the final track so far (and by that I mean the Physics of Gridlock), its usually the best one

I like the orchestral stuff, but since it is a double album it kind of doesn't fit....

[lelanddt]

Guys...........Vocari Dei and Pluvius Aestivus are unbelievable songs! I know, I'm probably three albums too late. But Still!

[Ben_Jamin]

Vocari Dei is the best song ever made to be honest. Its emotional and has this heavenly atmosphere. The messages are among the best emotion I've heard, its one song I will never ever get tired of, and when I read the track by track concept before I bought the album, this track was the one that had me interested, for the concept of the song and how they executed it.

[bout to crash]

Vocari Dei is the best song ever made to be honest.

I wouldn't go that far.

[lelanddt]

Vocari Dei is the best song ever made to be honest.

I wouldn't go that far.

Maybe not the best of all time, but incredibly beautiful, elegant, and simple. It doesn't need to be long or complex. It's really special!

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

I never got the love for Vocari Dei. Latericius + Omni is much much better imo.

[Liberation]

So, I'm after my first listen of RS2.

The first impression is definitely good, I think better than it was with RS1. My favourites this far are:
The Deeper Cut - this song really has a lot of character. (I don't know how to explain it better.) It's just... strong. And I love the repeated "into the wild...".
Through The Distance - beautiful. As simple as that.
The Physics of Gridlock - well, this song is pretty weird, especially part III, but it's great. Daniel is actually doing really well with French.

Also, I LOVE Road Salt Theme and End Credits. They give the album that feeling of being a well-constructed piece and an actual album, rather than randomly placed songs which was my major issue with RS1. Also, the album feels much more consistent overall (there's no song for me yet like Sisters was on RS1, but nothing that I have trouble to listen to the end like She Likes to Hide).

Though a thing I really dislike about both RS albums is the whole "I'm so manly, she's so fragile" theme in the lyrics. Daniel has shown one million of times in the past, and even on RS itself (Sisters again) that he can talk about male-female relations in a much more subtle and emotional way. It brings it down for me a bit, especially compared to songs with really interesting lyrics like Conditioned or Through The Distance.

[Ben_Jamin]

Vocari Dei is the best song ever made to be honest.

I wouldn't go that far.

Maybe not the best of all time, but incredibly beautiful, elegant, and simple. It doesn't need to be long or complex. It's really special!

Thats some reasons why I consider it to be the best. One other is how the song doesn't over do it. The samples add to that mystery of who/what god is, but then I'm talking about the live version. Haven't heard the studio version, but since it was played live that alone adds to the magic. Since that is how I judge a songs greatness.

[faemir]

To the Shoreline. Wow.

[Zantera]

Road Salt Two is really really fantastic.
Quite possibly their best since BE, or maybe even TPE (IMO), and I would rank it as my third favorite PoS-album together with BE, after Entropia and TPE.

Standout songs for me: The Physics of Gridlock, The Deeper Cut, Healing Now and Conditioned.

[petrucci07]

I really like The Deeper Cut (which by the way, according to the lyrics book has a subtitle of "Into the Wild", which is kinda cool), but this won't top Scarsick for me. Not that I think it's their best, I just think it's their last great album.

[faemir]

You guys are crazy, To the Shoreline is the best.

Dem vocals.

[Zantera]

To the Shoreline is great, but not top4 on the album for me.

[faemir]

I'm really excited for their next album though, as much as I love 70s prog, I've just had too much of it recently.

Scarsick was easily their best mixed album too, I was going back and Remedy Lane / TPE 1 sound really bad compared to BE onwards.

[Zantera]

Yeah, I don't care for the "going back to the 70's because it's popular"-thing.
Will be interesting to see what they do next.

[petrucci07]

I'm really excited for their next album though, as much as I love 70s prog, I've just had too much of it recently.

Scarsick was easily their best mixed album too, I was going back and Remedy Lane / TPE 1 sound really bad compared to BE onwards.

I find that the mix on Scarsick is a bit clinical (however well that fits with the subject matter); I think the best mixed is "BE". Although the mixes on Ending Theme and 12:5 are brilliant too

[Liberation]

To the Shoreline is great, but not top4 on the album for me.

Agreed.

Yeah, I don't care for the "going back to the 70's because it's popular"-thing.
Will be interesting to see what they do next.

And this too.

[faemir]

You guys are crazy, Shoreline is easily top 4.

[Nighthawkwill7]

As someone who is new to Pain of Salvation, I am loving Road Salt 2.

Now to work my way through the back catalogue 

Any particular album considered a must-have?

[Liberation]

You guys are crazy, Shoreline is easily top 4.

Well, for me the top four this far is:
Through The Distance
The Deeper Cut
The Physics of Gridlock
Softly She Cries

To The Shoreline is very nice, but it doesn't grab me as much as these four (plus Conditioned which would be fifth I think).

[faemir]

I think I just have a man-crush on the very final bit where he goes a little bit higher (an octave? I'm no technical guy)

[Zantera]

Rank the songs on the album then..

The Physics of Gridlock
The Deeper Cut
Healing Now
Conditioned
Softly She Cries
To the Shoreline
Eleven
Mortar Grind
1979
Through the Distance
End Credits
Of Salt
Road Salt Theme
Break Darling Break

[ariich]

To the Shoreline
1979
The Deeper Cut
The Physics of Gridlock
Eleven
Healing Now
Softly She Cries
Of Salt
Through the Distance
Conditioned
Mortar Grind
End Credits
Road Salt Theme
Break Darling Break

[Liberation]

After three listens (and this far I've stuck to the vinyl so no bonus songs yet):
The Deeper Cut
The Physics of Gridlock
Softly She Cries
1979
Conditioned
Eleven
Through The Distance
To The Shoreline
Healing Now
Mortar Grind

I do not rank Road Salt Theme and End Credits, because I love both but can't find a way to fairly compare them with the rest.

Softly She Cries, 1979 and Eleven are going up my list very quickly. Through The Distance on the other hand fell down a bit. It's a very consistent album overall, I put Healing Now second lowest but I still like it very very much (and it also grows on me a bit). The only song I have issues with is Mortar Grind - it sounds a bit muddy, and I really dislike the lyrics. Though the way they sing "MORTAR GRIND" is amazing.

Also, does anyone know what's the meaning of "eleven"? (Other than that it's actually repeated 11 times during the song)

[TheVoxyn]

Through the Distance.

[faemir]

I'm now enjoying RS2 in ways RS1 never did. It's brilliant.

[Zantera]

RS1 is still fairly meh for me, but RS2 is brilliant.

[ariich]

I love both. No idea which I prefer.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Though a thing I really dislike about both RS albums is the whole "I'm so manly, she's so fragile" theme in the lyrics. Daniel has shown one million of times in the past, and even on RS itself (Sisters again) that he can talk about male-female relations in a much more subtle and emotional way. It brings it down for me a bit, especially compared to songs with really interesting lyrics like Conditioned or Through The Distance.

Exactly what I'd been thinking. However, I love this album, which is great since their previous two disappointed me.

Also, my favourite is Mortar Grind. Even if it does sound like Down.

[Liberation]

Actually, when I look at it now only Mortar Grind has this problem on RS2. RS1 had too much of this though.

[The King in Crimson]

Just got my CD and t-shirt today and I'm listening now.

Wow, this is soooooo much better than Road Salt One so far (which I liked quite a bit). The jam section in Eleven is so much fun.

[wolfking]

Still getting my head around this album.  RS1 took a long time to grow on me so I'm guessing this one is the same.  A lot of the melodies on RS2 seem stronger though.  I would have liked some more heavier songs, but the diversity of the material here is exceptional.  It's amazing how this band has never made the same album twice. 

[jonny108]

The Deeper Cut
The Physics of Gridlock
Through the Distance
Healing Now
1979
To the Shorline
Eleven
Conditioned
End Credits
Mortar Grind
Softly She Cried ( EDIT: Solfly She Cries not cried.)
Road Salt Theme

Amazing album 

[Liberation]

Softly She Cried [second last]

[softly he cries]

But... but... it's a great song