The Prog Rock Album Club

Big Ears · 02-20-2013, 04:30 PM

Yes, it's fine by me.

Unknown Soldier · 02-20-2013, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Him
Sound fair?

I didn't know Him was a member of our club, looks like we're going up in the world.

Anteater · 02-20-2013, 04:53 PM

I already know what album I'd like to see reviewed next, but I'll go ahead and do my Remedy Lane review also.

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

Exquisite: I love how 'Of Two Beginnings' segues into 'Ending Theme'. Excellent vocals and production!

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

As someone who was decently familiar with Pain Of Salvation via other records (Entropia), I'd actually say Remedy Lane opens fairly strong compared to albums they'd do after this one.

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

All great songs from my point of view, with nary a duff in the bunch: its a progressive metal record that actually challenges people a bit, which is probably what polarizes people so much towards either adoring or heavily disliking PoS's output respectively.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

I noticed nobody ever really addresses him by name in the past reviews, but Daniel Gildenlow is a rather unique vocalist...arguably one of the best in the genre to be honest. He has a lot of control and intensity and can shift between style and tempo at a moment's notice, not unlike Mike Patton. Pain Of Salvation is pretty much his baby creatively also, so his talent shines quite bright IMO on this album.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

Pain Of Salvation was one of the first progressive metal bands I fell in love with over half a decade ago, with Remedy Lane in particular being a seminal record for me. Great sound, excellent variety, and chockfull of personality and heaviness! Also...you guys DO realize it's considered to be one of the best progressive metal records of the last twenty years or so right? Just checkin'...

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Upon initial listening as a high schooler, I thought the progression from song to song was rather challenging...but it really does get better and better as you go along methinks!

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

There's already been enough talk about how brilliant and moving both 'Trace Of Blood' and 'Rope Ends' are, but I actually find even the more esoteric fare interesting even when a specific message isn't immediately obvious. If you want bland "she looked at me, I looked at her' stuff, there's plenty of mindless pop out there after all: challenging music should challenge us to put our interpretive skills to work at times!

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

There's enough great guitar work throughout to get my blood pumping, but the use of keyboards+piano and lower-key instrumentation emphasizes enough contrast that I enjoyed the overall sonic approach just fine.

9. What did you think of the production?

Very balanced, and just nuanced enough as far as mixing goes to surprise you: e.g. the bassline in 'Waking Every God'.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

I've been a big fan for years, so going through Remedy Lane again was....well, like a trip down memory lane I suppose.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

Progressive metal of course, in a very literal sense.

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

One of those albums you can't get tired of if you're in the right mood.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

Oh, 'Trace Of Blood' without a doubt. It's the album's centerpiece (both structurally and emotionally) and arguably one of the best cuts the band has ever done, period. 'Chain Sling' and 'This Heart Of Mine' would be my other picks!

14. And the one you liked least?

I like all of the tracks, but I also agree with the rest that 'Beyond The Pale' probably doesn't need to be as long as it is.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

N/A

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

I'm always up for a new Pain Of Salvation album!

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

It's pretty poignant stuff really: like most concept records, it attempts to map out a person's life from start to afterlife I suppose: the prog. metal equivalent to Dan Fogelberg's The Innocent Age perhaps?

18. Did the album end well?

'Second Love' and 'Beyond The Pale' needed to switch places, but I really don't have a beef with how things were structured.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

This is one of those records that I would have personally loved to hear a bit of brass or more synth-emphasis in. Some sax or horns in 'This Heart Of Mine' would have been perfect!!

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

It's a pretty damn good record, possibly the best the band has done in their entire career. Interestingly enough, I consider it a great jumping off point to their other stuff as well for the first-time listener.

Overall album rating: 9 out of 10

Anteater · 02-20-2013, 04:55 PM

Anyway, since PoS are fairly heavy stuff, how about something that walks the pop and prog fence with a fair amount of success for the next set of reviews?

Trollheart · 02-20-2013, 06:05 PM

I'm down with that, and thanks to Ki I can give yaz a link to stream t'whole t'ing....
Grooveshark - Free Music Streaming, Online Music

Electrophonic Tonic · 03-02-2013, 09:47 PM

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

Shock, honestly. I had no idea this would be as poppy as it was. It really caught me off guard and sort of put a sour taste in my mouth to start.

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

There were a few moments of interplay I liked on "Ghosts". But beyond that, I was either bored or dumbfounded with how light and poppy it was.

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

Things started to change at the middle track "The Wind That Shakes The Barley", it was like a booster that gave me the motivation to invest time into the rest of the album. It was the first time I felt presence of the prog, particularly with that awesome keyboard riff. The rest of the songs I met with a fairly indifferent attitude, except for "Great Disasters" which I think lives up to it's title. However, I saw "This is England" was 13 minutes long and I held out hope for some more proggyness.... and it was totally worth it!

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

I preferred the quieter vocals and whispers to the rest of them. Other than that, I really didn't have a positive or negative opinion of them at all.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

Generally, no. Between King Crimson and early Van Der Graaf Generator as my two favorite prog bands, I tend to enjoy my prog a little bit on the darker side. It's not that I don't enjoy more poppy prog, since I really like Supertramp and Pink Floyd's more accessible work. But I felt the album lacked the song writing of Tramp and Floyd and the overpowering synths weren't exactly agreeing with me.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

N/A

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

I felt like most of the lyrics were just expansions of the song titles, still I thought they were fairly solid. There really were no lines in particular that stuck out, good or bad, however.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

The guitar has probably the highlight overall, with a few shining moments in the keyboard such as "The Wind That Shakes the Barley". I really didn't notice the drums other than the final track. What impressed me most was that there were only 3 people playing on this record. That impressed me a lot.

9. What did you think of the production?

For the sound they were trying to accomplish, I thought it worked very well.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

Spoiler for What I know...:

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

Pop-progressive or synth progressive if there is such a thing.

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

I didn't listen to the whole thing again, but I've listed to "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" a few times and "This is England" several times since I first hear this.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

No question, "This is England" was incredible. "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" was a solid second. After a considerable gap, the rest are in a jumble with "Ghosts" rising to the top...

14. And the one you liked least?

...and "Great Disasters" in an infinite crater at the bottom.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

For a "comeback" album, I think it is a solid stand-alone effort. Compared to the rest of their discography, I have no idea.

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

If someone can prove they do more things like the two tracks I really liked, then I would check them out some more.

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

I felt the album was about death, actually. The title track pretty much summed that up for me. A few track had ideas related to that theme, but I couldn't pick them out in all honesty.

18. Did the album end well?

Did I mention I really liked, nay, loved "This is England"?

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

For this being a pop prog album, it's in a pretty good place. It's just not my taste, that's all.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

It's a fairly consistent album, but its valleys are deep and it's peaks are in the sky.

Overall, I'd say the album is a 5/10. However, "Total Disaster" and "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" cancel each other out and "This is England" is worth a few points on it's own. I thought it was that damn good. In the end, I'll call it a 7/10.

Big Ears · 03-03-2013, 04:26 AM

Intriguing comments, ET. You've reminded me that I need to get off my backside.

Unknown Soldier · 03-03-2013, 05:42 AM

Same here, will be listening to this in the next day or two.

Trollheart · 03-03-2013, 01:06 PM

I'm gonna sit down and do this once I have a cup of tea and a biscuit (or ten!)

Trollheart · 03-03-2013, 01:24 PM

Guys, I'm sorry but you're going to have to wait for the review for a few days. I'm only three tracks in and I LOVE IT and I am going to now go buy it and dissect it after I've listened to it about twelve times. I don't want to just do a quick review so I'm going to take my time to compose this, but at the moment all I can say is Electrophonic Tonic, I could not disagree with you more!

Now, where's me credit card...?

02-20-2013, 04:30 PM	#261 (permalink)
Big Ears Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 434	Yes, it's fine by me. __________________ My Journal: Rabbiting On

02-20-2013, 06:05 PM	#265 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	I'm down with that, and thanks to Ki I can give yaz a link to stream t'whole t'ing.... Grooveshark - Free Music Streaming, Online Music __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-03-2013, 04:26 AM	#267 (permalink)
Big Ears Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 434	Intriguing comments, ET. You've reminded me that I need to get off my backside. __________________ My Journal: Rabbiting On

03-03-2013, 01:06 PM	#269 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	I'm gonna sit down and do this once I have a cup of tea and a biscuit (or ten!) __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-03-2013, 01:24 PM	#270 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Guys, I'm sorry but you're going to have to wait for the review for a few days. I'm only three tracks in and I LOVE IT and I am going to now go buy it and dissect it after I've listened to it about twelve times. I don't want to just do a quick review so I'm going to take my time to compose this, but at the moment all I can say is Electrophonic Tonic, I could not disagree with you more! Now, where's me credit card...? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-02-2013, 09:47 PM	#266 (permalink)
Electrophonic Tonic Your Ad Here Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: The Twilight Zone Posts: 876	1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in? Shock, honestly. I had no idea this would be as poppy as it was. It really caught me off guard and sort of put a sour taste in my mouth to start. 2. What did you think of the opening tracks? There were a few moments of interplay I liked on "Ghosts". But beyond that, I was either bored or dumbfounded with how light and poppy it was. 3. What did you think of the later tracks? Things started to change at the middle track "The Wind That Shakes The Barley", it was like a booster that gave me the motivation to invest time into the rest of the album. It was the first time I felt presence of the prog, particularly with that awesome keyboard riff. The rest of the songs I met with a fairly indifferent attitude, except for "Great Disasters" which I think lives up to it's title. However, I saw "This is England" was 13 minutes long and I held out hope for some more proggyness.... and it was totally worth it! 4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? I preferred the quieter vocals and whispers to the rest of them. Other than that, I really didn't have a positive or negative opinion of them at all. 5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? Generally, no. Between King Crimson and early Van Der Graaf Generator as my two favorite prog bands, I tend to enjoy my prog a little bit on the darker side. It's not that I don't enjoy more poppy prog, since I really like Supertramp and Pink Floyd's more accessible work. But I felt the album lacked the song writing of Tramp and Floyd and the overpowering synths weren't exactly agreeing with me. 6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)? N/A 7. What did you think of the lyrical content? I felt like most of the lyrics were just expansions of the song titles, still I thought they were fairly solid. There really were no lines in particular that stuck out, good or bad, however. 8. Did you like the instrumental parts? The guitar has probably the highlight overall, with a few shining moments in the keyboard such as "The Wind That Shakes the Barley". I really didn't notice the drums other than the final track. What impressed me most was that there were only 3 people playing on this record. That impressed me a lot. 9. What did you think of the production? For the sound they were trying to accomplish, I thought it worked very well. 10. How well do you already know the band/artist? Spoiler for What I know...: 11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to? Pop-progressive or synth progressive if there is such a thing. 12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less? I didn't listen to the whole thing again, but I've listed to "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" a few times and "This is England" several times since I first hear this. 13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one? No question, "This is England" was incredible. "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" was a solid second. After a considerable gap, the rest are in a jumble with "Ghosts" rising to the top... 14. And the one you liked least? ...and "Great Disasters" in an infinite crater at the bottom. 15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated? For a "comeback" album, I think it is a solid stand-alone effort. Compared to the rest of their discography, I have no idea. 16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist? If someone can prove they do more things like the two tracks I really liked, then I would check them out some more. 17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one? I felt the album was about death, actually. The title track pretty much summed that up for me. A few track had ideas related to that theme, but I couldn't pick them out in all honesty. 18. Did the album end well? Did I mention I really liked, nay, loved "This is England"? 19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved? For this being a pop prog album, it's in a pretty good place. It's just not my taste, that's all. 20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss? It's a fairly consistent album, but its valleys are deep and it's peaks are in the sky. Overall, I'd say the album is a 5/10. However, "Total Disaster" and "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" cancel each other out and "This is England" is worth a few points on it's own. I thought it was that damn good. In the end, I'll call it a 7/10.