Messages

Yes, Remedy Lane has themes about adultery, TPE has sexual abuse, etc.  Sex is not the focus of those albums; they just contain sexual themes.

But it seems that a lot of the songs on Road Salt are literally about the act of sex.  Not as a means to describe some grander theme, but just illustrating empty/unfulfilling sex.  I have to say that it's probably the first Pain of Salvation album where I really can't relate to the lyrical content at all.

At the risk of sounding pretentious, the songs seem to describe the kinds of immature mistakes and anguish that high-school kids might make.  I've long outgrown having those types of relationship issues.

By contrast, I think Remedy Lane is one of the most honest portrayals of a real relationship that I've seen in any medium.

Thanks to Mike for a quick delivery!

And thank you as well Jamyu.  I took it from an old wallpaper I had laying around.  I can't take credit for it since I didn't make the original.  I just did some strategic cropping.

Personally, I think Pain of Salvation's albums have become increasingly "hidden-gems" with each release.

It took me a long time to get into PoS in the first place (I think I had Remedy Land and The Perfect Element on my playlist for half a year before things started to click).  But since Be, it's been taking longer and longer for me to appreciate each album.

With Be, I was ambivalent about it when I first got it.  Now I love it.

With Scarsick, I didn't like it when it came out.  Now I like it.

With Road Salt, I'm still in the ambivalent phase.  While I recognize the musical brilliance, it doesn't scratch the PoS itch in the same way the previous albums do.  Also, I think the emphasis on sex in the album is kind of overbearing; it gives the album a lack of universality that the other albums have.

Hopefully Part 2 will put everything in context and help me truly appreciate this album.

Dang, I was planning on going to this, but my plans fell through.  Thanks for posting your impressions; it sounds like an awesome gig.  I would have loved to hear acoustic Futile.

Nooo! Don't tell me I missed the chili cook-off  Hopefully Mike will be kind enough to send me a "package."