By: Tordah

Posted: Feb 16, 2007

As always the expectations are sky-high among prog-fans when Pain Of Salvation is about to release a new album and "Scarsick" is no exception. This is their 6th studio album up to date and will most probably gain some mixed reactions. I must say I was very sceptical myself when I first read the new song-titles for the album on their website a couple of weeks back. I started listening to the album with a "worst-case-scenario" mindset but luckily my worst fear turned out to be absolutely uncalled for.

After the immensely deep and somewhat pretentious "Be" the Swedes are back with a more "simple" and direct album. The songs on the album could be roughly divided into three categories: first we have the aggressive songs, then there's the sarcastic and funny ones and lastly we have the "normal" ones which is pretty much the type of material you'd expect to hear from this band. The concept of the album this time is pretty much anti-commercialism and anti-America. I'm sure the band will get a lot of critic for the lyrical themes of this album but that's to be expected when dealing with sensitive subjects. There's a lot of sarcasm present throughout the album and I just can't help but smirk whenever I listen to 'America' where Gildenlow expresses a strong dislike for the American government or 'Cribcaged' where he lets it rip on MTV's "Cribs" show. Every song tells a different story but they all tie into the big picture. Daniel Gildenlow's lyrics are very aggressive and brash on this album and this is also the first time swearwords are present on a Pain Of Salvation album. It's also said that "Scarsick" is connected to the whole "The Perfect Element"-concept but I don't think this is the "real" second part we've been waiting for. It's possible that it has something to do with the concept since we have songs like 'Kingdom Of Loss' and 'Idiocracy' whose song-titles obviously resembles 'King Of Loss' and 'Idioglossia' from "The Perfect Element Part 1". However, these are merely my own speculations.

Of course the album would be nothing without great music and once again Pain Of Salvation proves to be one of the best progressive bands in the world. "Scarsick" is very song-orientated compared to their previous offering "Be" and makes it easier to listen to and get into. In fact, I'd say "Scarsick" is their most accessible album so far. Some songs like 'America' and 'Disco Queen' are extremely catchy and get stuck in your head immediately. The latter track is without a doubt the most unconventional Pain Of Salvation track ever made. It really lives up to its name with a real disco beat and stereotypical "disco" vocals. A hilarious song that proves you can never know what to expect from this band. Love it or hate it, you can't deny their creativity and willingness to experiment. I guess that's pretty much true for the whole album. Either you love it or you hate it. The songs are all of high quality and showcases a band that knows where they stand yet are not afraid to push their boundaries. It amazes me how much creativity and inspiration that keeps flowing from every new Pain Of Salvation release. The second half of the album isn't that experimental though and feels much more like familiar territories, which is also nice. There are limits to how much you can experiment without losing your identity and Pain Of Salvation knows exactly where that line goes. Truly professional work and worthy of all my respect.

In conclusion, this is yet another excellent album to add to Pain Of Salvation's flawless discography. It may very well be the first one where the fans opinions are split in two. If it's due to the controversial nature of the lyrics or because of the music I honestly can't say. I find them both to be very well-written and executed and I don't see what all the fuss is about. Any fan of progressive and original music shouldn't miss out on this one.

Rating: 9/10

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