#2: Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane

Release Year: 2002

Simply put, this album is perfect.  It has tightly structured songs, texture, dynamics, excellent melodies, and it is personal.  Here, Daniel Gildenlöw's melodramatic vocals shine, and his creativity and musicianship are in the forefront.

This is, in my mind, not just the greatest progressive metal album ever, but also the best metal album, and the best progressive rock album.

Since this album, Pain of Salvation hasn't made an album that can really be considered progressive metal.  Since Remedy Lane, each album seems to be an experiment with something new... Because once you've made a progressive metal album that can't be surpassed, why would you make another one?

Standout tracks:

• A Trace of Blood
• Ending Theme
• Rope Ends
• Waking Every God

#49: Beck - Sea Change

And now for my 49th favorite album of all time... Beck's Sea Change.

 Release Year: 2002

This is an interesting one... I haven't heard it a whole lot of times.  I rarely listen to it, because it is incredibly mellow.  This is melancholy on a disk... and that's why I like it so much.

In case you've only heard Beck's sample-heavy radio hits ("Where It's At," "Sexx Laws," "Loser," etc.), this isn't your normal Beck Hansen.  This is all acoustic, sample-free, and backed by strings.  And it's really dark.

This album is what really turned me into a fan of Beck's.  Yeah, I liked some of the Odelay stuff.  It's an excellent album.  Here, Beck ditched the expectations and used a vehicle that is absolutely perfect for the message he was trying to get across.

 And that's what good art is.

 Standout tracks:

• Paper Tiger
• Guess I'm Doin' Fine
• Sunday Sun 

Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane

Release Date: January 15, 2002
Label: Inside Out Music

Anybody who has discussed music with me in any reasonable portion knows that one of my favorite bands is Pain of Salvation.  Pain of Salvation, led by Daniel Gildenlow, together with Johan Hallgren, Fredrik Hermansson, and, at the time of this release, Kristoffer Gildenlow and Johan Langell, are a progressive metal outfit from Eskiltuna, Sweden.  They have a history of melodramatic vocals, syncopated rhythms, dynamics, and concept albums.

 Remedy Lane is Pain of Salvation's fourth, and greatest, album.  It is about a man's journey to discover himself, and is considered to be Gildenlow's most personal work.  Many of the songs are written from his own personal experience, rather than being mere observations of the world at large.

Lyrically, Remedy Lane contains some of Gildenlow's best work.  "A Trace of Blood" is about the time his wife miscarried their first child, and is one of the most heartfelt heavy metal tracks I've heard.  "This Heart Of Mine" was a love song he wrote for his wife.  "Rope Ends," which has a little bit of dark humor in its use of "Winnie the Pooh" characters in the imagery, was apparently inspired by his wife's friend's suicide attempt.

1	Of Two Beginnings	2:23
Chapter I
2	Ending Theme	4:59
3	Fandango	5:51
4	A Trace of Blood	8:17
5	This Heart of Mine (I Pledge)	4:00
Chapter II
6	Undertow	4:49
7	Rope Ends	7:02
8	Chain Sling	3:58
9	Dryad of the Woods	4:56
Chapter III
10	Remedy Lane	2:15
11	Waking Every God	5:19
12	Second Love	4:21
13	Beyond the Pale	9:56

Musically, Remedy Lane is about as good as progressive metal can get.  It is technical, but not over the top.  It has two ballads, in "This Heart Of Mine" and "Second Love."  It has beautiful harmonies in the choruses.  One of my favorite tracks, "Rope Ends,"  starts off with a heavy, choppy power chord rhythm, flows into a smoother, faster bridge, and a slower chorus; the instrumental section breaks down into a syncopated guitar-and-keyboard part, feeds into an interesting section in 7/8 time, and a pretty good guitar solo.

If you're not familiar with progressive metal, this is a great place to start.  If you are, and you haven't heard this... What is wrong with you?

★★★★