I first heard of Pain of Salvation shortly after the release of ‘Remedy Lane’ in 2002. I was floored by the emotional intensity and raw honesty of the album, and the rather unique take they had on progressive metal. It soon proved itself to be a masterpiece and has remained one of my favorite albums. Exploring their back catalogue, Daniel Gildenlöw and company became one of my favorite bands as well. However, I’ll be totally honest and say despite these great albums, I haven’t been impressed with anything they’ve released since. ‘Scarsick’ was particularly disappointing, especially as it was meant to be the sequel to the absolute masterpiece that is ‘The Perfect Element: Part One’. However when I heard they were returning to their prog metal roots for next year’s ‘In The Passing Light of Day’ (Read The Review Here) I was cautiously optimistic, although I still wondered if they had it in them after all the years and the lineup changes to release a truly exceptional album. And as it turns out, not only do they have it in them, but they’ve put out one of the best albums of their career.
Metal Wani’s Editor In Chief Owais ‘Vitek’ Nabi had a chat with PAIN OF SALVATION mastermind Daniel Gildenlöw. He discusses the upcoming record “In The Passing Light of Day”, 5 year long gap, road to recovery since he was admitted to hospital for flesh eating infection, being honest & transparent by writing a concept album based on his recovery, how this album can be an inspiration to fight the odds and return to ‘heavier’ Progressive Metal roots.
He also talks about how the idea of writing a concept album was conceived, maintaining the balance between songwriting process as well as health, lyrical process for the record, fan support when he was in hospital and spiritual vibe similar to the earlier POS records. He also throws light on working with Ragnar, writing an epic 15 minute long title track which reflects his journey from the inception of the bacteria to complete recovery, his memories of facing a near death experience and upcoming tours.
Stream The Entire Interview Below: