Pain Of Salvation: Anniversary time!

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It is no secret that I am very excited of the band Pain Of Salvation, and all music from the Swedes is warmly welcomed by me!

Pain Of Salvation are celebrating 20 years of their third album The Perfect Element, Pt. I. The Anniversary Mix Edition, remixed by Pontus Lindmark and mastered by Thor Legvold / Sonovo, features slightly revised artwork as well as new liner-notes and a total of 8 bonus tracks. The Perfect Element, Pt. I (Anniversary Mix 2020) will be released on November 20th via InsideOutMusic.

Pain Of Salvation have been firmly at the forefront of the progressive rock and metal scenes for nearly three decades now. Led by mercurial multi-instrumentalist Daniel Gildenlöw, the Swedish band have consistently demonstrated a sincere passion for moving their own extraordinary music forward, while always remaining lyrically enlightened and ferociously intelligent. 

 In 2020, Pain of Salvation have already shattered expectations with the release of their latest studio album Panther, but Gildenlöw’s crew are not finished yet. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its original release, the third Pain of Salvation album, The Perfect Element, Pt. I, is to be resurrected in a completely remixed and remastered form as of November 20th, with the title The Perfect Element, Pt. I (Anniversary Mix 2020). Following on from the widely praised remix of classic PoS album.

«Remedy Lane in 2016, the new version of The Perfect Element, Pt. I promises to repeat the trick with this perennially revered fan favorite full-length».

 «When we did Remedy Lane, we did think that this might be fun to do with other albums», explains Daniel Gildenlöw. «At that point we were obviously thinking about The Perfect Element, because it’s really a sibling album to Remedy Lane in many ways and the 20th anniversary was on the horizon. Then Panther happened, and then the global pandemic happened… but meanwhile, Pontus [Lindmark, engineer] was still working on the mixes. I think we tried to have the same mindset as for Remedy Lane – to try to make a remix that is different enough for it to be valid, so that there’s a point to it. It should be able to stand on its own».

Gildenlöw and his band’s relationship with Pontus Lindmark goes back to the original recording sessions for both The Perfect Element, Pt. I and Remedy Lane, when the respected engineer was just starting his studio career. Two decades on, Gildenlöw was too absorbed in the making of Panther to embark on another intricate studio project. 

«When we first worked together it was great fun and he and I had a lot of the same ideas», says the front man. «I had total confidence that Pontus would make it work, because he was part of the original recording process and he’s a great engineer. We share a lot of opinions and have the same mindset about what a remix should be».

 Rich with fresh detail but still true to the original’s album’s ground-breaking spirit and mastered by Thor Legvold from Sonovo (Stavanger/Los Angeles) who already worked with PoS on Panther, The Perfect Element, Pt. I has been transformed, upgraded and reborn for old and new generations to enjoy. From ageless anthems like Ashes to sprawling epics like King Of Loss and the title track, it’s an undisputed prog metal masterpiece that Pain of Salvation were planning to perform in full at ProgPower Fest in the USA this year. Unfortunately, the global pandemic situation has scuppered those plans, but Gildenlöw remains optimistic that this revitalized classic album may well live again onstage.

«I think it’s still on the agenda for whenever it’s possible», he states. «I don’t know for sure because no one knows anything for sure right now! Nothing is set in stone, but I think it will still happen the way it was planned, if it doesn’t collide too terribly with other plans and other tours that are coming up. But that’s me in one or two years from now, and I don’t care about that guy! [Laughs]».

Pain of Salvation – The Perfect Element, Pt. I  (Anniversary Mix 2020) 2CD (107:23) Track listing:

Main CD (76:23):

1.            Used (05:23)

2.            In the Flesh (08:39)

3.            Ashes (04:27)

4.            Morning on Earth (04:35)

5.            Idioglossia (08:30)

6.            Her Voices (07:56)

7.            Dedication (04:02)

8.            King of Loss (09:51)

9.            Reconciliation (04:30)

10.         Song for the Innocent (03:03)

11.         Falling (01:53)

12.         The Perfect Element (10:13)

13.         Epilogue (03:14) * Bonus Track

Bonus CD (31:00):

1.            Used (Live 2018) (05:54)

2.            Ashes (Live 2017) (05:48)

3.            Falling (Live 2018) (02:30)

4.            The Perfect Element (Live 2018) (10:10)

5.            Her Voices (and only that) (01:21)

6.            Absolute Kromata (00:31)

7.            Ashes [your language here] (04:42)

Note: The 2CD Digipak as well as the Digital Album will feature a total of 8 bonus tracks, while the Gatefold  2LP vinyl format will come with the entire remixed album  as bonus CD.

 The Perfect Element, Pt. I Line-Up:

Daniel Gildenlöw – Lead Vocals & Guitars

Johan Langell – Drums & Backing Vocals

Kristoffer Gildenlöw – Bass & Backing Vocals

Fredrik Hermansson – Keyboards, Steinway and Samplers

Johan Hallgren – Guitar & Backing vocals

Discography:

Entropia –1997

One Hour by the Concrete Lake – 1998

The Perfect Element, Pt. I – 2000

Remedy Lane – 2002

12:5 – 2004

BE – 2004

BE DVD – 2005

Scarsick – 2007

Ending Themes DVD – 2009

Linoleum EP – 2009

Road Salt One – 2010

Road Salt Two – 2011

Falling Home – 2014

Remedy Lane Re:visited (Re:mixed & Re:lived) – 2016

In the Passing Light of Day

In the Passing Light of Day – 2017

PANTHER – 2020

The Perfect Element, Pt. I (Anniversary Mix 2020) – 2020 

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