Utter Garbage
Only the most diehard crazy Pain of Salvation fan can defend this album. It is terrible.
The problem with this album is not that it is "different", or that there is "no metal" in it, or anything like that. (In many ways, it's not really that different.) The problem is simply that it is unbelievably boring.
Some have said that many of the best PoS songs are simple, as if to vindicate the first Road Salt. That is a true statement, sure. But an important point is lost if one fails to realize that most simple PoS songs are actually good. They are not boring. Road Salt features songs that are simple and boring. Or complex and boring. They are all boring.
Others have said, "Well, people aren't giving it a fair chance because it's called Pain of Salvation. BUT, if it had a different name, people would judge it on its own merits and like it."
Um... No. If any band released this album it would be garbage.
A boring album is the last thing you'd expect from PoS, because they are genuinely NOT a boring band. They are usually exciting, full of surprises, and good, interesting writing.
"No Way" is the most dull Pain of Salvation opener in the universe. Why anyone thought it was appropriate to open an album with this tranquillizer song I will never understand. The middle section when Gildenlow is singing in a weird time signature sounds so bad. Really though you'll be lucky to fall asleep before this overlong, overwrought grandpa rock gets to the next song because it gets worse. "She Likes to Hide" is slow sleazy song of bluesy boredom, it would be "super boring" rather than "boring" but fortunately it is over in less than 3 minutes. "Sisters" is some kind of weird ballad and it's very long and boring. "Of Dust" will put you to sleep if you are still awake by this point, although you will experience a moment of uncomfortable laughter when the spoken word part kicks in, because you will think, "LOL this is so stupid, what was D/Gildenlow thinking???" "Tell Me You Don't Know" will be skipped every time because you are so embarrassed on Gildenlow's behalf. "Sleeping under the Stars" sounds a Tom Waits song with all the Awesome(TM) removed. "Darkness of Mine" is hilariously over-the-top and laughable. "Linoleum" sounds like extremely drunk Foo Fighters. I'm not even going to finish talking about these songs. This album sucks. The last four songs are all bad. Actually, I will mention "Innocence", the finale, because at times it ALMOST seems like it COULD HAVE BEEN good.
Disclosure: Entropia is my favorite. The first four PoS albums are brilliant. BE was mostly great with some terrible moments. I loved Scarsick, and completely fail to understand why it is so disliked.
