SCARSICK

First of all, if you're expecting something specific from this album, stop. You should know by now that Pain of Salvation is going to give you a few surprises. Here's my song-by-song breakdown... Scarsick - Really, I think this could be the main reason people are getting down about this album. Picture a little kid on Christmas morning, expecting to get some new video game system. His parents hand him his first present; the box looks like the box for that big present! But alas, he opens it and finds socks in there. What a dissapointment. He gets the video games later on that day, but the excitement was kind of killed. This song is the 'socks' of Scarsick, with later songs being the 'video games'. That being said, it's grown on me. - 6/10

Spitfall - Great song. Yeah, he raps...so what, it sounds damn good. Catchy chorus, verses that will be great fun to sing along to once I get my hands on the booklet for lyrics. That final verse goes on for a bit too long, but that's my only strike against it. - 8/10

Cribcaged - The first truly brilliant track of the album. I love how the emotion picks up as the song goes on. At first I thought the fuck part was kind of silly, but it really drives the point home. Needless to say, I love it now. - 10+/10

America - Wait a minute! Upbeat, catchy and happy? I can't help but love this song. The lightness of the music contrasts the rest of the album so well, despite the serious message of the song. - 9/10

Disco Queen - Ahh Disco Queen...the 'guilty pleasure' track if there ever was one. I have no idea how this song fits into the album concept yet, but the choruses alone make this song worth it. - 9/10

Kingdom of Loss - I guarantee you, this song will sound boring and dull on first listen. Don't shut it out. Give it some attention and soon enough you'll find out why I'm rating it a 10. - 10/10

Mrs Modern Mother Mary - Weird, I liked this track at first. Now I end up skipping it whenever I listen to this album. I can't put my finger on it, but something about this song just rubs me the wrong way. - 4/10

Idiocracy - WHY CAN'T I CLOOOOOSE MY EYYYYEEESS??? The part around 5:30 is HUGE! This song is HUGE! 'Nuff said. - 10+/10

Flame to the Moth - Killer track. Heaviest on the album, IMO. The prechoruses are great (the parts where he screams)...they remind me of the choruses in "This Love" by Pantera. Seemingly simple song, but really well put together. - 10/10

Enter Rain - Well, if you're expecting another epic ending track like "The Perfect Element" or "Beyond the Pale," I've got some bad news for you. This song dissapointed me a little, which is bad for a closing track. I mean, it's a damn good song...sometimes it's even the kind of song I have to listen to twice in a row. It's not what I was hoping for the album to end on really though. A little anticlimax knocks this one down a point or two: -8/10

I think that if you're able to appreciate sarcasm, irony, and humor in music alongside the serious parts, you'll enjoy this album. Remember, it's thinking man's (/woman's) music. And please, whatever you do, don't be one of those guys that subconsciously decides to hate an album just to be cool and dissenting. I hate that.