LINOLEUM

I have a confession - I've never heard Scarsick, except for a few brief listens to the live tracks from their newest live release. I doubt I'll ever pick it up considering how many albums I have on my "to buy" list. But PoS is definitely one of my favorite progressive metal bands.

On my first few listens to Linoleum, I was entertained but a bit worried. I guess I assumed that (besides Scarsick), Pain of Salvation's material would continue to grow more and more complex and dense. So I was confused - where did all the razor sharp playing go, the layers and layers of polished production, and epic song structures.

But I'm beginning to love this grungy, somewhat retro sound. It feels like this is material that will lend itself to some great live shows and benefits from a lot of band chemistry. The high point of the EP is Gone, though I'm very fond of If You Wait. Mortar Grind I'm still getting used to.

A big nod goes to the cover Yellow Raven, as well. I admit I haven't heard the original but it sounds great. I love the guitar tone especially.

Check it out and open yourself up to the new direction. PoS haven't lost their chops, they're just trying something new. There are plenty of other bands I can hear if I want my fix of insane technical compositions, and while I'd like to see PoS return to something like Remedy Lane again, this will do nicely for now.

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