Pain of Salvation | Cribcaged
Pain of Salvation’s “Cribcaged” - how Daniel Gildenlöw channeled raw rage at celebrity culture and materialism into a jarring ballad from Scarsick’s social commentary concept in 2007.
Story Behind “Cribcaged”
The Breaking Point After BE’s Ambition
By 2006, Daniel Gildenlöw had spent years wrestling with increasingly abstract concepts. His previous album, BE, was mathematically ambitious and deeply philosophical—a meditation on God and humanity that alienated many longtime fans with its pretension and complexity. After the divisive reception and the grueling process of performing BE live as a full concept before recording it, Gildenlöw felt the need for something different. He needed to get angry again. He needed to get raw.
Gildenlöw wrote every song on Scarsick entirely by himself, but described the result as “much more band oriented and down to the core. Threatening and disturbing.” He had a specific target this time: the hollow celebrity worship and consumer excess he saw defining 21st-century culture. Unlike the philosophical inquiry that dominated BE, Scarsick would be social commentary. Political. Direct. “Cribcaged” emerged as the album’s moment of pure cathartic rage—a semi-ballad that refuses to choose between vulnerability and fury.
The Concept That Started Before This Album
Scarsick is officially The Perfect Element, Part II – “He.” The liner notes confirm what fans had speculated for years: this album continues the story of the male character from The Perfect Element, Part I (2000). That album dealt with individual psychology—the formation of identity through adolescence and trauma. Scarsick shifts perspective. Rather than examining the internal landscape of one person’s dysfunction, it maps that dysfunction onto society itself. The character’s personal struggles become allegories for collective illness: materialism, conformity, the commodification of identity itself.
“Cribcaged” sits at the turning point. The album’s first two tracks (the opening title song and “Spitfall”) establish the anger. But “Cribcaged” is where that anger finds its specific target: the cult of personality, the emptiness of chasing luxury as identity. Gildenlöw layers in stark contrasts—moments of what sounds almost like tenderness before exploding into venom. The song refuses comfort. It refuses compromise.
“Cribcaged” Recording and Production Details
The Bass Player Becomes the Instrument
Production on Scarsick was meticulous. Every element was deliberate. Unlike BE’s sprawling ambition, Scarsick’s production served clarity and punch. The songs needed to land hard. They needed to feel lived-in rather than theoretical.
Gildenlöw recorded bass guitar parts himself after his brother Kristoffer was asked to leave the band in February 2006. Kristoffer had relocated to the Netherlands and couldn’t attend rehearsals, creating an impossible situation. Rather than wait, Daniel stepped in, layering his bass work into the production alongside his vocal performances, guitar work, and general songwriting responsibilities. This intensified the personal nature of the album’s creation. Scarsick became even more of a solo creative vision temporarily channeled through a band arrangement.
Controlled Chaos and Contrasting Extremes
“Cribcaged” exemplifies the album’s production philosophy: controlled chaos. The verses settle into a blues-influenced groove, almost meditative. Then the chorus explodes into something almost unhinged. Guitar work references Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut era—moments of solo brilliance that serve commentary rather than pure display. Fredrik Hermansson’s keyboards provide texture without overwhelming. Johan Langell’s drums lock everything into place with precision.
What makes the song work is its refusal to integrate these elements smoothly. The production embraces disjointedness. Gildenlöw’s vocals range from almost conversational verses to moments of primal vocal intensity. The track wants to sound as active and conflicted as the emotions it explores. There’s a newborn baby’s cry buried in the mix—a reminder that real cribs represent life and vulnerability, not status symbols. That sound creates cognitive dissonance with the lyrics’ fury. The contrast is the entire point.
Notes About “Cribcaged” by Pain of Salvation
Release Date: January 22, 2007 (album), originally January 24, 2007 (delayed release)
Duration: 5:56
Genre: Progressive Metal / Hard Rock / Alternative Metal
Album: Scarsick (6th studio album, track 3)
Written by: Daniel Gildenlöw
Band Lineup: Daniel Gildenlöw (vocals, guitars, bass), Johan Hallgren (guitars, vocals), Fredrik Hermansson (keyboards), Johan Langell (drums)
Label: InsideOutMusic
Chart Performance: Not charted; album reached moderate success in progressive metal circles
Notable Context: Final album featuring drummer Johan Langell; Langell departed in May 2007
Pain of Salvation “Cribcaged” Era Band Details
Album Details
Album: Scarsick
Release Date: January 22, 2007
Label: InsideOutMusic / Century Media
Concept: The Perfect Element, Part II – “He” (sequel to 2000’s The Perfect Element, Part I)
Lyrical Themes: Capitalism, materialism, consumer culture, celebrity worship, conformity, American imperialism, industrialization
Recording Approach: Entirely written by Daniel Gildenlöw; more band-oriented collaboration than previous work
Album Structure: Two chapters (Side A: “His skin against the dirty floor” / Side B: “Why can’t I close my eyes?”)
Critical Reception: Mixed/divisive; required multiple listens for appreciation; praised as daring and uncompromising
Band Members/Personnel
Daniel Gildenlöw - Lead vocals, guitars, bass guitar, keyboards, production, songwriting, artwork
Johan Hallgren - Lead guitar, backing vocals
Fredrik Hermansson - Keyboards, samplers, synth programming
Johan Langell - Drums, percussion, backing vocals (final album with band)
Simon Andersson - Bass guitar (live touring support for 2007 tour, joined as full member March 2007)
Production Notes
Released after contentious BE album (2004) which alienated many fans with its philosophical complexity
Daniel Gildenlöw handled bass recording himself after brother Kristoffer’s departure in February 2006
Album is politically charged social commentary; stark departure from BE’s abstract philosophy
Part of planned three-part concept (Part I: 2000, Part II: 2007, Part III: unreleased)
Edited version “Scarsicker” released in 2008 with tracks under 5 minutes (plus bonus instrumental)
Album received 9/10 ratings from reviewers who appreciated its raw authenticity and conceptual coherence
Described as “threatening and disturbing” by Gildenlöw; more aggressive than introspective
Interesting Facts About “Cribcaged”
The Ballad That Isn’t a Ballad
“Cribcaged” confounds expectations. Categorized as semi-ballad, the song contradicts the form at every turn. Traditional ballads build intimacy. This song builds confrontation. The instrumentation sounds almost contemplative—bluesy, almost mournful—while the lyrics assault and condemn. That juxtaposition is deliberate. Gildenlöw described his lyrical approach as “not particularly subtle,” and he was right. The song doesn’t whisper its critique. It shouts it. Then it pulls back and whispers again. The whiplash is the point.
Reviewers noted the resemblance to Pink Floyd’s later work, particularly Roger Waters’ more polemical solo albums where lyrics dominate and sometimes overwhelm the music. That comparison captures something true about “Cribcaged”—the words are the main instrument. The music serves the message. There’s no separation between form and content.
The Sound That Was Too Much (and Perfectly So)
The use of profanity in “Cribcaged” shocked many listeners. Critics argued it was juvenile, excessive, lacking sophistication. Some felt Gildenlöw was using shock value as a substitute for real critique. But for fans who understood the song’s intent, the vehemence was exactly right. This isn’t polite social commentary. This is someone disgusted. Someone past civility. The rawness matched the emotional authenticity Gildenlöw brought to every syllable.
This controversy actually deepened the album’s reputation over time. Upon initial release, Scarsick disappointed many longtime Pain of Salvation fans who felt it was a step backward. But as years passed, listeners began appreciating what Gildenlöw had attempted. “Cribcaged” went from seeming juvenile to seeming prescient—a 2007 album predicting the influencer culture and conspicuous consumption that would define the following decade. The song’s anger now reads as justified.
Common Questions
Q: What is “Cribcaged” by Pain of Salvation about? A: The song critiques celebrity worship, materialism, and consumer culture. “Cribcaged” uses the double meaning of “crib” (home as sanctuary versus home as status symbol) to explore how wealthy lifestyles become prisons of conformity and emptiness. The song contrasts real family homes with luxury real estate, suggesting that chasing status symbols destroys authentic human connection.
Q: Why is “Cribcaged” so aggressive compared to other Pain of Salvation songs? A: Daniel Gildenlöw wrote Scarsick as a reaction against the abstract complexity of the previous album, BE. He wanted to return to directness and emotional authenticity. “Cribcaged” channels raw anger at societal problems, using intensity as an artistic choice rather than relying on metaphor or philosophical distance.
Q: Is “Cribcaged” connected to other Pain of Salvation albums? A: Yes. Scarsick is The Perfect Element, Part II – continuing the story of a male character from 2000’s The Perfect Element, Part I. While Part I examined personal psychology and trauma during adolescence, Scarsick (and therefore “Cribcaged”) examines how that personal dysfunction manifests on a societal level through consumer culture and conformity.
Q: Why did it take fans so long to appreciate Scarsick and “Cribcaged”? A: The album was divisive on release due to its controversial subject matter, aggressive approach, and departure from Pain of Salvation’s earlier progressive metal sound. Many reviews felt it sounded immature or forced. However, repeat listens revealed the album’s conceptual depth and artistic vision, leading to reassessment as one of the band’s most important and underrated works.
Q: Who replaced Johan Langell after he left the band? A: Léo Margarit became the band’s new drummer in 2007, after Johan Langell departed to spend more time with his family following the Scarsick release. Langell had been with the band since 1990 and his departure marked the end of an era.