Porcupine Tree
frontman Steven Wilson obviously learned a thing or two
from his time producing Opeth. Where previous albums were
often fraught with tortuous winding interludes, Deadwing
seems much more pointed. The riffs and solos throughout
Deadwing advance the songs and add depth to the lyrics rather
than meander into effluvia.
The members of Porcupine Tree are typical prog musicians
- they know their instruments inside and out and play crisply
and cleanly. The soundscapes they create are lush and warming;
they also are helped by pristine production. The precision
with which this album was crafted is second-to-none but
it is not something that everyone will appreciate.
Do not be fooled by the earlier mention of death metal
gods Opeth; Deadwing is a prog album, a worthy one at that.
The members of Porcupine Tree are pros at building an introspective
aural atmosphere, and on Deadwing they did it yet again.
From the 10 minute title track to the 12 minute "Arriving
Somewhere But Not Here", the tracks build a dimly-lit
Floyd-ish world through smooth lyrics and steady keys and
drum lines.
Deadwing is a great album to throw on your headphones or
a surround-sound system and chill out. But it is a time
commitment - there is no throwing on one quick song, this
disc needs to be played from top to bottom. Like most prog
music, there are no singles or stand-alone tracks. Like
Rush and Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree can be a guilty pleasure
for music fans everywhere.
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