Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
Lava Records - 7567934372 - 04/04/2005
By Patrick Walsh
English progressive hard-rock outfit
Porcupine Tree have finally followed up 2002's excellent
In Absentia with another album of tunes that continues the songwriting heights they've breezed effortlessly through since
Stupid Dream. As an extension of the oft-metallic noodling of
In Absentia,
Deadwing works in part as a kind of summation of their more recent embrace of metal whilst recapturing somewhat in places the delicate psych-pop of
Lightbulb Sun.
That's not to say that
Deadwing is a rehash of past glories, as Steve Wilson and his band of not-so-merry progsters weave a sombre, dark atmosphere on
Deadwing that is as many worlds away from
Lightbulb Sun's summery cuts like 'Where We Would Be' as it is to the pop-metal anthems found on
In Absentia such as 'Strip the Soul'. Opener 'Deadwing' twists and winds through numerous musical vistas, but is for the most part upbeat in tone; however, the fairly rocking nature of the track is offset by Wilson's eerie lyrics. A brilliantly atonal guitar solo courtesy of
Adrian Belew gives the track an even more unsettling air, and this song sets the tone of the album; deceptively upbeat, yet always maintaining a tangible atmosphere of isolation, and it is this sustained feeling of darkness that is mostly unique about
Deadwing, and makes this arguably their most cohesive work to date.
Of course, Wilson hasn't forgotten that much of
Porcupine Tree's appeal has always lay with their ability to exert as much force from simplicity as intricate progressive rock noodling, and the subsequent three cuts; 'Shallow', 'Lazarus' and 'Halo', remind us of the accessibility that belies the band their still relative underground status in the scheme of rock music. 'Shallow' is big, dumb radio rock done the
Porcupine Tree way (by their own admission), and works as a hard-hitting and catchy pop-rock song in a similar way that 'Blackest Eyes' did before it. 'Lazarus' shows the band reverting into a gentle, piano filled troupe whilst 'Halo's driving, bass-led rhythms and excellent drumwork are an album highlight. Meanwhile, 'Arriving Somewhere But Not Here' acts as the album's centrepiece, a twelve-minute epic that builds from a
Pink Floyd-esque psychedelic rocker into a fully fledged riff workout that recalls
Opeth, before winding back down again. 'The Start of Something Beautiful' again reflects
Porcupine Tree's further gelling as a band from its days as a Steve Wilson solo project, and is a brilliantly climactic prog-rock workout to boot.
Although they're often cited as a kind of
Pink Floyd meets alt. rock exercise,
Porcupine Tree have once again defied any comparisons and are intent on following their own legacy by simply creating excellent rock music. Along with
Tool,
Porcupine Tree are quite possibly the only mainstream rock band worthy of being hailed alongside the classics, and
Deadwing is worthy of everyone's attention, be they a metal purist, ageing 70s prog-rocker or floppy haired indie-rock fan, which is proof of their necessity in today's safe, sterile corporate rock climate.
9/10
Official Porcupine Tree Website
Official Lava Records Website
kidding... right?