Each song carries one or two decent ideas but never are they really expanded upon and what they have seems to be left to play itself out to death. The only exception to this is the album closer, Sleep Together, which is a brilliant track that builds to a sudden climax with the tension being piled on by the excellent performance of a string orchestra, really adding feel to the song.
However, 43 minutes is a long time to wait before you get any really good music, with the epically long, if not epically styled, Anaesthetise being the worst culprit.
Its just far too long and I find myself begging for a change in pace, or song, before halfway. Its the same story with the other songs as well. Though this album is an improvement over its predecessor, Deadwing, I find its mostly down to the fact that it isn't as totally aimless but I cat help but feel that the members of the band lack the technical ability to pull off what they are trying to achieve, with the possible exception of drummer Gavin Harrison who is not bad at all, if nothing special, and the guest musicians of Alex Lifeson and Robert Fripp, who need no introduction.
Overall I could have done without this album and I swear its the last time I'll get carried away with the hype yeah right. Its better than Deadwing but only because it feels more focused and is lyrically very strong, but its not enough to make me consider coming back for more than the occasional listen and so it gets stuck with only 2.
There's been a godzillion reviews of this album, and what to say that hasn't been done. I'm still not sure if I prefer Deadwing over this one, but this is veeeery textured album with hurrray with lots of incredibly good segments the end of Anesthetize and the Lifeson's solo, the melody of Way out of here and some pretty ear pouding moments a la Deadwing.
The songs are indeed rich, but the subjects are soooo depressing. Fear of a blank planet traces a portrait of today's youth, supposedly brain-stuffed with video games, Adderal and pornography.
What the?!? I don't know where Wilson hangs out, but it's certainly not in my neighbourgh. To say that most kids are lost in a cloud of confusion is somewhat real, but awfully blunt for parents, teachers and people who still believe in the goodness of humans. Before I break out the Welbutrane, I understand clearly it's all part of a marketing package. Porcupine Tree always fueled on dark and gloomy moments, but this canvas is really bringing me down! Once again PT's stellar talent is showing us that accessible prog is alive and well.
Do not play this at your wedding. Actually, I preferred some live recordings which sounded more interesting in terms of tracklist. Even if they changed from genre during their career, starting with spacey psychedelia to evolve towards a heavier music at no moment I could hardly discern any masterpiece in their production.
And it is the same with "Fear The title track was very promising. In line with a traditional song of theirs. But that's the evolution Wilson wanted to give to the band since his early relationship with "Opeth". Not that it is a bad song, on the contrary. But it lacks of personality. I can reasonably tolerate true prog-metal which is the case here.
When the prog side picks up versus the metal one. Actually, this long song holds a bit of all the styles that "PT" has undergone throughout their prolific career. Some sort of testimonial work. This song won't anesthetize you; that's for sure. I consider it as a highlight. Can't really blow me away. Soft and mellow, feelingless and boring.
Like if Wilson had taken sleeping tablets while composing it. More energetic and truely heavy as well during the second part. Great riff and guitar play here. But "Fripp" is featured as guest musician I am still hesitant in terms of going to their Brussels gig in a few weeks. Maybe that the opening act "Anathema" will give me the extra kick to decide me to go This album is much better than "Deadwing".
Seven out of ten. Rounded down to three stars. The principal problem is that, with the exception of the immediately catchy vocal melodies of Wilson, the songs are simply not up to par with what we've heard before; some sections sound like "Blackfield" outtakes.
The always great shifts between the band's eerie soundscapes and heavy riffs sound terribly contrived here; they come from no where, and disappear having added nothing to the song's depth. Rather, just when the listener is getting into and enjoying say, the dreamy textures of "Way Out of Here", a pointless explosion of simple, chugging crunch destroys the mood. Wilson does, however, give some very catchy and beautiful vocal deliveries on some songs.
The centerpiece, "Anesthatize", has a few highlights, but sounds more like three different songs connected together just for the sake of variety; if fails to evoke the same energy and emotion we heard last time around on the much shorter, and much more interesting "Arriving Somewhere". Alex Lifeson's contributions are a fun addition, but could have been utilized more.
The message, while certainly relevant, is practically beaten into the listener's head by the album's close, and lacks the creative subtlety found in Wilson's usual lyrics. As a side note, did anyone else who saw this album performed on the last tour notice the amount of teenagers in attendance?
Were they text-messaging their friends throughout the concert as much as they were at the one I was at? But this is just another regular album by PT and it's always interesting to check them out. After a few listens I want to concentrate on the epic on this album. Anesthetize is another amazing effort of Steve Wilson and the other band members. It's with these kind of compositions I can only bow in admiration of what he has achieved. I'm really in love with this track. It's so versatile, moving fluently from one passage into the next and I keep wondering: how do composers do this?
They have to be brilliant and real genius. Anyway, this track draws all the attention and leaves the other ones palish in the background. The others aren't really significant objectively spoken. Just Way out of here is a very nice one but the rest is less. And because of that I can't give this 5 stars but of course 4 is the least in this case.
First, it has been dumbed down for the masses. Many of the themes explored with subtlety in previous albums are regurgitated here: family dysfunction, muzak and malls, killers and guns, suicide. But they are accompanied by a hammer. And not only the lyrics are recycled: as many reviewers have noted, the riff from 'Trains' pokes its head up in 'Sentimental'. Or is this a play for a broader audience, a remixed selection of their best lyrical and musical ideas, a last push for superstardom?
These have always supplemented excellent compositions, but they now seem to lead the music. I find they make a number of the songs almost indigestible, including the much-lauded but oddly-shaped 'Anesthetize'.
There's no doubt the combination of a simple concept and dumbed-down compositions and instrumentations make for a more widely appealing album, but, for the fan, there's much less to savour than one would expect after the excitement of the first listen.
Fundamentally, I suppose my unease is that of a person left out of the conversation. He's inhabiting their universe, trying to address their concerns, at once empathising with them and lecturing them. Well, it's been a while since I was a teenager, and back then I was far from apathetic.
My greatest wish was that someone could invent a pill so I didn't have to sleep, so full of life was I. I'm therefore separated from WILSON's concept by time and temperament, and the one-sided and dangerous nature of the album's treatment of teenage ennui makes me uncomfortable. The avowed centrepiece is the aforementioned 'Anesthetize'. Taking a moment to think about it perhaps reveals my unease with this album, and the direction the band appear to be taking. At 17 minutes it seems on first listen to be a progger's godsend, but at heart it's a six-minute song surrounded by eleven minutes of unrelated instrumental work.
This middle section, let's call it 'cod philosophy' for short, is a wonderful example of PT's ability to write compelling hooks and produce glorious prog-influenced pop.
But what's it doing buried in this combination of slab drumming and riffs? Solos allow us to contemplate what we're hearing, but nothing has happened for us to contemplate. And what's the last section of the track about? Who doesn't sit there waiting for the next song to start?
No, for me this centrepiece simply doesn't work. It's the length of 'Close to the Edge', for example, but apart from the central section contains only a fraction of that track's ideas and energy.
And it's a very odd shape: rather than beginning with a theme, developing and varying it, departing then returning to it, this track gives us a six minute prelude, an unrelated six minute pop song and a pointless five minute outro. The shape feels dreadfully awkward to me. That said, there are some excellent tracks on this album. I find the closer 'Sleep Together' extraordinarily convincing - showing that I'm clearly out of step with most listeners, who love 'Anesthetize' and hate 'Sleep Together'.
It's a chilling euphemism and metaphor for suicide, and is the only time on the album the music builds to the sublime heights I've come to expect from anything WILSON's involved in. In particular, the 'Kashmir'-like keys at the end raise the crushing weight of the track another notch. Perhaps something essential could have been fashioned from bits of this and bits of 'Nil Recurring', the outtakes released later in As it is, there is enough here to merit many listens, but I cannot see this heavier version of PT - ironically, conceptually PT-lite - being an essential part of my regular listening experience in the way at least four of their earlier albums are.
The first things which catch the eye before even listening to the music are A the presence of a couple of notable guest musicians, and B the inclusion of an 18 minute track. In all, we have just six tracks here, the album running to a rather brief 50 minutes especially when we consider that a half hour EP from the same sessions has subsequently been released. The title track kicks things off in an upbeat mood, Wilson's vocals being variously distorted over a rich wall of sound.
The song portrays a concerning vision of the way society is heading with lyrics such as "X-box is a god to me" and "Don't try engaging me?. You'll never find a person inside". Musically, the track repeats the accessibility of more recent Porcupine Tree albums while offering a well crafted arrangement. The song is uncharacteristic, even in terms of Porcupine Tree's softer tracks, with a lush melody and arguably Wilson's most sensitive singing to date.
It is though "Anesthetize" which we anticipate, and wait for impatiently. The length of this 18 minute epic harks back to the days of Porcupine Tree's long tracks such as "The sky moved sideways". After a soft vocal intro, we venture into a dark, haunted instrumental passage with dramatic percussion and incisive guitar. Alex Lifeson of Rush makes a guest appearance on the track adding his distinctive guitar style to complement that of Steve Wilson. Lyrically, the track continues the theme of the title track with observations such as "I'm watching TV.
I'm totally bored but I can't switch off". In reality, the piece is a suite in four or five sections; while the sections fit well together they are nonetheless disparate. The track is thus more of a "Supper's ready" than a "Gates of Delirium" if you get my drift.
In all, while this is a reassuringly epic piece, it is for me not one of the band's best. The song has echoes of the band's psychedelic past with dreamy Floydian effects and delicate vocals. Musically, the track remains depressive but powerful, offering a marked contrast to the trend of previous albums of ending with a downbeat, reflective song.
In all, "Fear of a blank planet" is a well constructed album whose underlying concept is depressive but worryingly realistic. For me, there are no killer tracks such as "Arriving somewhere.. Simply put, no.
This record is definitely good, and there are moments of pure musical bliss and ingenuity, but I can list at least 5 albums from this year right off the top of my head that blow away this one. And I can't say this is remotely perfect.
I think "My Ashes" and especially the closing track, "Sleep Together," are a bit weak. The album really takes a hit for having a weak closing, and it's not even that it makes a poor closing track, the song in itself is boring and the overall tone of the song and Steven's vocals cane be bothersome.
I also think the two preceeding albums are better than this one. Now, I am coming off a little strong here - all of the other tracks are excellent - but I just can't believe how so many prog fans are salivating over this thing and completely neglecting the true best album of the year: Colors by Between the Buried and Me.
That is true innovation, complexity, emotion and consistancy at work. I am a big fan of Porcupine Tree, and I do like this record quite a bit, but I can not agree with the overwhelming number of people lauding this above more worthy releases.
FOABP is really a fair and honest work, with the band biting a cluster of musical styles, including many spots of the prog-rock genres. Track arrangements and general production are among the best FOABP features, together with the already notorious band musical competence, being worthy to highlight the drumming and keyboards actions, while vocals and guitars run accordingly as always.
The balladesque 'My ashes' reminds me some early 70s melodies, this time seen from a 21st Century point-of-view, not spectacular but keyboards play in a symphonic manner, a symptom of the band's and album's eclectics.
The mentioned introductory songs act like a preparation for the epic-like 'Anesthetize', a lengthy track so meaningful and touching with so many variations and possibilities that's almost impossible not to be caught by its tunes that I suggest simply let the flesh and mind flow in parallel - even not picking immediately the lyrics one may visualize clearly to where this voyage goes. The 3 last songs are well fitted within the album concept dare I say there's one, no?
Well, they got closer and who knows if I'll embark totally in this tour with more hearings. Truly, a fine work from Mr. Steve Wilson and companions that lands correctly into the excellent addition to any prog collection. That's it! Do not fear: the band is not just repeating ideas from earlier CDs and trying to improve upon them, as many bands do and Porcupine Tree is often accused of.
Rather, Porcupine Tree branches out in some other directions, such as oddly written and timed synthesizers, something akin to thrash, soundscapes reminiscent of mid 70s King Crimson, and a measure of grungy punk sound. The highlight of this album may very well be the drumming of Gavin Harrison, not a newcomer to prog or music at all, but nevertheless one who suddenly decided to let everyone know that, yes, he can drum particularly fast but also with an uncommon amount of flair.
That is not to say that the rest of the band is not in top form, either. Wilson's guitar and voice are at the peak of their respective sounds, while Barbieri provides some well produced and very cleverly used synths and keyboards. The only downside to the band's performance here is the absence of a strong bass sound, which has in the past been a strength of Porcupine Tree, but here Wilson follows the metal train and blends the bass in with the crunchy guitars.
Fear of a Blank Planet opens with its title track , a song actually somewhat reminiscent of the opening title track on the band's prior release, Deadwing. That is not to say it's at all the same, nevertheless. Some unhappy lyrics, a nice guitar solo, and a surprising drum fill that lends the music to a rather heavy riff all form the majority of the song, until it comes to the ending portion, where it fades gently into the next track.
My Ashes happens to be that very song, but admittedly there is little terribly new about this song. It hearkens back to In Absentia or Lightbulb Sun. That is not to say, however, that it isn't a worthy song. While perhaps the least exciting and clever on the album, it still features a sweet melody and a refreshing background noise of a record and a needle.
Of course, any loss of excitement that My Ashes might provoke in a listener goes away fairly quickly as Anesthetize steps up to the stage. The longest track on the album indeed, the band's longest track next to The Sky Moves Sideways , it clocks in at just under eighteen minutes. Anesthetize is divided into three sections. The first is a minimalist part building towards a guitar solo by Alex Lifeson of Rush, all the while driven by an eccentric but steady rhythm from Harrison.
The second part begins in a rush of heaviness, as the double bass goes wild and Wilson's guitars crunch down hard. This is also the only section that really features any sort of a chorus. Near the end of this middle third comes what is perhaps the most shocking Porcupine Tree moment to date: the guitars lose all semblance of melodic gentleness and the drums go into full thrash-mode.
While this may turn off a number of the band's listeners who are only interested in their melodic side, it certainly throws every fan for a loop--and many prog fans like being thrown for loops.
The final section is gentle and pacific, layering harmonies over a oceanic soundscape, softly winding the track down and away. Following on the heels of this impressive track is Sentimental , an acoustic and mellow track somewhat reminiscent of Trains.
While a nice song, this is a fairly unremarkable one. Or perhaps that's simply an aftereffect of following Anesthetize. Hard to say. Either way, the tempo and energy picks back up again once more with the song Way Out of Here. Featuring a lot of distortion in the chorus and a continuation of the album's dark and depressive lyrical content, the track plays forward without really slowing for the first half.
Partway through, however, the music fades away, and Robert Fripp of King Crimson guests to build up a sparkly soundscape. Once this rising force climaxes, the song dives back into the metal ideas, featuring a whole lot more intense drum work from Gavin.
The final track then wanders onto the album: Sleep Together , an unconventional closer for Porcupine Tree. Quiet verses and loud, grungy power-chorded choruses make up the song. The finale of the song features some humming string synthesizers, bouncing around on a strange melody but really shaking up the conclusion of the music. The production and mastering on this portion of the album especially is impressive. In the end, this is quite probably Porcupine Tree's most varied and strongest album to date, edging out the favorite In Absentia on account of a bit more experimental and creative energy.
It's also not a bad place to start with for the band overall, either. This album is Porcupine Tree's career resume. A perfect mix of everything Porcupine Tree has done, this is also their most accessible album to date.
This was originally one song broken down into six connected pieces. Each one seems to have a unique taste, but it binded musically and spiritually to the concept at hand. The concept is a pretty relevant one, dealing with kids and their slavery to electronics, media and drugs, which is a real growing problem in my eyes as well. Like the track 'Deadwing' it doesn't hesitate to get loud right after the short intro.
This is a lyrically driven piece coupled with some of Wilson's typical drop-D guitar riffs, which has been an asset to their new sound.
The song takes a dramatic change towards the end where things get melancholic and slowed down. It made a decent track turned into a great one. This track is a classical piano piece mostly with some voice and some effects.
This track has been the weak one on the album, but as I like to give albums time for good or bad , this track became quite a cozy one.
Another great song. This is one of PT's best tracks. It has a real industrial metal flavor to it. The track can be split into three parts. The first is opened up with some of Gavin's best drum work. A perfect display of dynamics and rhythm on the toms drives the beginning with some singing and a few heavy guitar moments. The guitar takes the lead in the second part where it feels like a really long jam. The third part takes a drastic change with some vocal effects and a cold ending.
It's a really slow acoustic song with some of Wilson's best singing. Towards the end things get more upbeat, and a return to the catchy riff from 'Trains' is brought in again. The chorus is among the best, mostly because of the little melody and the perfect vocals fitting it. That is the only way to really describe it, it is a must hear. It is quite an eerie one, putting this album to a dark end. This includes a string section in the end. I found 'Deadwing' and 'Lightbulb Sun' to get leaps ahead of this one.
The thing is, I cannot really find anything weak on this release. Everything seemed to be really flowing and tied together wonderfully which is usually hard with most concept albums. It really left no mistakes. Porcupine Tree's latest attraction at the time of writing has gained a lot of attention from the prog community, and for many good reasons. A concept album about how tomorrow's kids are going to be zombies to their computers, Xboxes and malls is sure to intrigue anyone who thinks the same about modern society, especially us cynical ones.
The ironic part about this is that the audience targeted by the lyrics became the target audience when it was marketed over mySpace and the like. Wilson is very wise as to how to get his message across. But speaking of message, a bigger question arises - being someone so good with the progressive structure and a modern master of the instrumental, how is this lyrically thick moral aspect going to affect the music?
The answer is - a lot. Fear Of A Blank Planet shows an entirely different Porcupine Tree [PT] than the blokes who traveled Sideways in the Sky or running up down staircases, this one is a heavy, rougher edged band who wants to get a point across.
It's even a very different album from their previous effort Deadwing. This is, of course, not a bad thing since PT has always gotten by on being a very dynamic and shifting band, expecting them to stay the same would be ridiculous. What should we expect on this album then? Well, prepare to be bludgeoned with lyrics, but if you're ready for that then you should be fine.
This is PT's most vocally heavy album to date, but it's also one of their most heavy in everything in general. Tone, mood, depth, it's all very heavy. This is clearly evident from the opening riff on the title track right though to the final chord on the final track. Though the album does tend to leapfrog itself with fast and slow there's no stopping of the heaviness, no matter what incarnation it takes.
Fear of A Blank Planet the track is quick and jaunty while My Ashes is simply heavy in subject matter, and so on and so on. Likely the greatest standout on the album and this is hardly surprising is the minute suite Anesthetize.
Starting with some chilling chimes and some catchy bass the song eventually makes it's way into motion. Going from fast and destructive to slow and calm coming into the end, this one visits it all.
Featuring an excellent and very Rush -like solo from Alex Lifeson coming into the beginning of the second segment, this one is also a very good track for all the Heavy Prog fans out there.
Whether it be the heavy and chugging tracks like the title track, Way out Of Here and Sleep Together or the melodic melancholy of others such as Sentimental this album is one that works off a couple carefully selected aspects. Being a concept album as well they tend to stick close together creating a sound that, the first couple spins, seems like a very samey album.
The tracks are well placed in the timeline however, and this effect soon wears off. Being one of the most important prog bands of this decade even if Wilson denies the prog label it's to be expected that they release very well respected albums.
This one isn't perfect, but it's still miles above some of the other music on the market. Voted PA's album of the year very deservingly this one is very unlikely to not catch your interest if you fancy yourself a prog head.
It's very hard to give this one a 5, but it's very well deserving of a bright 4. Maybe even 4. An excellent addition to your library. That's my motto to certain artists, but it fits most aptly and often to Porcupine Tree. Porcupine Tree are relatively unknown in the mainstream, but I can't figure out quite why. They started out as a complete outlet for multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson back in the late s and early s, but then became more of a band effort increasingly over time.
The brilliance of their records is unmatched by hardly any other artist that I know except maybe Magma or Rush in terms of consecutive masterpieces and this album is NO exception. Many of you probably wonder what this sounds like The music is highly well-crafted and very accessible, so those of you who are worried about my bordering-on-the-obscure music tastes at times won't have to expect a Weidorje or Magma here.
You could even show this to your friends and chances are they'd like it. This doesn't take away from the artistic depth of this album or ANY of Porcupine Tree's work, however. It has some of the BEST production I've ever heard by Steven Wilson himself , the music again is absolutely outstanding and uniquely addicting, and the lyrics can be dark but always have a purpose.
The quiet, English restraint with which Wilson croons seems to have saved his voice from the decay that so many male singers experience over a twenty year career, and lucky for us and for him , the style still works perfectly with Porcupine Tree's sound. As a vocalist, he has an amazing capacity for juxtaposing cold, haunting moments against eviscerating passionate ones, mostly thanks to the control he exerts over his instrument.
Though it's only six tracks long, each of the songs on Blank Planet is exquisitely crafted, even the minute long "Anesthetize. At roughly 51 minutes, Fear of a Blank Planet is short by Porcupine Tree standards, but by measure of quality rather than quantity, it's one of the most substantial prog albums to come out in years. Fear Of A Blank Planet. My Ashes. Way Out Of Here. Fear Of A Blank Planet. Year: Tracks: 13 Bitrate: MP3 Porcupine Tree Sampler. Year: Tracks: 3 Bitrate: MP3 Deadwing US.
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