Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 180
 Ageless and Exquisite April 26, 2005
Vinzo (Boston, MA United States)
13 out of 20 found this review helpful
"Deadwing" is another remarkable achievement for Steve Wilson and PTree. It is more polished and advanced than the incredible "In Abstentia". Like all PTree albums, this one needs to be played through again and again to uncover the beautiful undertones and subtle layers of vocals, bass, drums and guitars and the thematic keyboard treatments by Richard Barbieri. It is time to stop comparing this great band to others.
Deadwing is very rich in its rewards. The heavier songs take you to undreamed of places. "Halo" just knocks me over. "Arriving Somewhere..." may be the best 12 minutes of progressive rock music ever. "Mellotron Scratch" and "Glass Arm Shattering" and "Lazarus" are stunningly beautiful. The guest appearances by Adrian Belew and particularly Mike Akerfeldt from Opeth work incredibly well. Akerfeldt's vocals and gorgeous guitar work on "Arriving..." are perfect.
Steve Wilson's genius in creating beautiful, jarring and exquisite music cannot be overstated. The production, song writing, music and vocals on "Deadwing" are stunning. Upon many listenings already, it is clear that the album is the work of a great musical mastermind and a band that has clarity of vision and the talent to create art in sound. "Deadwing" is a masterpiece. It does not get any better than this.
Continued brilliance from The Tree April 26, 2005
R. Gorham
13 out of 15 found this review helpful
THE BAND: Steve Wilson (vocals, guitar, creator, mastermind and main song writer behind PT), Richard Barbieri (keyboards and sound effects), Colin Edwin (bass), Gavin Harrison (drums & percussion).
THE DISC: 10 songs running at approximately 70 minutes. Liner notes include lyrics, assorted obscure pictures and thank you's. Video: "Behind The Scenes Video Montage" (Approx 7-8 minutes). There is an extended version of "Deadwing" with a limited edition 72-page booklet containing mostly pictures that you can buy at PT's concerts or on their website (if still available). 2005 - Lava Records.
COMMENTS: "Dead Wing" is a great album, but on first listen I could not put it on the same lofty perch as "In Absentia" or "Lightbulb Sun". With that being said, this album has grown on me over many months and it's now on the same level. It also helped seeing The Tree live (Arizona Beach Club, 10/25/05) and the songs from "Deadwing" rocked (especially "Halo", "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" with an incredible jam in the middle, and the stunning concert starter "Open Car"). Porcupine Tree is a unique pleasure to listen to. Often complex and varied, and rarely played on the radio waves. Maybe that's why so much of PT's catalog is still fresh - the songs are never overplayed. The band members are all master craftsmen. Steve Wilson (guitars & vocals) is the mastermind behind the band... and his genius once again shines on "Dead Wing". The new "Dead Wing" picks up for the most part where "In Absentia" (2002) left off... hard to define... covering many a rock genre - pop, rock, hard rock, electronic, soft rock ballads, 70's psychadelic rock, etc. I believe "Dead Wing" falls more in the 'rock' music category; more so than some of their more progressive material in years past. Wonderful vocals telling cusious stories. Brilliant guitars. Complex drumming and hi-hat work; no tom-tom left unused. Wonderful synth sound effects and piano. Stellar sound production as always, with crisp highs and deep lows. There are so many lush tones and layers upon layers of sounds - I honestly feel you'll get the best listen with high quality headphones. Porcupine Tree is easily the best band to (practically) never hit the radio. The 12 minute "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" starts out slow with the rest of the band joining the song as it builds... this is my 1st favorite song on "Dead Wing". Others include "Shallow" and "Halo" - hard rockers; with the mellow "Lazarus" tucked nicely between the two. Here's to hoping the next PT album doesn't take as long as this one to be released. Great disc (5 stars).
A band that can seemingly do no wrong February 23, 2006
Wheelchair Assassin (The Great Concavity)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
While it's not quite as innovative or wide-ranging as its predecessor In Absentia, Porcupine Tree's latest is yet another tasty Pink-Floyd-meets-Opeth-by-way-of-Radiohead offering from one of the only bands to ever come close to making progressive rock sound cool. If you liked the genre-bending sounds and oddly layered arrangements of In Absentia, then this album should leave you grinning like, erm, a young person in a store that sells sweets, as it's chock full of all the elements that make PT such a brilliant and distinctive band. Once again, they combine crazy instrumental skills with intricate, unpredictable songwriting and the haunting, emotional vocals of Steven Wilson, who makes up in power for anything he might lack in polish. Though it contains only nine tracks, Deadwing has plenty of goodies to offer the discerning listener, as it cycles through a vast mix of sounds-ranging from the dark, dense, and metallic to the spacey and Floydian to the melodic and folky-often within the space of a single song. For the most part, this album is divdided between lengthy, multifaceted epics (Arriving Somewhere But Not Here, Deadwing), and shorter, sharper rockers marked by striking riffs and surprisingly infectious choruses (Halo, Start of Something Beautiful). Naturally, this being PT, things aren't that simple, as there are plenty of variations on the theme to be found as well: hypnotic keyboard textures drift in and out of the midtempo, riff-driven gallop of the title track; the angry, assaultive guitar crunch of Shallow segues without warning into a disarmingly pretty piano-backed vocal melody before lurching back to metal with a vicious chorus; and Glass Arm Shattering ends everything on a languid, mellow note. As on their previous album, perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of PT's approach is their restraint: unlike certain other bands in the oft-derided prog metal genre (Dream Theater come up often, although there are many far worse offenders), nothing about PT's songs ever sounds forced or pretentious, even when they flirt with (or go past) the ten-minute mark, I've yet to hear a PT song overstay its welcome. And, fortunately, there are still no keyboard solos.
Another masterpiece in the Porcupine Tree catalog June 19, 2005
John Besse (Florida)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
It has been two and a half years since Porcupine Tree's last album, In Absentia and the follow-up is Deadwing. Porcupine Tree is a London-based band that somewhat fits into the progressive rock genre. As their ninth studio album, Porcupine Tree has chosen to release a semi-conceptual record loosely based around ideas generated from a ghost film screen play. Slated for a European release date of March 28 and April 26 for America, Deadwing is going to please the Porcupine Tree fans and should create a wealth of new followers!
There was a lot of speculation as to what direction Steven Wilson, front man of Porcupine Tree, was going to take this album; especially after the release of the first single and radio song taken from Deadwing titled "Shallow". Shallow has received lots of airplay in the US and to be honest scared me when I heard it. Steven Wilson described "Shallow" as, "a big dumb rock song, done the Porcupine Tree way." With a commercial and radio friendly song released a few weeks before the album, I was hoping that Porcupine Tree wasn't about to release a more marketable rock album. Well, you can rest assured that my fears and worries were so far off it wasn't even funny. Deadwing is chock full of great songs, save for it falls on the different side of standard Porcupine Tree releases yet it still hits the mark as another phenomenal release from the band.
Deadwing starts off with the title track, "Deadwing". Just shy of ten minutes, "Deadwing" is the perfect way to begin the voyage into the new album. Starting off with an electronic intro that hardly builds up the beginning riff that jump starts your adrenaline. This song is absolutely brilliant and holds some of the best vocal melodies of the album. "Deadwing" definitely fits in the Porcupine Tree catalog of epic songs and doesn't feature the standard structure of: verse, chorus, verse, etc. that most other bands compose. In fact, the song doesn't even feature a chorus! Ending in eerie noises, "Deadwing" progresses right into the first single off of the album, "Shallow".
"Shallow" is definitely the most radio friendly song on the album as I previously mentioned. Reminding me in a way of "Blackest Eyes" from In Absentia in regards to song construction, "Shallow" starts off with a heavy guitar riff which the verses are sung over transitioning into a melodic pre-chorus before the heart-stomping chorus. "Shallow" is an ordinary song in terms of current releases, yet it is a different song for Porcupine Tree even though it does have a good rock-vibe and is very likable. I'm sure a lot of fans are going to debate this song, but I like it none the less.
Are you a fan of Steven Wilson's Blackfield side project? If so, you are going to love "Lazarus". If not, you are still going to love "Lazarus"! As the third song on the album, "Lazarus" is a magnificent and beautiful ballad that would have fit the Blackfield release. I absolutely adore this song and hope to hear similar tracks like this in the future from the band. Whether you are a fan of Porcupine Tree or not, "Lazarus" is likable on so many different levels. Listen to it and decide for yourself. Regardless, "Lazarus" kicks ass!
Speaking of kicking ass, get ready to tap your feet because "Halo" in my opinion is the catchiest song on Deadwing. "Halo" begins with a captivating bass line that caught me off guard. Every now and again a band can compose a song that just grabs your full attention and won't let you go until the song ends, and Porcupine Tree accomplished just that with "Halo". This is definitely not your stock rock song, which is what makes this song so much fun to listen to.
I have read a lot of posts on forums and other reviews for Deadwing simply describing the fifth track as the song to buy the album for. "Arriving Somewhere, But Not Here" is an amazing song, and this is the reason to buy the album." Personally, I really like how this track progresses along through its twelve minute journey. Porcupine Tree covered almost everything within this song from a heavy section smack-dab in the middle to the light guitar riffs that begins the song right through the soft percussion leading into guitar solos and lead riffs at the end of the track. To say the least, I really like "Arriving Somewhere, But Not Here", although I think it is a bit overrated compared to what others are saying.
"Mellotron Scratch" and the ninth track "Glass Arm Shattering" are the two mellow tracks on the album. Either one of these songs could have showed up on the last three or four Porcupine Tree albums and fit the record. Both songs are good, not phenomenal, but good. I really don't have a lot to say about either one, except that "Mellotron Scratch" has my favorite outros on the disc.
From what I have gathered, I'm going to take a lot of crap for saying, "My favorite song on Deadwing is `Open Car'." This song has the best vibe between the opening guitar and the fanatical vocal melody that is played over it. My favorite line on the album comes from this song as well when Steven Wilson sings, "Being with you is hell." It is few and far between when I like the shortest song on the album, but "Open Car" is simply stated, "awesome", and has a transition right into "The Start of Something Beautiful" virtually making them one song. "The Start of Something Beautiful" is my second favorite song on the album and could have easily been dropped right on Opeth's "Damnation". There is a perfect connection between Colin Edwin, the bassist, and Gavin Harrison on drums and is reminiscent of the "Martin to Martin" connection between the bassist and drummer on the Opeth Damnation album. Another good selling point of this song is the instrumental section "starting" around 4:45 that is just amazing and "beautiful". No pun intended, of course! Anyways, if I was to give a reason or recommendation to buy Deadwing, it would be for "Open Car" and "The Start of Something Beautiful", because these songs are nothing shy of amazing.
It took me a few times listening through Deadwing to realize that I absolutely love the album, and probably is my favorite release to date in 2005. At the moment this disc is my favorite Porcupine Tree album and is just as brilliant as Stupid Dream and In Absentia. Now to the part of the review that I give you a whole bunch of reasons to get a copy of Deadwing! Actually, why even bother? If you have read this much you probably are familiar with the band and don't need any reasons other than the fact that it is the newest addition to the Porcupine Tree catalog! If you haven't heard the band before, well give them a chance and give Deadwing a listen to. I think most people are going to like this album.
 This aint prog... July 25, 2005
J-bird (Coldsnowy, MI)
8 out of 54 found this review helpful
I bought this cd because every time i came here to Amazon.com and looked at shredding, prog-rock/metal i would get a Porcupine Tree recommendation. Well, prog-heads, this isnt prog. Far from it.
There are very few guitar solos, not much riffing (there is a bit, tho) songs sound like angst-radio oriented hard rock, almost nu-metal, but not metal. No prog here, some slightly off/wierd bits to be sure, but that doesnt make it prog. To be fair, the album is well produced, musicianship is good though there is no shredding. I didnt care for the lame songwriting, could almost pass for Staind or some such lousy band, just somewhat different.
Fans of shredding bands like Dream Theater, Symphony X, Spiral Architect, etc should stay away from crap like this.
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