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Showing reviews 6-10 of 186
 A more atmospheric Tree April 25, 2007
R. Gorham
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
THE BAND: Steven Wilson (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards), Richard Barbieri (keyboards, synthesizers), Colin Edwin (bass), Gavin Harrison (drums & percussion).
THE DISC: (2007) 6 tracks clocking in at approximately 50 minutes. Included with the disc is a 10-page booklet containing song titles/credits/times, song lyrics, odd/sad/haunting photos of somebody's kids, and thank you's. Guest artists included Alex Lifeson (Rush) - guitar solo on "Anesthetize", and Robert Fripp (King Crimson) on "Way Out Of Here". Strings performed by the London Session Orchestra. There is a limited edition 2-disc set available as well - the 2nd disc contains the same music recorded in 5.1 DTS sound (playable only in a DVD player) as well as a 40-page booklet. Label - Atlantic Records.
COMMENTS: Continued brilliance from The Tree. While "Fear Of A Blank Planet" didn't hit me on first spin like "In Absentia" (2002) did, it's still ultra fine music from PT mastermind Steven Wilson. Nothing new as far as lyrics go - still dealing with loneliness, rejection, a dark childhood, and a bleak future outlook. I feel "Fear" takes a step closer to the band's past - reverting back to "Signify" (1996) and perhaps "Stupid Dream" (1999) - giving you much more mood and atmosphere, and less rock & pop. Where "In Absentia" and "Deadwing" (2005) had more tracks geared toward the 4 minute "rock" song, "Fear" gives you 6 lengthy tracks (4 of the 6 songs are 7 minutes or longer... with "Anesthetize" just under 18 minutes all by itself). "Fear" starts off with the title track... I feel this song is oddly similar to "Deadwing's" title track. Though my least favorite track on the album, it's still a good rock song with a husky jam in the middle (though nothing groundbreaking). Track 2 is where the album takes flight for me. "My Ashes" starts slow with keyboards/piano and acoustic guitar... with orchestra and the rest of the band joining in later. Simply a beautiful composition. On first listen, "My Ashes" hit me hard... in the same vein as "Even Less" - one of my all-time favorite PT songs. "Anesthetize" is the marathon song - lengthy in all respects. As much as Lifeson's guitar solo stands out (his best work in 2007 is here, not on Rush's "Snakes & Arrows"), it's Harrison's drumming that intrigues me. In fact, Harrison's drumming throughout the album simply sparkles. "Anesthetize" features ups and downs and a wide range of emotions with some great guitar work from Wilson.. and this song is on par with PT's other lengthy hard driving jam tune, "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" from "Deadwing". Through tracks 2 and 3, there are several moments where the keyboards/synth reminds me of Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones' work on "No Quarter"... dark, eerie, perfect. "Sentimental" starts and closes as a pretty piano ballad with the band joining nicely in the middle... another wonderful song. "Way Out Of Here" is the moodiest track - thanks to Robert Fripp... a soft beginning and an extremely heavy ending. The closer "Sleep Together" starts out with a very industrial feel to it. But then it kicks in and synth/orchrestra takes over... giving it a holier than tho tone. "Fear Of A Dark Planet" has a slightly different flavor to it then their last 2 albums... maybe the new record label (Atlantic) had something to do with that (probably not - though Lava Records, Snapper and Madfish labels may be a thing of the past for PT); or maybe it's been Wilson's recent collaberative work with Aviv Geffen and their "Blackfield" albums which seem to be a bit mellower and more keyboard driven. Give this album time - it will get better with repeated spins. Either way, Porcupine Tree has the brains, the production tools, and the chops to release some great albums for years to come. Another excellent release (5 stars).
 They're Somewhere They're Nowhere May 3, 2007
doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania)
12 out of 20 found this review helpful
I am not a lifelong Porcupine Tree expert like many of the reviewers here. I'm a late entrant to this game, and recently became a big fan of In Absentia and Deadwing (while dabbling in their earlier works too). It's true that this new album further explores the musical frontiers first envisioned on those albums, though these explorations don't always lead to great musical discoveries. This album is a good progression of the Porcupine Tree game plan, but much of the instrumental crunch and personal passion of the last two albums seems to be falling to professional competence and lyrical crankiness. The prime example is the album's centerpiece, the 17-minute "Anesthetize" which is not the slow-burn epic that it tries to be, instead descending into longwinded instrumental noodling and amateurish lyrics like "What's the point? What can money buy?" In fact, the lyrics throughout this album take on the aspects of some strange midlife crisis, with Wilson becoming obsessed with predictable platitudes about unhappy childhoods and media saturation. Good concepts to be sure, but they've been done much better elsewhere.
Furthermore, Wilson has never had a very strong singing voice though he has traditionally been able to make a vocal impact with the band's strong instrumental skills as a backdrop. However, here that just doesn't work, as Wilson's songwriting seems to be divorcing itself from his vocal range. Fortunately, this album is saved by a few generally strong songs - particularly "Way Out of Here" which is the album's only track that integrates different musical styles (from new-age balladry to technical metal) as seamlessly as in the band's previous works, while the insistent opener "Fear of a Blank Planet" and the sinister closer "Sleep Together" are excellent reinforcements of Porcupine Tree's historical strengths. Unfortunately, overall this album leaves an impression of a passionate band, and their brilliant leader, settling into complacency and bitterness. In one song, Wilson sings "I never wanna be old," but this album may indicate his inability to resist the inevitable. [~doomsdayer520~]
It's no Deadwing, but still a masterpiece May 5, 2007
Shigetoshi Smith
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
I eagerly awaited this album and was more excited about this release than that of any other album, ever (granted, I'm not that old...). I am extremely satisfied with the final product, despite some gripes here and there. Going through each track:
Fear of a Blank Planet is a terrific opener which is essentially perfect. Reminds me of the title track from Deadwing, it's about as good. The metalness is not overblown, Gavin is really good at drums, the production is epic and flawless, and the mellow ending is obviously the best part, by far. Someone wrote a review earlier that said that ending should have been edited, which I found laughable. Such impatient listeners! Perhaps Wilson has something to say about that...
My Ashes is definitely the best song on the album, though not my favorite. It is 100 percent perfect, I would not change a thing. The lyrics are haunting and not trite, which can't be said about any of the other tracks. There are no awkward or wasted seconds, and the strings are a perfect touch. This has been in and out of my top 5 PT songs in the last couple weeks.
Anesthetize. Wow. Certainly the most compelling track in recent memory, this song is absolutely amazing. Every part is captivating, I don't think any second is wasted, which says a lot considering it's an 18 minute piece. The riff at about 5 minutes, after the Lifeson solo and before the heaviness, is mind-blowingly cool, I just wish it had gone on longer or they came back to it. The lyrics in this song are the only problem I have with it, they seem quite uninspired and I don't much like the melody in the verse. Chorus is amazing though, as everyone has said. Oh, I think Gavin might be kinda good at drums too.
I'm a little ambivalent about Sentimental, the follower. It has an awesome, creative drum beat, as expected from my boy, and the chorus is definitely beautiful. The verse is pretty good, definitely like the melody but not really the words. Steven definitely didn't put his best foot forward with the lyrical content in this album, as much as I wanna believe otherwise. The Trains section at the end is really weird and I still don't get it. I assume it was intentional, but if it was I don't really see the point. I don't like the guitar solo either, there's a really weird B flat that does not belong and it hurts me every time I hear it.
Way Out of Here has a bunch of awesome musical ideas and I also really like the words. The only gripe I have is the arrangement of the song, I could have used another heavy verse. I really like the metal part and the contrasts and everything, and the ending is definitely inspired. Love the bass line too throughout the song.
Sleep Together. My goodness, this song is spectacular. That same reviewer said that it should be left off the album? Dude, are you kidding?? This is PT's best closer since Dark Matter, and it's probably even better than that. It's got the sickest groove and riff, middle section, ending, chorus, drum tone, synth ostinato...I have nothing bad to say about this song, it's absolutely amazing.
Here are the songs in order of goodness: My Ashes, Sleep, Anesthetize, Fear, Way out, Sentimental.
In order of goodness to listen to: Anesthetize, Sleep, Ashes, Fear, Way out, Sentimental.
Warfield, next Friday. Needless to say, I'm excited.
 Why am I disappointed? April 17, 2007
John Thomsett (Nieuwegein, The Netherlands)
10 out of 16 found this review helpful
I have looked forward to the release of Fear of a blank Planet. Over the past weeks I have listened again to all of my Porcupine Tree records, admiring their development over the years. So why am I disappointed?
The band has grown to a higher level of playing. The song arrangements have never been so deep and layered. The 50 minutes sound intense. Gavin Harrison plays as if he is from a different planet. Richard Barbieri sounds like no-one has sounded before. And as a bonus my old hero Alex Lifeson throws in a solo.
So why am I disappointed?
Simply, the songs are not as good as on previous Porcupine Tree albums. There are less creative moments on this record than on In Absentia or Deadwing. Composition and arrangement "techniques" have stretched the songs too far. It feels like Steven Wilson has either dryed up or has too many side projects (imagine this record if half of Steven's material for Blackfield 2 would have been used...).
And yes, I do not like the really heavy stuff in the chaotic way that Porcupine Tree now uses. The heavy riffs in e.g. Blackest Eyes were functional and enriched the experience. Here they go over the top and seem included just to attract younger fans. Perhaps this is my generation gap, but I have to sit through those parts.
I will play this record over and over again and probably it will grow on me, but for now I am disappointed.
Lets be objective here April 30, 2007
Jeffrey Lasalle (Ft. Myers , FL USA)
10 out of 20 found this review helpful
Naturally , there will be those who give this album 5 stars because it is Steven Wilson . He is a progressive pioneer, so everything he does is worthy of 5 stars in the minds of some . I am sure these same people would give this album 5 stars before they even hear it . They would also show no hesitation in giving Wilson 5 stars everytime he breaks wind . With that said , this is a very fine effort by Wilson , but not without it's shortcomings . I will not allow my adulation for Wilsons body of work to hinder my ability to review this album objectively. My issues are the following .... I can't seem to shake the looming suspicion that this album was rushed . There are several contributing factors as to why this could be true . For starters , i believe there was a conscious effort on Wilsons part to capitalize on the commercial success ( commercial by thier standards ) of Deadwing . The mainstream is becoming increasingly aware of PT with each release , and Wilson wants to feed into that . Second , Wilson is always juggling several different projects simultaneously , thus he is reluctant to devote allot of time to any one project ( which does make sense ) . Although , sometimes the finshed product can suffer as a result of that approach . This is one of the shortest PT albums in recent memory , clocking in at 50 minutes . Instead of having several 7 plus minute tracks that drag . Perhaps he could have shaved off some mintes on those tracks . Making an album that would be structurally similar to Blackfield . You would have 10 tracks , with the album clocking in at around 45-50 minutes . I understand that " Prog Heads " perceive longer songs as being " more progressive " . I have never subscribed to that belief . What makes music progressive is uniqueness , and a desire to stray from the norm . Nickelback could start making ten minute songs , and that wouldn't make them progressive . I enjoy listening to long songs if they continously evolve and shift . On this album , Wilson makes long songs for the sake of making long songs , and it really wears on me sometimes . Although i thoroughly enjoyed the title track - Fear of a Blank Planet - and - Sleep Together - . Their extended lengths are warrented because they move with a sense of purpose . Out of the 6 songs on this album , i really enjoyed 3 . The rest are just tolerable , which isn't exactly the mark of a great album ( this is just my opinion ) . Anthesthetize is the ever so bloated 17 minute obligatory epic . This is an exercise in craftsmanship undoubtedly ( while also being an exercise in pretentiousness and self-celebration ) . I would say - Sentimental - is probably my favorite . In closing , i enjoyed this album , although it is not a tremendous step forward , or a step backwards for that matter . PT appears to be caught somewhere inbetween , in a state of perpetual limbo . It should be known that PT is not my favorite Wilson vehicle . I have always been more partial to Bass Communion and No-Man .
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