Porcupine Tree - Deadwing (2005)
Created | Updated Jul 2, 2005
With all of the technical prowess that prog bands deal out it can sometimes be difficult to find a hand that is as equally tempered with pure melody and musical awareness. Porcupine Tree have had a large amount of success in Europe doing just this, and with 2002’s ‘In Absentia,’ they had their first big US release-and hit. It was an album that explored all of Steve Wilson and co.’s obsessions; from riff-based metal to near-balladry, the band is intent on creating a blend of varying tastes, styles, and genres. Should it come as a surprise that with 2005’s ‘Deadwing’ the inevitable finally happened? Too many conflicting styles and a loss of focus see the band producing their first miss in more than half a decade, and it is a shame. That isn’t to say the album doesn’t have its gems: ‘Shallow’ wields its metal-muscle with fierce conviction, only to lead into the beautiful ‘Lazarus’; and I swear I hear Dream Theater in ‘Arriving Somewhere But Not Here.’ The album is also distinctly Porcupine Tree and that is damn fine for fans, but it might just have one too many turns for prog purists and Joe Cool alike.
