Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Yann Tiersen - ALL 1 day ago
  • DiScover: IYEARA 1 day ago
  • Two’s Company: Asta Bria & John Metcalfe @ The Playground Theatre 1 day ago
  • Methyl Ethel - Triage 2 days ago
  • “Music as a personal outlet really isn’t all that interesting”: DiS Meets Lewsberg 3 days ago
  • Panda Bear - Buoys 3 days ago
  • Mercury Rev - Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited 4 days ago
  • TBC: Sign Of The (Stage) Times 4 days ago
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

Porcupine Tree

Fear Of A Blank Planet

Label: Roadrunner Records Release Date: 16/04/2007

23350
-Raz- by Raziq Rauf April 26th, 2007

After forming two decades ago as an excruciatingly elaborate joke, Porcupine Tree have somehow become one of the most devastatingly poignant progressive rock bands around today. In what is essentially one continuous piece of music split into six movements, their ninth studio album holds a bleak perspective of modern society, telling a story of a desolate future through a teenager’s eyes.

Kicking off with the chaotic, mesmeric title track, their intent is apparent from the get-go. Carefully picked guitars give way to swirling synthesizers and irrepressible syncopations but ultimately the anxious candour of the lyrics cuts right through it all. The Hertfordshire-based four-piece have never been the cheeriest of souls but while a couple of more sanguine tracks were always hidden amongst the shadowy underworld they painted in recent tour de forces In Absentia _and _Deadwing. There is nothing like that here. There is no respite from this doom and gloom.

Some outstandingly gentle, string-laden melancholy can be found in ‘My Ashes’ _and _‘Sentimental’ _has delicate, otherworldly qualities to it, but the cornerstone of the album is the snarling beast that is _‘Anesthetize’. At nearly 18 minutes it manages to reach majestic peaks of devastating sonic grandeur shortly after the twinkling opening where Steven Wilson’s plaintive vocals intensify his brooding lyrics and add a cold frisson to the already menacing atmosphere. A rare cameo from Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson is lovely but easily missed with so many imposing and spectacular climaxes found here.

_Fear Of A Blank Planet _is a lonely and ambiguous tale fearing for the future, spoken softly against a complex arrangement of symphonic swirling guitars and absolutely watertight drumming. The result is an often crushingly heavy masterpiece that has true meaning with or without the music. It’s a rare thing these days but Porcupine Tree seem able to do it time and again. This album is no exception.

  • 9
    Raziq Rauf's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Yann Tiersen

    ALL


  • DiScover: IYEARA


  • Two’s Company: Asta Bria & John Metcalfe @ The Playground Theatre


  • Methyl Ethel

    Triage


  • “Music as a personal outlet really isn’t all that interesting”: DiS Meets Lewsberg


  • Panda Bear

    Buoys



Left-arrow

Jeniferever, Devastations, The Kissaway Trail at Spitz, Poplar, Sun 22 Apr

Mobback
23269
23255

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Baby 81

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    review


    Yann Tiersen - ALL

  • 106053
  • Interview


    DiScover: IYEARA

  • 106046

    Live Review


    Two’s Company: Asta Bria & John Metcalfe @ ...

  • 106052
  • review


    Methyl Ethel - Triage

  • 106051

    Interview


    “Music as a personal outlet really isn’t all th...

  • 106049
  • review


    Panda Bear - Buoys

  • 106048

    review


    Mercury Rev - Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete ...

  • 106047
  • Column


    TBC: Sign Of The (Stage) Times

  • 106045
MORE


    review


    Blonde Redhead - 23

  • 22928
  • review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044

    feature


    DiS meets Gang Gang Dance

  • 26689
  • review


    Coldplay - Ghost Stories

  • 95631

    feature


    No Surprises? 15 Classic Albums of 15 Years Ago

  • 82815
  • Artist-generated


    Rappers and Melody: An Analysis by Chilly Gonzales

  • 96777

    Interview


    "We became seminal for doing nothing": DiS meet...

  • 88284
  • Interview


    Ace of Bass: DiS Meets Royal Blood

  • 97097
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2019 DROWNED IN SOUND