Genre : Progressive rock/metal
Released : June 24th, 2022
Label : Music For Nations
FFO : Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Opeth, Tool
I'm by no means the biggest, most dedicated, hardcore Porcupine Tree fan you'll come across, given the fact that I was still meandering through childhood during the band's heydays and it had been about half a decade since PT had released new material by the time I finally discovered them.
Yet I did go through a phase during which their music took up a good chunk of my life's soundtrack, like many a young prog-head and songs like "Time Flies", "Russia On Ice", "Bonnie the Cat" and "Anesthetize" had a big impact on me at the time.
So when Porcupine Tree, in its now trio iteration made of Steven Wilson, Gavin Harrison and Richard Barbieri, released a single out of nowhere in November of last year, I was immediately surprised and excited by the prospect of having this legendary prog band I was once captivated by, become active again.
Although I had reservations and half expected this to be a glorified Steven Wilson solo album, turns out that is in fact not the case since "CLOSURE / CONTINUATION" displays a healthy balance between past PT signature songwriting elements you would expect from the band and a new sense of direction motivated by the collaboration between the three musicians who have had a good decade to evolve and keep maturing with their craft in other avenues before making music as Porcupine Tree again, and this album succeeds in communicating that.
All the performances on this record are incredibly solid, with Wilson delivering nuanced vocals in his unmistakable timbre while also bringing some tastefully groovy bass playing and the edge this album needs with bouts of heavy, aggressive guitar riffs.
Barbieri 's electronic and synth work is pivotal in bringing the album' s slow-burn feel to life and granting it its experimental facet ; but what really steals the show for me is Gavin Harrison's masterful drumming throughout the record.
However, I do wish the album would have been less on the slower side of things, since I feel as though it starts off with great momentum but then that momentum kind of dies out only to be rekindled on its closing track, "Chimera's Wreck" which is something I struggled with upon first listen.
But perhaps that is due to my being less sensible to these style of compositions in a less sonically aggressive environment than I am used to now.
I can't speak for fans of the band in saying whether this new album will exceed their expectations for some new Porcupine Tree material or whether it is a disappointment, but I personally find "CLOSURE / CONTINUATION" to be a satisfying return to form after over a decade of hiatus for such an important band in the sphere of progressive rock and metal which sees them both pay homage to their legacy and move forwards in the present tense.
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