Porcupine Tree… Such a beautiful picture comes into my brain when I hear that. The same probably does not happen to you if you’ve never heard the band. That sounds like a tree you would not want to get near. Porcupine Tree actually started out as a joke. Steven Wilson and Malcolm Stocks created a fictional band called The Porcupine Tree including an elaborate back story that aped psychodelic rock bands of the ‘70’s that they loved including Pink Floyd. Think Spinal Tap without the movie. Instead Steven recorded several hours of music that served as evidence of the bands existence and they continued to develop insane stories to further the hoax. Steven started to realize that the music he was making might actually be able to make some real impact and started releasing material as Porcupine Tree. You can find a fuller version of the story on Wikipedia but lets just say that they went from a fake band in the time period of Pink Floyd, to an actual band that started making music that sounded much like the music Pink Floyd should be making and gathered quite a following. In Absentia is the first album by Porcupine Tree that I was exposed to and also my favorite. At this point the band was taking strides away from psychedelic rock and more towards progressive rock and metal. I can best describe In Absentia as a mix of Pink Floyd and Cold Play’s neglected love child raised by Opeth. The album is full of deep eerie sounds, ethereal falsetto vocals, whining guitars and some seriously kick ass bass and piano. It can get pretty dark and heavy at times. This is mostly due to the fact that Steven Wilson befriended Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish metal band Opeth at this time. In Absentia is definitely the softer sister album to Opeth’s Blackwater Park(my favorite Opeth album, which Steven Wilson helped write). The similarities in sound of the two albums are pretty astonishing. In Absentia is a very loose concept album that focuses on people on the fringes of society; from serial killers to child molesters to wife beaters. Like I said, the album has some pretty dark subject matter. That being said, the album holds up because of its varied sound. One song will have a light pop melody and sing-a-long chorus while the next will devolve into 4 minutes of eerie drums, bass and ambient noise while guitars shriek over the top. This is not an album to be missed.
What does it make me feel like?
A scavenger in a post-apocalyptic world, just trying to survive. One Minute I’m witnessing the beauty of a landscape behind and abandoned city, the next I’m being attacked by cannibals.
What to listen for Track by Track?
– The first crashing of overwhelmingly powerful guitars 20 or so seconds into Blackest Eyes
– I love Trains! The acoustic guitars are beautiful. And the way Steve Wilson sings the opening verse. I love that slightly twinged accent. When the bass and drums fill out the song, and he says “Sixty ton angel, falls to the earth.” And the chorus! So beautifully catchy! And then 2:56! Thos vocal harmonies! Could it get better? Yes! At 3:18! The clapping! Did I mention I love Trains?
– Lips of Ashes…. Once again there is just SO MANY GOOD PARTS! The opening chimes and the guitar kind of swirling into the sound getting louder and clearer. The whole song just has this amazing build. The way Steve keeps building vocal harmonies on top of one another, and then this amazing guitar solo starts to join in before taking over the rest of the track!
– The Sound of Muzak has a chorus that is just a wave of beautiful vocals.
– Gravity Eyelids seven minutes of haunting beauty and the instrumental part that starts a little after the 4 minute mark is absolutely perfect heavy angst.
– The bass line of 3 sets the mood for the whole song. And the way Steve’s vocals kind of flutter in and out always gives me chills.
– Heartattack in a Lay By continues the beauty streak on the album with some amazing and chilling vocal harmonies.
– Collapse the Light into Earth is the perfect closing track. It takes a more musically apathetic and peaceful tone than anything else on the album and is a truly beautiful break up song. The piano captures the emotions of the lyrics perfectly. When I had my first breakup, this song was on repeat.
Example Track
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