THE SKY MOVES SIDEWAYS

An outstanding artistic achievement, I pinpoint this album as the moment Steven Wilson becomes assured of himself and his musical abilities. Wilson is able to captivate us with powerful and intense landscapes without going overboard into a realm of pretentiousness that is often the plague of many talented bands. Wilson has a certain knack, a certain taste, for choosing the correct notes and not delving into the unnecessary "art" as some would call it. This is one of his finest achievements in music.

I can't help but form pictures in my head while listening to this, as I feel I am provided as much a listening experience as an atmospheric one. Listening to this outside in a wooded and clouded area only adds to the visual nature I believe this album evokes. Time seems to float by effortlessly, and you find yourself halfway through the album in what seems like 5 minutes. One can not also help but be reminded of the Pink Floyd classic 'Shine On' in the nature in which this album is presented much like WYWH, with the disconnected epic at the beginning and end of the record. However, the music has much more to offer than a mere Floyd clone.

The closer is my personal favorite, especially when the distorted guitars first come in at around 4:30 and we have something that somewhat resembles a chorus, a jangly bit with powerful drumming, some inspiring lines of creativity for myself. Wilson really displays his artistry thoughout the album, even the shorter tracks like Dislocated Day, which is a compact piece that shows PT's more aggressive side.

If you are a fan of space rock or any form of psychedelia, this is a must have, an outstanding achievement that I look at as one of the essential pieces of the genre, and one of Porcupine Tree's finest, if not the best. Add a half star, this one's quite excellent.

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