FEAR OF A BLANK PLANET

Difficult to contribute regularly by reviewing just the obscure stuff for the sake of popularizing it. Gotta move on to popular stuff... Well, what to say here. Has Steven Wilson become a grumpy old man? Singing about the apathetic generation? "Only MTV". When was the last time depressed teenagers watched it anyway? 1991 when Nirvana was on?

On Fear Of a Blank Planet Porcupine Tree move sideways from the more heavy/pop stuff of recent albums. This is more of a gloomy, synth atmosphere-heavy rock with occasional heavy outbursts. Given all the widely different stuff they've done - from psychedelia to electronica to metal - this seems like their niche. It suits well Wilson's average-guy vocals. Clearly this is one of their more conceptual albums. It's just that I felt more variety and excitement on other Porcupine Tree albums.