DEADWING

PT had been on a roll since Up The Downstair which was released in 93. Every new album showed PT moving forward, and each new album was a gem of modern prog. Then, following the modern prog masterpiece that is In Absentia, Steve Wilson and co. released Deadwing. It became PT's first misstep in over a decade. Many complain of its heaviness. In Absentia was heavy, even heavier than this. The real problem is that the arrangements are nearly as good. In Absentia could between beautifuly soft to crushingly heavy in a heartbeat. It recalled memories of Crimson at their 70s peak. However, Deadwing seems to separate the heavy from the soft, which is an annoying trend of modern prog artists (Ayreon, Opeth). It also is the first PT album not to move the band forward.

The album is not without good music, however. "Arriving SomewhereBut Not Here" is a great PT epic that shows how good this album could have souned if heavy and soft were blended more. "The Start of Something Beautiful," "Glass Arm Shattering," and "Lazarus" are also enjoyable, but the rest suffer from bad arrangements and even bad lyrics, which is surprising considering how good a writer Steve is. Only Gavin Harrison's drumming saves the music in most cases.

Even though I find it to be a little dull and musically stagnant, many people enjoy this album. It was voted the top prog abum of 2005 by this site's collaborators. despite that honor, I still find it to be the first mediocre PT studio album since Voyage 34. However, the Deadwing material performed on the DVD Arriving Somewhere sounds great, proving once more my claim that PT is the Rush of space rock.

Grade: C