CLOSURE/CONTINUATION

Originally written for theprogmind.com

Let me start this review by making it very clear that I've never been a huge fan of Porcupine Tree. I respect their discography, which I listened through a couple years ago in full (at least the studio albums), and I like a bunch of their records. I can't say that I "love" any of their work, though. None of it means something to me on a deep level, not like many other bands who have literally changed my life. So when I approach this Porcupine Tree reunion and their new album Closure/Continuation, I may have a different perspective than most. The album releases on June 24.

Porcupine Tree are the granddaddies of modern progressive rock, the kind with the alternative edge specifically. Listening to their discography, though, you will notice that they started life as something far more Floydian and psychedelic, perhaps even a little shoegaze and ambient. I really appreciate those early albums, like Up the Downstair and The Sky Moves Sideways. That, for me, is still their most interesting sound. As the years went on, they incorporated more pop and alternative into their sound, exploding with popularity with albums like In Absentia and Deadwing in the 00s. The Incident initially ended their career in 2009 with a good, though relatively harmless record that I still listen to occasionally.

My primary question going into Closure/Continuation concerned what sort of sound we would get. Would they revisit any of their earlier styles? Or would this be a rehash of their 00's efforts? The answer is definitely the latter. Closure/Continuation is solidly in Deadwing and Fear of a Blank Planet territory. It doesn't even have the electronic edge that The Incident possessed, so in a way it is a regression in their sound. Some of the songs here actually sound similar to Steven Wilson's Hand.Cannot.Erase. record, minus the hefty emotions and fantastic work of Ninet Tayeb. So, while this record does sound slightly more modern than, say, Deadwing; it still features the start/stop guitar trappings and pulsating bass of that era.

I have some good things to say about this album, and also some not so good. Let's go with the bad stuff first this time. My problem with Closure/Continuation is that it is about as vanilla an album as this band has ever made. Looking back over the vast creativity of their discography, I see albums like Signify and Stupid Dream that were quirky, creamy, and interesting affairs. Other albums, like their 00s output, were emotional and truly affected me with the stories they told. I don't get that here. This album is overall pretty dull. The label sent the lyrics with the promo, but I haven't cared to examine them because they just aren't that interesting. This is really strange, too, because even Wilson's solo albums have wonderful lyrics and concepts.

This vanilla attitude extends to the music. It goes without saying that these three musicians --- Steven Wilson (vocals, guitars, bass, mixing), Richard Barbieri (keyboards, synthesizers), and Gavin Harrison (drums) --- are all legends on their respective instruments. Steven's guitars are surprisingly heavy at times, and his bass lines are engaging, too. Richard is stronger in the softer moments with his keys; and, of course, Gavin is one of the best drummers of all time (unless he's playing with The Pineapple Thief). No one can fault them for how they play on this record, and the mix, too, is absolutely immaculate. So why is it that I can barely bring myself to care about the songs on this album?

It's not just a lack of genre diversity or eccentric post-production, the songs on this album are simply arranged and structured in some very boring ways. They sound almost too perfect in the stalest sort of fashion. It's almost like these were the leftovers from several albums, and they decided to work on them minimally and release them as the fabled and long-awaited return of the great Porcupine Tree. There is no depth here. There is no layering or progression in sound. This isn't a "grower" of an album, either, as I've had it for months now. No, this album just sort of exists; you hear it, you might bob your head sometimes, and you might even perk up at some great musicianship once in a while. What you won't do, however, is remember much about it.

I have to admit that the second half of this album annoys the living hell out of me. Now, the first half is actually pretty good. I like the single "Harridan" for its great guitars and catchiness, and I like the shift to a softer approach on "Of the New Day". I really, really like the song "Rats Return", a song that flirts with the idea of being vicious and creepy: that song is definitely the most memorable overall. I also appreciate "Dignity", as it is beautiful, though it feels twice as long as it is.

But the second half, it just irritates me. "Herd Culling" is an awful song with an intensely irritating vocal performance from Steven --- and this is coming from someone who enjoys his falsetto. "Chimera's Wreck" is another irksome song with Steven's attempt at a playful little vocal rhythm, but it just makes me want to plug my ears. It is only 9 minutes long, but it feels like fifteen. I don't know why, but the second half of the album also feels mixed to be harsher and shriller, even thinner overall. The result is that these songs truly lack range or depth, and I just want them to be done. That goes for "Walk the Plank", as well.

One exception is the song "Never Have", one of the three bonus tracks. While I wouldn't say it is as good as anything in the first half, it is a smoother, lovelier song with some soulful vocals. I do find myself humming that one. "Love in the Past Tense" isn't too bad, either. I do feel that it ends on an anticlimactic note, but as a Porcupine Tree song it is fine: not good or great, but fine. "Population Three" is another grating track that belongs with "Chimera's Wreak', in my opinion.

I apologize if this review has seemed like more of a rant. I had high hopes for this album. I, for one, liked most of Steven's solo output: it was fresh and creative and diverse. I also like Richard's solo output, such as his excellent 2017 record Planets + Persona. Gavin, well, I've harped on the snoozefest that his work with The Pineapple Thief has been; but when he is on fire, there is no one else like him. What went wrong, then? I don't actually blame any of these three. I blame the wailing online fanboys who begged for PT to return, even if that meant these three musicians would have to shut off the most creative side of themselves to make it happen. This feels exactly like what you would expect from a forced reunion by three disinterested artists. In some ways, it seems like the progressive rock community has, in general, left them behind whilst they were gone from the scene.

Look, if you are a massive Porcupine Tree fan, you will like this record. Closure/Continuation will give you just enough of the good ol' days to please you for a few months, maybe. I doubt most fans will listen to it long term, though, as everything here has been done before in other PT records. If someone is just now discovering the band, they might not continue to explore their past albums, though. It just doesn't have the heart or personality of their earlier works, and it certainly isn't as interesting as countless other albums by "smaller" bands right now. So, sure, we can pay tribute to one of the bands that carried the prog torch, so to speak, but I'm not the kind of person to blow smoke up their asses to make them feel good about what they are creating now. This is a subpar album, pure and simple, and I daresay they know that.

Finally, the long awaited Porcupine Tree new album is here! What does it sound like? Well, I have listened to it six times and to me it certainly sounds like something coming out of Steven Wilson solo work (circa Hand cannot erase or 4 1/2) more than PT itself. This is not a bad thing, but I was expecting those dreamy, psychedelic passages connecting equally inspired heavy rock bursts. The problem here is that the heavy passages are present, but they tend to be a bit repetitive, and the softer connecting parts add little to the music, and they serve more like interludes between the heavier parts. The exception to this is Chimera's Wreck, a new classic in the band's catalogue. The album production is impecable, that's for sure, and every song is full of details. You can discover something new in every listen. Let's see the rating:

1. Harridan - A great way of starting the album, here I love the softer parts and the voice of SW - 8.5/10

2. Of the New Day - Very good song, the powerful, dissonant breaks are great - 7.75/10

3. Rats Return - Reminds me of Home invasion-regret 9. Not bad, but does not reach the level of these songs - 7/10

4. Dignity - very accesible, reminds me of something from Stupid dream or Lightbulb sun with some new age vibes here and there. The ending is great, although is a faster repetition of the main melody - 7.5/10

5. Herd Culling - The main theme is, again, a bit repetitive, luckily the heavier parts save it - 7/10

6. Walk the Plank - Honestly, don't like it. It would have fitted better with the style of The Future Bites - 4/10.

7. Chimera's Wreck - The absolute highlight. Melodic, intense and original. The second half is my favourite moment of the album. 9/10

8. Population Three - The first of the three extra tracks present in the special edition reminds me of Opeth's recent efforts with its combination of a powerful rythm section, dissonant rifts and dynamic changes. To me, this track serves as the perfect extension for Chimera's wreck. Another highlight - 8.75/10

9. Never have - Moving to the territory of In absentia and Deadwing. I'm not 100% convinced with some changes, but the chorus is amazing - 7.5/10

10. Love in the past tense - Beautiful would be the word to describe this song. Classic PT sound here too. 8/10

A 3.5 stars album for me, rounded up to four because of Chimera's wreck and the bonus tracks.

And the Tree is back!

After 13 years, Steve has finally graced us with a new PT album. This review is just based on my initial impressions of the album, I may amend / change this later.

Awful album art aside, all of the tracks are pretty damn amazing. With the funk-bass opening of Harridan (one of three tracks fighting for second favourite track), we know we're gonna be in for a hell of ride. The first track is certainly an incredible way to open this reunion album, a pretty energetic track that has heavier sections interspersed with much lighter sections. It leads nicely into the second track, which feels like the calm after the storm (with only a few heavy- ish moments).

Afterwards comes Rats Return, which is a pretty average PT track that's very good but there's not much in particular to remark on. It's not very memorable but I still like it.

Anyways, next comes Dignity, which is my favourite track from the album so far. It has some great melodies and in some parts almost reminds me of the Alan Parson Project (not sure if anyone else hears this comparison). I really like this track, it's exceptional PT. Following it comes Herd Culling (the second track that's fighting for second place). I love the synth work and the heaviness of it, an all-round great track. I don't remember anything from the next track, Walk the Plank. I'll have to listen to it more.

And to close the album is Chimera's Wreck (another track that could be second place). It features some very poignant lyrics and great guitar work. I've seen this track be lauded by many critics, and although it's not my favourite on the album, I do agree with them. In parts (maybe lyrically more than musically - who knows), it vaguely reminds me of "Kill the Orchestra" by Frost*, which is one of my absolute favourite prog tracks. Overall, five stars for this exceptional prog album. An incredibly way for Porcupine Tree to return.

Also - I haven't heard the bonus tracks yet, so I'll have to comment on those later.

Finally the album is released,and a stunning album it is.Some tracks have preceded the full release,but the full album is well worth the wait.

My favourite tracks:

Dignity - imo one of the greatest Porcupine Tree on record - the atmosphere to this track is magical

Harridan - The opening track and a typical Wilson /PT track -dynamic -much better than the single edit as it develops.

Herd Culling - Love the chorus and the guitars on this -instantly memorable

On the New Day - Track 2 -Could be a single release if one needs releasing -catchy chorus

There are 3 bonus tracks,which would grace any full album,and really should have made this release a double:

Never Have: Love this track and should really replace the rather weak Rats's Return,as should Love in the Past Tense replace Walk the Plank -2 great tracks.

Population 3 is an instrumental in the vein of Opeth,King Crimson.

Chimera's Wreck is the last full track and at 9.39,the longest.It starts slowly and picks up around 4.28,builds from there to a stunning guitar sequence.Great track,but imo does not eclipse Dignity.

Yes,this album is Essential -not perfect -but I'd say leave out Rats Return,Walk the Plank and replace by Never Have and Love in The Past TensE and make Population 3,Rats Return,Walk the Plank and the single Harridan as the bonus,and you nearly have it!

To put things in perspective, I feel I need to start this review by saying that ever since I stubmled upon their music, PT has been my absolute favourite band, with nothing rivalling (or even coming close) to their world of complex, soaring tunes. Lightbulb sun, Recordings, In absentia, Deadwing, NIL recurring and FOABP are amongst my favourite records from any band, so when after the disappointing The Incident as well as SW's okay-ish solo career I had to wait 12 years to log on to FB one day and find news of a new PT album in the making, my expectations got so high that Closure/continuation was in a tough spot to deliver against them. And whilst it is a great production, it is unlikely to land a "top album" spot next to the above-mentioned ones on my shelf. But in its on right it is indeed a good one.

The opening track, Harridan, is probably my favourite (or second favourite). Really longing for the heavier style of the epic FOABP this one did not only meet but rather smashed my expectations, as it delivered a superdirty riff and some classic PT vibes, peaking in a metal section that blew me out of my pants. As SW himself said (and I agree), Harridan is quintessential PT, very nicely summing up what the band is about. And whilst it does not do anything that they have not done a hundred times already, I could not have wished for a better opening. 9/10

Next up is Of the New Day, which in my opinion does not get enough attention. The melodic parts are some of the most hauntingly beautiful that the band has EVER produced, and the way they are inserted into Harrison's quirky world of weird time signatures, all supported by probably my favourite ever PT texts, it all makes this song not only an absolute stunner but a top 10 PT track for me. 9.5/10 (and I only have to deduct half a point, as the heavier sections are slightly out of place for me)

My problems start with Rats return. A lot of people praised this song for its heaviness, which is exactly what I am lacking here. I find its core metal riff rather dumb and without real melody, especially when compared to those real metal melodies that the band has done before, such as Open car, Shallow, or that beautifully dirty Meshuggah riff in the middle of Bonnie the cat. And then the bridge in the second half of the song is just so simple and without imagination that if I had to guess I would say that SW was unfortunately lacking ideas when writing this song. Overall would have made an okayish B-side, but on the album it's a 5.5/10 for me.

Luckily, the next song, Dignity again delivers a new PT-classic, which is a beautiful crossover between SW's Drive home and the best songs of Lightbulb sun. 8.5/10

Herd culling is the other song besides Rats return that really should have been left off the album imho. I find the main riff of the song rather boring and so repetitive that it would be ok in a one-minute-song, however being stretched out to 7 minutes it is by far the weakest song on here for me. 4/10

Walk the plank then delivers a huge surprise. With Barbieri being one of the main writers of this one you can obviously expect some eerily weird, haunting keyboard arrangements drowned into the style of SW's solo work. This is another quintessential PT song for me, again nicely summing up what the band is all about (but unlike the other songs this one is more similar to their earlier work in style). 9/10

The closing track, Chimera's wreck got a lot of attention, many listeners calling it one of the band's best songs. In light of these expectations I was sitting on the edge of my seat when this track rolled on, and whilst I found the first four minutes rather nice, with the heavier part delivering a stylish build-up, the second part of the song turned the whole thing into a letdown for me. When SW's attempt to create some impressive vocal crescendo fails, the melody of the song becomes hard to latch on to, and especially when he starts singing about how he "wants to die" the whole thing just reminds me more of a tortured emo band trying to create progrock than it does of PT. I know I am probably alone with my opinion, however this song is a big letdown for me. 6/10

The longer version of the album comes with three more songs. And as PT is a band that is unable to produce bad ones, even when it is just B-sides, I was a bit surprised about how average the three additional tracks sound, lacking creativity and really just being a repetition of what they did a hundred times already. Add to this that the artwork of the album is probably their worst one to date yet, with these white boxes and abbreviations driving me up the wall. In any case, the album still has some memorable highlights, so I am secretly hoping that their future holds more continuation than closure, because as long as their next album will also give fans some stunners such as Harridan, Of the new day, Dignity or Walk the plank, chances are that it won't disappoint.

One Deep Listen Review

Well. That will need more than one listen.

I don't know what I listened to. It's unlike any SW/PT, but somehow a little like them all.

Signature sounds and ambiance adds familiarity, but the songs are different in structure and melody. The signature, light breaking into heavy is there. Gavin's outstanding drum work is there. Steven Wilsons (SW's) voice is there. But it's different. It had moments, but it needs reps. There's good songs ("Dignity"), but they need more mental imprinting. It brought memories of my first listen of many great albums that were growers and that needed time to resonate. Not saying this will be up there, though.

I had low expectations for this album, but I thought I'd know what we'd be getting, although I was deliberately uniformed and resisted all SW interviews or a sneak listen to the pre-releases. I expected a bunch of unrecorded or previously unreleased kinda songs, with all the normal SW/PT sound and feel. Now, admittedly, that is a very wide range of sounds and feels. Common to them all is Steven. Band members seem to simply colour or influence (enhance or restrain) his creations. This album is outside of that broad range. It's an evolution. Not as much an evolution of PT, but more of an evolution of SW, with PT bandmates. These songs are very frequently sounding more like "To the Bone" / "The Future Bites" than "FOABP"/The Incident". It's like the former, but through a PT lens, and evolved.

Now, I will keep spinning to see how much I like evolved.

Four stars because I know it won't be a 5 or a 3. I reserve the right to change my mind, though.

In the 90s, Prog rock was in their sorta Wild West days. The 70s was the Renaissance, the 80s was the age of uncertainty, but the 90s really was a new starting ground for artists. Many hit the scene, mostly Prog metal bands but others liked to take it like how it was back in the 70s. It was a time where old pillars that were King Crimson, Genesis, Yes, ELP, and Pink Floyd subsided down to old stones of their former glories, new pillars rose from the earth to bring new legends into light for a new generation of Prog fans to love and appreciate, which still continues to today, albeit with newer and bigger names coming into the swing of things. In this time everything was a time of exploration of new ideas and new concepts. Prog Metal made sure to continue the legacy older bands left behind, Retro Prog bands decided to celebrate the past, Neo Prog groups made adjustments and combinations to the genre with new musical movements going around like grunge and indie rock, but some?some decided to get weird. One such band was Porcupine Tree.

Porcupine Tree is unlike most bands during the time. They were trippy yet heavy, almost depressing, but they had a sorta colorful aura around them. They had a strange mix of psychedelia and heavy metal instrumentation and impressive singing on Steven Wilson's part. Each album they seem to evolve their style, soon ditching their psychedelic routes to a more metal sound, obviously not backing down on making their songs feel almost trippy, but not in a dreamy sense, but as if it were a weird limboing nightmare. Classics like Lightbulb Sun, Deadwing, and Fear Of A Blank Planet pushed the band to higher focus in the public's eyes and they soon became one of the top dogs in the modern Prog greats. However after 2009 with the release of The Incident and 2 live albums, they just stopped, and went on hiatus with Steven Wilson pursuing his solo career with good to mixed results. That was when they started to lose interest with many Prog fans, they simply did not know or if their favorite weird heavy band would show up again with something new, so they looked towards newer acts that were sprouting up and gaining some serious popularity. However loyal fans waited, knowing one day their favorite boys will come back together to make one more brand new work of art for everyone to love. 13 years later after the release of The Incident, the wishes and surprises of everyone came about with an announcement that Porcupine Tree would come back with a new album, titled Closure / Continuation, which was revealed to be the potential last album the band would produce.

A surprise but definitely to be expected due to the band's history of things not working to well, however bands before it wasn't a surprise to see giants rest after long years of pulling their weight, in fact just this year the magnum giant, Genesis, had done their last show due to the health of Phil Collins, so while bittersweet, Porcupine Tree possibly ending too wouldn't be to bad due to their long track of good albums that some may consider to be modern day classics. So I decided on my own behalf that I shall review this new release from the band. So will Porcupine Tree end with a whimper, a bang, or maybe something else?

The album begins with a pretty well known and great single, Harridan. Not only is this song dark sounding, yet goes to the point where it almost feels like a reminiscent song of the past, like the band traveled back in time to the 90s and found their psychedelic former selves and recorded a song with them. The main riff is almost wooden like, yet has a potent feeling that makes you feel like your ears are being slammed shut by splintered jesters from the woods. While the word harridan refers to a bossy old woman, the song instead reflects upon a 'gold man' and a 'cold man' who seems to be missing someone or something, despite their hardships. In the factoid of this song, it may be about dealing with loss of a loved one who for years you had a love/hate relationship with, but after they left this mortal coil, you realize how much you missed them by your side. It showcases Steven Wilson's subtle yet very depressing lyricism that never bogs the song down to a shell of sadness, but rather a wailing, soulful body.

And as Harridan ends with a soulful acoustic, the next song, Of The New Day relishes in the feelings Harridan spent exploring. Of The New Day not only makes due with the ideas previously, but full on dives into those feelings of loss, but also explores the feelings of change. While Porcupine Tree loves to dive deep into the psyche with inconsolable lyrics, it isn't uncommon to see them step back and showcase a sunnier side to the band, one that tells you that despite the hardships, the good times will come around. It feels raw and unfiltered. The entire flow of the song may be a little pop like though, with a clear structure that seems to be stretching a bit to the mainstream, but that is merely my only minor complaint on the song, and it doesn't damper its greatness.

After the heartfelt ballad, Rats Return brings back those itchy feelings Harridan smacked us with at the start and makes sure to double up those sentiments with an almost djent feel of metal. The main riff is super hard hitting and rhythmic, almost like if someone turned a drum into a guitar and played it with a box of nails. It's hauntingly, but brilliantly done. But like the previous song, I can definitely feel an almost pop-like sentimental feel of this song. While I would not say it dampers anything really, I cannot deny that this is turning out to be one of the more accessible Porcupine Tree albums, heck more so than In Absentia or Stupid Dream. Again, not a bad thing, if anything I am more or less praising the band for going a little out of the Prog sphere and trying to hit a mark for mainstream audiences, but at the same time this is the band that gave us The Sky Moves Sideways Phase 2 and Anesthetize. I feel like they can be a tiny bit more bold for what may be their last album. That tangent aside, this song is positively, nail bitingly great and possibly my favorite song off this album by a large margin, and it's all thanks to that amazing riffage of Steven Wilson's guitar. The lyrics are also not half bad, though it does strip away from the more relatable and personal qualities of the last two songs, which is a shame, but even then it still isn't that bad when you get down to the nitty gritty of things.

After something so spookily great, we get into Dignity. Think of this as a combination of the psyche of their early years and the acoustic ballad of Of The New Day came together to form a completely new work of art. It almost gives me some vibes to their first album, On The Sunday of Life, specifically Radioactive Toy. It certainly feels nostalgic, like going back in time to a period I never experienced but always scrutinizingly wondering about. In fact it almost seems like the whole concept of this song is nostalgic memories with symbolism of a boy being bullied at school and parties but still having a sense of pride in him, which in turn goes into the meaning of dignity. It is a song that explores what dignity truly means and shows that one should be prideful of themself, but too much pride can turn to delusions of oneself and they may find themselves in a position that can only be described as a messiah complex. While the song itself isn't heavy instrumentally, the themes in the lyrics truly set it apart as not only a great Porcupine Tree melody, but also one that is almost poetic. A nostalgic song for a time lost ago.

Afterwards we get into another single from the album, in fact the junior third single of the album (the second one being Of The New Day and the last and also fourth one being Rats Return). Herd Culling feels like they are rekindling the sparks from their early 2000s days, going for heavy yet spacey riffs and crescendos. If I may break kayfabe for a moment, this album definitely has a good balance of songs so far, however they feel a little lacking in the original sound scope. I do feel like if you attached these songs to any album from probably a good margin of the band's discography, bar a few albums like Voyage 34. Now I do think this could be a bad thing looking at it critically. Not only does it create a sense of 'living in the past' so to speak for the band, but it also makes these songs feel less than thou in grand scope against a ton of the band's work. HOWEVER, I do believe that this could be possibly the best introduction to the band's work, with each song representing their evolved styles through the years. Heavier songs show the band's Metal focused songs while there are also softer, more experimental and weirder songs that show the band's earliest routes. It is definitely a wonky balancing act, but I do think that this may be the best fit for anyone who wants to get into this really great band, so I applaud them for taking minor strokes to showcase their broader ones.

No Porcupine Tree album isn't complete without a little weirdness, in fact this album has plenty of it, but even so Walk The Plank definitely shows a far out version of Steven Wilson's general style. Going for a little bit more of an Electronic and cool synthy industrial vibe, this song feels both chill in instrumentation, but cold in the vocal harmonies, but to its benefit. The vocals perfectly contrast with the lyrics of dead men being hung and people being thrown off ships, almost like a depressed ghost is singing about their last moments of their life to you. It's super surreal and weird, and I am all for it. It perfectly encapsulates the elation Porcupine Tree usually gives me as a band. Too bright to be gloomy, yet too dark to be happy. An almost perfect Yin and Yang of feelings.

The ending to this work comes as Chimera's Wreck. What a great way to close this album, combining every aspect of each song's tones and feelings to create not only a good closure for the album, but possibly for the band as a whole. Instruments are tightly knit around in multiple themes and structures, but still encapsulates what makes this whole experience work well. It also is long enough for you to reflect on your own feelings on this album while still jamming out to some great tunes. I'll say this, no matter the faults the band has, they are still one that I am glad I spent my time listening to, and I am glad they lived up well in both pop and Prog culture alike, so this closure being as good as it is makes me happy to be a Porcupine Tree fan.

I do have problems with this album. It feels stuck in the past, it's a tad accessible for my liking, and some of the song lyrics are not that interesting to the entire whole of the album, but if you look past that, you'll find a great album waiting to be listened to. If this is how the band will go out studio wise, then I am very accepting of this effort, and I cannot deny that this work of art not only exceeded my expectations, but also delivered on a ton of fronts. I bet if I genuinely enjoyed this album, so can you.

Porcupine Tree is finally back!

C/C is a culmination of everything SW has been doing from his solos career allied with a more present Richard Barbieri (since the Signify days of the band) and Gavin (which creates spectacular grooves). This time Steven himself decided to play all the bass parts and his different playstyle shows well through the whole album, especially in the very first second of Harridan. Unfortunately Colin is not anymore in the band, and while I enjoyed a lot his playstyle and I'll be missing him, this change might have been good in giving PT a new sonority.

After 13 years of hiatus, it is expected for the sonority of the band to change significantly, which indeed happens: C/C is probably the most complex album the band has ever created, embracing some of their psychodelic/textural side, abandoning a bit the metalish focus from their last albums and being more ambitious in their arrangements. SW extracts elements from his whole carrier: Harridan reminds me of Insurgentes, Dignify and Chimera's Wreck of GfD and HCE days, Walk the Plank of TFB with a strong Barbieri flavor and Herd Culling from TTB days.

As a result you get a quite diverse album and one that will take some listens to fully digest, as it is not as accessible as PT previous efforts. The 3 bonus tracks are also awesome and further develops the new sound, especially Never Have and Love in The Past Tense (this one with a strong The Incident inspirations).

A fantastic return and hopefully not their last!

It's now Porcupine Three and will probably be a one off album/tour and then back to hiatus status. If they wanted to go out on top they have achieved their goal. This is much better than their previous release, The Incident, which felt like they were just going through the motions. This one feels inspired and fresh. It only took several years to get their mojo back. They also have left behind their metal tendencies which were the hallmark of the early 2000's. This is a very mature band now and their absence has indeed made the fan grow fonder. CC is a solid 4.25 stars. It would be rated higher if they included the bonus tracks in the main release.

This is a well-crafted product. I can imagine that many prog lovers are thrilled with it. There's enough to enjoy. The musicianship is great.

When I compare it to other music that came out this year, then it is not the first thing I would recommend. But it sure beat the last one by Marillion. Because this album has more grit, more inspiration, and more creativity. At the same time, it doesn't grasp me. I don't feel the need to listen to this over and over. Or to get back to very soon.

All in all, I rate this one 2 stars. As in non-essential.

If we take into account the long musical career of Porcupine Tree (11 studio albums now, several singles and live works), where they have explored and experienced different stages that go from the easy and lazy psychedelia of their first albums (when PC was more a solo project by Steven Wilson than a band as such) to their last works characterized by their "heavy prog" style (where the band reaches its peak with FOABP ), and we also remember that before releasing C/C the band had released four singles, we could already get an idea of ​​what PC was going to offer us: an album that does not disappoint or surprise, with a well- differentiated style that is easy to recognize by old or even new fans of the band, and that also works as a cover letter for future fans of the band, the latter because in C/C we find a summary of the different facets of the band, from certain pop-psychedelic songs (Of the New Day) to c more elaborate compositions (Chimera's Wreck), going through songs like Harridan which, according to Steven Wilson himself, is the song that best sums up the style of porcupine tree.

With all this it is clear to us that the more than ten years that the band took to bring us a new album is due more to a lack of interest and to Steven Wilson's solo career, than to a search for new musical horizons; C/C could perfectly have been released immediately after The Incident, both in sound and music we are facing a 100% Porcupine Tree album. And with the latter I don't want to reproach the lack of innovation of the band, after all they don't have to prove anything to anyone what they are capable of and -like it or not- they have become one of the most respected prog bands in recent times.

Overall: This is a pretty hard album to review, mainly because of the way it flows. At first I thought it was due to not having Colin on the lineup, but in reality is the way songs conform the album. There at least four or five songs abusing of the exchange noisy-quiet sections in an abrupt manner, which makes it repetitive and noisy by the time you get to Herd Culling. Honestly, I feel this is a shame, because there are many good songs in here.

High points: Walk the Plank and Never Have. The latter is a callback to In Absentia's Drown with Me, but with a hopeful tone. Walk the Plank is a beast on its own, and the closest song to PT's staple psychedelic open sound-wall sound, last found in songs like What Happens Now? and Cheating the Polygraph. I hope PT recovers this open sound down the road, because that's what makes PT much more than a Steven Wilson solo production.

What's new?: The two main new things in comparison to previous PT albums are, on the one hand, Steven's solo production and, on the other hand, enhanced minimalistic song-writing. Steven's solo production and arrangement style is counter producing to PT's sound, which is based in open songs, like C/C's Dignity, Never Have and Walk the Plank. All other songs have a very tight sound, quite the opposite to The Sky Moves Sideways or Even Less, which are some of PT's juggernaut songs. The minimalistic composition style can be much appreciated in Chimera's Wreck, which is a song you'd expect more from Metallica than from Porcupine Tree, and starts eerily similar to Nothing Else Matters.

I think I'll give you a tentative list of how to approach this disc for a better experience, though I recommend listening these songs separately: 1. - Harridan 2. - Dignity 3. - Population Three 4. - Rats return 5.- Of the New Day 6.- Love in the Past Tense 7.- Herd Culling 8.- Walk the Plank 9.- Chimera's Wreck 10.- Never Have

Harridan- Probably the best song in the album to open up with, especially with that super meaty bass line. Reminds me a bit of Blackest Eyes in the sense that its vey catchy, but at the same time very heavy and proggy. I really liked this song overall, instruments across the board were great, and Steve Wilson was great as always. A solid 9/10

Of The New Day- Probably the most radio-friendly of all the songs on the album, its pretty poppy/mellow at points, but it doesn't stray too far from the heavier sounds of the album. I don't have much to complain about but it also isn't my favorite. 7/10

Rats Return- Opens with a *really* meaty hook which I love, but the song doesn't do much otherwise. Lyrics are kinda bad which is surprising considering Wilson and Harrison wrote it. "Leave your principals at the door" does make me cringe a bit every time I hear it. Musically, its pretty good otherwise. A weaker 8/10

Dignity- One of two longer story-type songs on this album, and I think its pretty great. The guitar and vocals are especially great on this track compared to the rest of the album, and the songwriting isn't too bad either. I hear a lot of people call this a masterpiece and whatnot but it doesn't quite do it for me. Considering the other story- type songs the band has done its just not nearly as good as something off of FOABP. Still, its a 9/10 nonetheless.

Herd Culling- Musically, I really like what the band does in that it largely repeats the same verse throughout the entire song, changing up instrumentation as the song progresses. I was kind of surprised when I realized this, but really, skip to any point in the song and its pretty much the same thing. Lyrically, its fine. A solid 7/10

Walk The Plank- I don't love this one one as much as the rest of the album, but its certainly an interesting eerie sort of experimental song that I expect from Wilson. This definitely sounds more like his solo material. A weak 7/10

Chimeras Wreck- Probably the best song on the album considering its subject matter, and technicalities. I REALLY love the way Wilson plays with vocal rhythms which is something that I don't ever recall hearing on a PT album to date. A solid 9/10

Population Three- For as much as I love the instrumentation on this entire album, without Wilson's vocals it sounds like a completely different band. I didn't love this one as much as other people did. 7/10

Never Have- A very poppy tune with some great guitar. The song slowly builds throughout and explodes towards the end. I really like this one but I don't have much to comment. Sounds kinda like Harmony Korine from Steve's solo career. 8/10

Love in The Past Tense- Another poppy tune on this album. My comments are largely the same as Never Have, though I like this one slightly less. 8/10

Overall Thoughts: This was quite the underwhelming album in my opinion. Its been 12 long years since the band has put out any music and I don't quite know what I was expecting. On one hand this was Porcupine Tree's first album in *twelve years*. On the other, to my knowledge, the band wasn't painstakingly perfecting this album over the course of those twelve years much like Tool supposedly was with Fear Inoculum. C/C delivered some pretty great songs- Harridan being my favorite listen, though Chimeras Wreck and Dignity were probably better songs. Aside from those three songs though, the rest of the album was nothing special, ranging between good and pretty good. The lyrics throughout the entire album were mostly underwhelming (surprisingly), but Gavin, Harrison, and Wilson sounded as good as ever. This might even be one of Wilsons best vocal performances. Still, There weren't as many memorable songs as I would have wished on this one.

Weighted Average: 8.047/10. For now, I will keep this album at an 8, though I see this falling out of favor with time.

Published simultaneously at progrocks.gr

These sounds were missing for many years from our speakers. The direct riffs, the experimentation with funk, the sounds of Tool and Opeth and the nostalgic references of the 70s through the filter of alt prog, which Porcupine Tree helped establish, all sound pleasant to my ears; the recent solo albums by Steve Wilson could not, for various reasons, fill the gap. The Wilson/Barbieri/Harrison trio seem to have worked a lot on these compositions through the years, sounding very mature. The sequence of the songs reminds me of a peaky sine wave (dynamic to mellow and vice versa) and helps consume the album fairly quickly. The elements of surprise but also cohesion are somewhat missing (the sum of parts seems far greater than the whole) and thus this work is unlikely to be mentioned as one of their top moments. The electronic experimentations in Walk the Plank and the peak achieved during the inspired, epic, Chimera's Wreck are not enough to achieve this. Maybe this is not needed for now, perhaps the mature return is enough to satisfy our curiosity (until next time) and it certainly does not take anything away from the group's legacy.

It's rare for a long awaited, long delayed, or long lost work of art - in any medium - to live up to even a significant fraction of the kind of hype and hope that inevitably surrounds them. Reunions like that of the groundbreaking and once consistent Porcupine Tree tend to produce LPs considered weak, throwaways, or at best loved only by a few of their biggest fans. Reacting to such albums almost always demands managing expectations. But then every once in a while you get an exception... and even though this isn't quite a full return to form or the very best of those exceptions, Closure/Continuation is an overall cracking record that lived up to my personal hopes.

The album is primarily defined by the softer sides of post-Stupid Dream PT, a string of mellow-rock-unto-metal and Wilson's various dour and tender sides. Most of this is done quite well, befitting the skill and and creativity of Barbieri, Harrison, and Wilson. I will say that a majority of it isn't quite fresh - and in the case of "Herd Culling", it's pretty sub-par - but these tracks make for a solid and enjoyable dose of classic PT, nothing more or less.

Where C/C stands out, then, are a plurality of cuts that do push the limits of what each of these three musicians have done in the past, with or without each other. "Harridan" is some of the heaviest and most intricate they've ever been, Wilson in particular shining on bass alongside some of his better guitar playing, Barbieri's electronics, and Harrison's krakenesque drumwork. It shares my deepest admiration with "Rats Return", a nightmarish dive into political selfishness and media megalomania, complete with a masterful music video of a vicious, madcap revisionist era Soviet late night program. The instrumentation shows the power and creepiness possible on some of their lighter material, whose jagged guitar stabs replace the band's usual metal inclinations. "Walk The Plank" further develops Barbieri and Wilson's electronics as we are taken on a submarine journey. There's also much to be said about the dirgelike opening half of "Chimera's Wreck", with beautiful guitars and keys shimmering around reflections on mortality. While the explosive latter half is among the more run-of-the-mill parts of the record, the combination proves to be excellent.

One last flaw with the record is that the final three cuts are only on deluxe editions, a similar issue to the tracklisting of Swilson's solo The Future Bites. These songs fully round out the project, and in particular the tasty "Never Have" sounds like a throwback to classic '70s prog via the length and breadth of PT's illustrious career.

For me, it's hard to describe C/C as anything other than the least I could have hoped for from a reunited Porcupine Tree and in some ways a worthy successor to their classic '00s run. It is a wonderful listen and one that, at its best, gives me ever more hope for the band's future.

As unlikely or surprising as it may seem, Porcupine Tree are back after a little more than a decade of complete silence, and they are back with a heated new studio album, ambiguously titled 'Closure/Continuation', an excellent collection of seven tracks spanning across some 48 minutes of playtime, with three additional bonus songs that do not necessarily fit the main album. However, with all the events that have unfolded in the last two years concerning the band, we can safely conclude that this elevenths studio album was well though out and supposed to be released sometime in the 2010s, with Steven Wilson and Gavin Harrison joining forces and jamming together to what ultimately became songs ending up on this new release, but the time never seemed right, with the busy schedules of the band members... or at least, the remaining ones.

The first Porcupine Tree album recorded by a trio is now a fact - Steven Wilson, Gavin Harrison and Richard Barbieri deliver what has been promoted as 'the most collaborative record' of the band's entire catalogue, with each member contributing almost equally to the final product. Former bassist Colin Edwin never showed interest in playing or recording any Porcupine Tree material, according to Wilson, who gracefully handles all bass duties on the album, which quite interestingly, was mostly written on his bass guitar and Gavin Harrison's drums, in their multiple jam sessions, with Richard Barbieri ultimately stepping in to filter the songs through his own masterful approach to playing keyboards, adding an extra layer of excellence to the fantastic songs.

The album opens with the first single, the first real taster of the new Porcupine Tree sound, the bombastic and haunting 8-minute track 'Harridan', kicking off the whole thing with a quirky bass riff, ominous soundscapes and pitch-perfect drumming by Harrison. The identity of PT seems to be well-injected into this powerful new track, yet there is something different in the way it sounds - the drums are so dominant, so prevalent and masterful, driving the whole song through its many movements, the Rush-like chorus 'attacks' the listener, the guitars are optional and very lovely, and the sound design provided by Barbieri does a lot of justice to this hard-hitting track. After that comes 'Of the New Day', a deceptively simple and tranquil song, with gentle acoustic guitars, melancholic lyrics and gentle keyboard sounds, that turns into a time signature monster, after the chorus hits, as the song has been said to go through forty-two time signature changes. The sound of it distantly reminisces something like 'Lightbulb Sun', but once again, it sounds bright and vigorous. 'Rats Return' sees PT utilizing some math rock riffage, as they provide one of the darker songs in the band's catalogues, commenting on the grim political situation of the world and the leaders-rats who "express having an interest in the public, but when it comes down to it, only want to save themselves".

Then we have the fourth track 'Dignity', which is very atmospheric, peaceful and certainly brings flashbacks of some old-school Porcupine Tree, maybe with hints to 'Russia on Ice' or 'Sentimental', carrying a similar spirit. This also happens to be one of the songs co-written with Barbieri. The 7-minute prog attach of 'Herd Culling' is quite fantastic - the lyrics, the mood, the tempo and all the shifts going on inside the composition are just working perfectly well, giving the album one of the more underrated pieces. The band is playing beautifully, every strum of the guitar, every drumbeat and every key pressed on the keyboards of Richard Barbieri has a specific place and serves a particular purpose in the song, no time is wasted here and there, just straight-to-the-point playing that gloriously fits one of the most interesting art rock songs in Porcupine Tree's catalogue. Then comes the electronic, wavy and grim 'Walk the Plank', another song that has a very prominent Richard Barbieri contribution, while it also has bits and pieces that remind us strongly of 'The Future Bites', Wilson's last solo album before 'C/C' - simply, this is the big surprise on the record, one of the most interesting compositions to have even landed on a Porcupine Tree album. The main album is closed by the 10-minute epic 'Chimera's Wreck', the song that has already gained a sort of cult status among the people enjoying this stellar collection of songs. This one reflects on the death of Steven Wilson's father, while other, more general existential realizations serve as a broader framework of the lyrical content. The music is epic, emotional and thunderous, the song is cathartic, agonizing, haunting and plain killer, one of the best in the entire Steven Wilson universe.

Finally, there is the 3-track bonus disc featuring the instrumental 'Population Three', and instantly recognizable Porcupine Tree number, the sweet 'Never Have', essentially a Steven Wilson solo track that could have been quite welcome on something like 'To The Bone', and 'Love in the Past Tense', a gorgeous little art-rocker, another effort of Wilson and Harrison. It is true that none of these would have fitted smoothly on the main album, all of the songs are quite good, and when presented as bonus material, are more than welcome.

The fact that this is the first Porcupine Tree album to top the all-format UK album chart speaks numbers - their absence has only strengthened the cult status of 'the most important cult band' out there, according to Wilson, with whom I could hardly disagree on this, as his band's legacy and prominence in the genre of progressive rock is immense and inevitable, and now, in 2022, they have reunited and delivered another monolith of a record, another very excellent addition to their truly majestic back catalogue. We could only conclude that everything surrounding the release of this album is simply a great celebration - a great celebration of the music of one of the best bands in existence, a celebration of music as a craft, and a celebration of a musical genre that is still full of vigor, despite the fact that it continues to exist just under the surface, with a couple of exception here and there, 'Closure/Continuation' being one of them.

this album is somehow confusing because it brings the old porcupine tree fans, but also their last 4 albums music loving fans. if you enjoy more the last porcupine tree albums, then this albums is a 50% of your joy,,,but the old fans will also only enjoy it about 50%. fans of porcupine tree from the beginning of their season and the end of their incident album,,well, those ones will enjoy the album at their fullest. i think the album was made too fast, with less arrangements and thoughts,,,,just like it was announcing another departed and this album is their game over because steven wilson doesn't see porcupine tree at his fullest desire, since he likes more of the steven wilson project which in my opinion is a mistake shown in this album. harridan is by far the best track and i which the all album could be more like that track. maybe we dream in the near future to have steven wilson playing in a single band with his best players: Gavin Harrison-Richard Barbieri-Guthrie Govan- Nick Beggs-steven wilson, and from where, all the music they make in studio they could separate and distribute within both audiences. with the same band, one year we would have porcupine tree and the next steven wilson played by the same players who plays both concepts extremely well. it would be the first time something to happen like that. i love old, new porcupine tree, but also steven wilson since he is, and always been a genius behind all of this. we keep talking how good gavin is, but without steven nothing like this would happen in the first place.i hope they come to portugal but for 250 euros a ticket. 1. Harridan 9.5/10 2. Rats Return 9.0/10 3. Dignity 8.5/10 4. Population Three 8/10 5. Of the New Day 7.5/10 6. Chimera's Wreck 7.0/10 7. Never have 6/10 8. Love in the past tense 5/10 9. Herd Culling - 4/10 10. Walk the Plank - 3/10.

Finally, after so many years of waiting, Porcupine Tree decided to return with this collection of songs kept in the closet with some more recent compositions.

That is why the title of the album makes a lot of sense!

The fact is that, as expected, the quality of these compositions is somewhat uveven, offering some songs that can already be considered classics of the band (Harridan, O The New Day, Dignity, Herd Culling), along with others somewhat moremore forgettable (Walk the Plank)

In any case, it is an album that undoubtedly surpasses the disappointing "The Incident", although of course without reaching the level of masterpieces like "Deadwing" or "Fear of a Blank Planet".

Thank you for this excellent and long-awaited comeback, guys!

Best Tracks: Harridan (very progressive, intense and beautiful at the same time), Of The New Day (great in its simplicity and melancholy), Herd Culling (my favorite on the album, remembering the best moments of "FOABP")

My Rating: ****

The band is now in a trio format with a new album 13 years after "The Incident". We are in familiar territory here, which is Progressive Rock on the experimental side including electro, jazz, and metal in a way that only this band can do. There is no stand-out track, no filler, everything is full of complex and convoluted song structures that remind us of the atmosphere of the past with a modern influence from Steven Wilson's solo work. This is why I have trouble giving my impression of that album. I enjoyed it from the start, but I thought I was too much looking to evaluate this work with the previous ones. It is not as metal as the latest PT releases, and maybe not as easy to get to, but this is why it requires more spins to appreciate the nuances of the music. And if you can listen to the Blu-Ray, it is even easier to enjoy the beautiful sonics of this album coming from the delicate keyboards of Barbieri to the guitars and bass of Steven and the perfect drumming of Gaven Harrison. So it's not that important if it's not the best PT album, let us simply enjoy another solid PT album and hope that we don't have to wait for another decade to hear another one. I am all "4" * a continuation...

We arrive in into 2022 with news porcupine tree will be releasing a new album after 13 years. Closure/continuum launches off where the trio Wilson, Harrison and Barbieri left off in 2009. After a great 13 year solo career Steven Wilson reinvigorates the band and charts a course into familiar yet sonically beautiful territory nonetheless with some great heavy prog songs like "Harridan" and "Herd Culling" which both exhibit some heavier riffing utilising compound meter and syncopated rhythms. These songs best demonstrate the band really adventuring off into progressive rock territory with their extended track length, allowing band to explore other ideas which enhances the song structure/composition while taking avid prog rockers on a journey (something that modern music rarely does).

In addition to other songs like "on the new day" and "dignity" which are a throwback to Steven Wilsons earlier song writing sensibilities and have a great sense of contrast (from the aforementioned heavier tracks) which incorporates a deep sense of self introspection in the lyrics accompanied with some beautiful acoustic guitars and which also moderately utilise the classic Steven Wilson vocal harmonies that really fill out the mix (when present).

Richard Barbieri again delights us with some intricate and sublime sound design aspects in addition to some raunchy synth tones. Songs like "Dignity" reveal some almost yes type classically inspired lead melody lines used in the section before the bridge, while tracks like "Walk The Plank" have an interesting melody line played on synth in conjunctions with some synth effect sounds thorough the song. Ultimately every song has great use of sound design/subtle effects, brining a greater sense of depth and dimensionality to the song whilst drawing the listener into a sonically rich atmosphere of music.

Audiophiles and fellow PROG music lovers alike will quickly begin to fully appreciate this album after a few listens, this album has some of the greatest dynamic range/headroom I think I have ever come across in addition to a very musically warm and rich recording sound that has great sonic depth. While Steven Wilson remains once again in the rightfully deserved producers seat, Gavin Harrison takes on the roll mixing the drums in which they both do a fantastic job. You may find yourself turning up the volume, like classical music there's great contrast between the lowest and highest levels which is a sign of only moderate use of compression, limiting and loudness.

* People have mentioned that not adding the three extra tracks on the deluxe boxset version was not the best idea as these tracks are very strong contenders with the rest of the album, so maybe a deluxe 2 CD would have been a good idea in conjunction to the standard CD and deluxe boxset. HOWEVER you can buy the extra tracks online (HD TRACKS) and also stream them etc. ALSO the ALBUM LEGNTH I personally think the 50 min mark is a good balance for an album if songs are good, which they are after all many "masterpieces were approximately 40 mins in length one cannot expect a band to release a 12 track minimum masterpiece album every few years. Sumarry

Whist this album may not appeal to all listeners straight away, I would encourage all listeners to approach with an open mind, however in saying that it does a great job at conjuring up different aspects of Porcupine Tree that we ALL like for example long format hard prog rocking tracks that allow the band explore sonic ground, Steven Wilson's lightbulb/ In absentia era like songwriting sensibilities together with social/political and introspective lyrics, Gavin Harrison's fantastic drumming and the sound design/atmospherics and synth tones Barbieri creates. There had been great expections for this album, yet I think after some time like "In absentia" the album will really catch on with people as it demonstrates fantastic musicianship, great contrast of songs together with impeccable production and mixing. 4.5 stars.

To all the world, it looked like Steven Wilson had closed the door on Porcupine Tree after The Incident proved to be a somewhat patchy release, and after his solo career kicked into high gear with Grace For Drowning. Far from it - it turns out that Wilson, Richard Barbieri, and Gavin Harrison had kept in touch all this time and had in fact been gently tinkering with new Porcupine Tree material as far back as 2011.

Does it sound like the Porcupine Tree of old? Well, not quite - but that was a band which went through many incarnations, from psychedelia and space rock to Radiohead-esque art rock to borderline prog metal. In addition, it's perhaps inevitable that all three musicians have moved on musically in the intervening decade-and-a-bit - and certainly there's traces of the pensive jazz fusion and synth aspects of Wilson's solo work creeping in here and there.

Is it on the level of the best of the original run of Porcupine Tree albums? I don't think so, but it's far from bad. It feels almost relaxed - the band enjoying working together after all this time, and offering a new, somewhat jazzier side of their sonic universe.

My final review of 2022 is a little bittersweet as PORCUPINE TREE are a top three band for me and after hearing that teaser track "Harridan" I was pretty pumped for this. Then there was a problem with the cd getting to North America, big delays. I was fortunate to meet a friend of my daughter's husband's family who just flew into Toronto from England that day and I joked if I knew she was coming I would have asked her to bring me this cd. Her mom was flying in the following week and that's how I got mine.

To my ears this sounds more like Steven Wilson solo which is fine by me but with Edwin out as bass player his subtle playing has been replaced by a very upfront sounding bass played by Wilson, and played like a guitar giving it a unique sound. I like it! We get seven tracks worth 48 minutes and it's "Rats Return" and "Walk The Plank" that keep this at 4 stars. The other five songs are great but those two just never clicked with me. My top three are "Harridan", "Dignity" and "Herd Culling" with the latter being my favourite. "Of The New Day" and "Chimera's Wreck" are very good but a step down from my top three.

Easily a 4 star record and a step up from the previous album "The Incident" which really had it's moments but was inconsistent in my opinion. Still I feel this record lacks that "it" vibe of earlier PT albums. The art work is disappointing to say the least especially when we get some pictures that would make most people reminisce and smile like that hole in one while on vacation at the mini-putt winning a free game or taking off the shoes to walk in the ocean for the first time. I feel that "Rats Return" and "Walk The Plank" just don't fit in with the rest of the album but other than those few complaints I'm quite happy with the music.

While it may have been assumed that PORCUPINE TREE called it quits after the lackluster response to their 2009 album "The Incident" and the robust solo career of Steven Wilson (and other projects) that launched soon thereafter, it was indeed the case that Wilson, Gavin Harrison and Richard Barbieri had been planning the next chapter of PORCUPINE TREE all along only kept the project under lock and key leaving the fans to wonder if such a thing would ever materialize. Everyone had to wait until 2022 some 13 years later but finally it has become a reality that PT has indeed decided to carry on by releasing the band's 11th studio album with the rather clumsy title CLOSURE / CONTINUATION.

Unfortunately bassist Colin Edwin didn't participate in this reunion so the band carried on as a trio with Wilson picking up the bass part as well as handing guitars, vocals, mixing and role as band leader. Despite Wilson projecting his new dedication to his solo career, Blackfield, No-Man, Bass Communion, God and Storm Corrosion (does the guy ever sleep?), PORCUPINE TREE had been working behind the scenes on this album for the last decade whenever everyone had a free moment. The results of all this behind the scenes resulted in a rather standard PORCUPINE TREE affair that sounds as if the band never went away and that the ensuing 13 years were a mere two or three.

The band launched the single "Harridan" early as far back as December 2021 and whetted the appetite for rapid PT fans in hopes of another "In Absentia," "Deadwing" or "Fear of a Blank Planet." The hype was heavy but when the album finally was released in June 2022 the enthusiasm sort of fizzled out with complaints about the lack of growth that was deemed necessary to launch PT into the next chapter and well let's face it, the fact CLOSURE / CONTINUATION sounds more like the solo material of Wilson than PT at their peak. The album features the typical rockers and ballads all in atmospheric space prog form however the crossover metal aspects of the band's early 2000's have been tamped down considerably and replaced by some of the electronic wizardry of Wilson's solo efforts.

"Harridan" was an excellent teaser single with jittery firm bass groove that offers everything a PORCUPINE TREE fan could hope for. Lengthy prog workouts that revolve around Wilson's subdued vocal style accompanied by just enough rock heft to craft the proper contrast, the song featured strong hooks and was instantly likable with only the occasional complaints of overtly too complex for its own good keeping it from greatness. Actually it was those very complexities that made it more attractive as PT has been decidedly and often too accessible for its own good at least for the tastes of true prog stalwarts who love the entire arsenal of proggy tricks and trinkets to be implemented. The fans would have to sample a series of singles before the actual release with "Of The New Day" and "Herd Culling" pacifying the fans before the actual album hit the scene.

CLOSURE / CONTINUATION features seven tracks with the deluxe edition featuring three extra. In all honesty i can see why many feel let down by this album as it sounds like business as usual without any significant developments in the band's overall sound. The extra layers of complexity make it a bit more alienating and more difficult to get into upon first listen unlike past glories. The hype raised expectations and the album sort of hums along just like any old PT album of the 21st century. The usual suspects of mopey ambient drenched slow parts followed by heavier rocking upbeat moments is by now the PT playbook. There just aren't enough surprises or magic moments to be found on this one but at the same time this one is much more engaging than the nadir of the band's career "The Incident."

I think it's agreed that CLOSURE / CONTINUATION will probably not go down as anyone's favorite PT album but after several attentive listens i'm actually quite enthralled with this album and its subtle intricacies. Perhaps it's the sappiness of the second track "Of The New Day" that derails the momentum early on for many (as it did me at first) but beginning with "Rat's Return" this album is successful in delivering ample doses of everything PT is known for and in good form. Certainly no instantly sing-along songs here with repetitive motifs but this is by no means as inaccessible as anything in the rock in opposition camp. This is simply PT stretching its boundaries and putting its feelers out as to ascertain a new path to forge in the 2020's. Personally i'm loving this album even if i agree that it doesn't live up to the hype or compare with the greatest albums of the past. After all even a weaker PT album is light years ahead of what many lesser bands can conjure up. BTW the three bonus tracks are excellent and actually better than some of the material on the official album.

We've been waiting for it for 13 years! for better or for worse, we knew that this dinosaur was going to come back even if WILSON did a lot of PT under his name; well we'll see if PT makes PT, WILSON or something else:

1. Harridan wow there a dark, punchy, jerky start, a bit of OSI madness, yes revise a bit; rock, heavy yes, prog well... the structure, the composition of this 1st layered title means that yes; a riff, an explosion at 3'15'' heavy and sinister, hilarious, here I see Steve's hair tossing in the wind, Richard sends a salvo of notes, very dark heavy metal, good Gavin shows that he's kicking depending on his breathing, his creation, his mood, moreover the solo with bass is not there by chance; the finale with acoustic arpeggio to recover 2. Of the New Day .. for a title à la Steve WILSON, between romantic ballad and melancholic title... absolutely beautiful; a title that does not bring much but which is beautiful 3. Rats Return close your eyes and you have Steve's conducting hand, one of his trademarks; violent as intro with the dark metal riff, Mariusz was right to say that we do that and not prog; lots of drawers in it to develop the progressive spirit and give Richard the opportunity to show that a band cares about good musicians; so WILSON had very good musicians under his personal thumb, yes the specter of his solo albums remains; dirty, black, stirring, well done 4. Dignity cinematic intro, well before we said prog intro; it starts slowly and efficiently, it cuts to resume more gently, an ersatz of Wilson which has nothing more to prove, a marshmallow title which melts under the tongue, which gives pleasure, but due to the atmosphere, the memory or hope that is the question! the break with crystalline guitar which melts, which shows that it is necessary to know how to remain simple also in the music, the piano and the acoustic guitar which arrive make stop time, to settle down; then this final at the WILSON, at the PT of before, orgasmic, warm, dreamlike and damn enjoyable 5. Herd Culling drives the point home, it's PT watered down with Wilson sauce; melodic, varied, provided in breaks, I spoke of RIVERSIDE above because it's similar at the start and explosive and progressive afterwards, and that's the prog brand, whatever people say; the solo seems unstructured and in line with the detuned voice... but effective; a complex title that you have to re-re-listen to to get out the musical marrow 6. Walk the Plank and the touch of richard which one would believe to be on his album; a dark new-wave sound where the dark side pleasantly explodes; jam progression à la KING CRIMSON it seems; creepy even with this space station wagon, military, à la ENO; an incursion into his head that shows the suffering of those who compose and who will not be recognized as they should 7. Chimera's Wreck ah I believed it a title of MONKEY3 resuming MORRICONE; arpeggio from there, where the sound is worth more than a space to fill; depressive melody, proven spleen, good Steve speeds up his voice and gives prog juice, pop-prog; a mystery composition which seeks itself which leads us to lend an ear, to look for the ramifications; the fine, clear, hypnotic guitar, the rhythm that soars, yes it's good and well done; a hypnotic trance to forget time, a sign, on the other hand you have to know how to listen, to ask yourself, not given to everyone; meanwhile the hard solo is gone, violent; good Steve tempers again with his voice and Richard injects futuristic sounds from elsewhere; the monolithic chorus returns before this dithyrambic, aggressive, compulsive finale.

8. Population Three for the 1st of 3 bonus titles, yes everyone has them: good why a bonus? let me explain, it looks like PT without the vein of Wilson; it looks like a new PT, fresher, less dark; nicer instrumental; a composition that risks drowning you with no more musical hook at hand 9. Never Have piano arpeggio à la Philip GLASS, metronomic, posed vocal; a rhythmic, fruity, syncopated air, between synthetic new-wave and post-rock, the guitar taking position and filling the title; a modern variation on keyboards, on a story by Lewis CARROLL; heady air reminds me of that of the MAGYAR POSSE, hypnotic too, pleasantly repetitive 10. Love in the Past Tense as the real last title surprises me, nice guitar arpeggio in intro; yes I don't see a link with PT, I see a vocal/instrumental fight, a try for another sound? I need the finale with the instrumental part to see the darkest side of their music, heavy, whirling and I would say avant-garde, loving it all of a sudden, I'm putting it back. Good a PT that respects itself, it is listened to after the criticisms of the departure; and having not been able/wanted to get started at the start, I have the pleasure of validating their latest opus; if you have it so much the better, if not it's that you don't like it, too bad, but I won't have influenced your choice. The prog is dead but it is good in progressive groups, and toc.(4!)

After years of waffling back and forth over whether or not he'd ever revive the band, Steven Wilson has brought Porcupine Tree back to life. While Porcupine Tree remained in limbo, Wilson remained in regular contact with both drummer Gavin Harrison and keyboardist Richard Barbieri. However, Wilson lost touch with bassist Colin Edwin, so he does not appear on this album. Instead, Wilson handles all the bass parts himself.

The title for this album is quite fitting. I honestly doubt Porcupine Tree are going to record another album together. Wilson's increasingly poppy solo career belies that heavy progressive rock probably isn't what he wants to focus on now. And Harrison has stated that his style of drumming is very physically demanding, and he's unsure how much longer he can continue playing this style of music. The band's ambiguous position following The Incident left pretty much everyone unsatisfied, so this album feels like a way for Wilson to close the book on Porcupine Tree on his own terms.

As for the content of the album itself, it's good. It's a marked improvement over Wilson's last three solo albums (Yes, that includes Hand. Cannot Erase. That is Wilson's most overrated release. Fight me!), but it's not quite on par with the best output of either his solo career or of the band.

Closure/Continuation opens on "Harridan". The bassline is funkier and more aggressive than Colin Edwin's style, and it's more akin to Steven Wilson's solo work, but the keys and lightly-processed vocals are classic Porcupine Tree. The song is dark and dramatic, and the occasional stab of brighter tones makes for an excellent contrast. The song's second half is a bit mellower and more meditative. Barbieri's electronic influences get some time in the spotlight, and results in some pretty good instrumental interplay. Though metal influences are reduced overall on C/C, this song features a few fantastic heavy riffs which evoke Deadwing and In Absentia.

"Of the New Day" is a mellower piece and the only solo Wilson composition on the album. Its opening feels more like a Wilson solo piece than even the band's previous mellow pieces, but the jagged guitar riffs are great. This composition is one of the less-interesting pieces on C/C, but if you're a fan of Wilson's slower solo work, you'll probably like it.

The opening riff of "Rats Return" is herky-jerky and aggressive, and it abruptly shifts into a rather quiet, foreboding verse. Harrison's drumming is tight under the oddball riffs, but the verses feel like a generic Porcupine Tree song. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy this song and the album overall, but there are passages here that feel like they were either phoned in, done out of obligation, or just lacking spirit.

Gentle, strummed acoustic guitar kicks off "Dignity", and unlike "Of the New Day", this feels like a proper Porcupine Tree song. There are little textural flourishes, and the melody is more engaging. There's a good gradual build throughout the song, and the big, crunchy bassline in the middle is a very nice touch. Unfortunately, this song overstays its welcome a bit. It would have been a good six-minute song, but eight-and-a-half minutes is a bit much in this instance.

"Herd Culling" opens on a bit of music that sounds like it's right off In Absentia. In fact, the odd twanginess of the main guitar line, coupled with how it erupts into a louder section, feels a bit too much like "Blackest Eyes'' at moments. This song features one of Wilson's best vocal performances of his career, though. He demonstrates a greater versatility than I normally expect of him.

Odd, unsettling electronic bloops open up "Walk the Plank", and piano and echoing vocals add to the askew atmosphere. This song features no guitar, and it thrives on its eerie aura. This piece is probably the most original-sounding cut on the album, and it's a major success.

The album (or at least the standard edition) ends on "Chimera's Walk", which moves slowly to start and becomes more anxious as it progresses. The tempo gradually increases, and by the song's midpoint, it's turned into an insistent march. Wilson's vocal arrangements are strong here, and the growl of the bass and keys adds a sinister element.

The deluxe edition of Closure/Continuation features a trio of bonus tracks. I enjoy them all, but I'm glad they weren't included in the standard tracklisting. They don't fit in with the overall flow of the record. "Population Three" is a great instrumental with a lot of cool ideas and themes. "Never Have" sounds like a moderately-overblown version of a typical Wilsonian piano ballad in its first half, and the second half has more great instrumental antics. "Love in the Past Tense" is my least favorite of the bonus tracks. It's fine, but nothing stands out about it.

Overall, I like Closure/Continuation. It features a lot of the characteristics I've been missing from Wilson's recent solo releases, and it's evident that the band members have good chemistry with one another. This isn't a perfect album, though. Parts of it feel unenthusiastic, and I mentioned several moments where the music just sounds like "Generic Porcupine Tree Song #138". Despite those issues, this isn't a bad way for the band to close things out. They always could continue, but I'm not expecting anything imminent, if at all.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2022/07/18/album-review-porcupine-tree-closure-continuation/