NIL RECURRING

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More than fifty reviews, and only 8 from them are wordy. Are PT fans kinda gone mute from their excitement?

Unfortunately, PT went the same old road. I simply can't understand and share all the hype around both this EP and FOABP. They just made them a bit harder and more mainstreamy (read "accessible") than their previous works (BLACKFIELD's influence?), but people tend to claim this is how Prog must look like these days. I feel myself frustrated, as I'm totally unable to share all this excitement. IMHO, PT lost themselves. Two more albums like these two, and I'll give up listening to them. Actually, songs follow the simple scheme "calm-loud" with few complex signatures thrown into them ("to make them sure that we're still Prog"). Melodies and harmonies are the same as on FOABP (hence less interesting than on previous efforts), the whole sound is the same was heavy, and only GAVIN's genius drumming prevented me from giving 2 stars to this EP. BTW, I bet I heard chorus from "Normal" somewhere before.

This is IMHO the wrong road PT takes now, and if they'll continue (something tells me they will), they might become another THE MARS VOLTA for me - good group, samey albums, mediocre as a result

Though inconsistent (and way too short!), Nil Recurring has inklings of where Porcupine Tree is going - and it looks (and sounds) good. The opening title track is a surprisingly weak instrumental (compared to some of PT's other instrumentals), despite the appearance of Robert Fripp (who shows yet again why HE is Robert Fripp, and John Frusciante (as good as he is) is not). The second track, Normal, is a nice companion piece to "Sentimental" on FOABP (it uses the same chorus), showing where the kid in the latter might be as an adult. However, it is with the other two tracks that PT truly shines. "Cheating the Polygraph" is an excellent composition with a decidedly darker edge (and I thought little could be darker than FOABP!) which harks back to the best of In Absentia or Deadwing. What Happens Now is the group's best effort in some time, a lengthy (8.5 minutes), layered and heavily textured affair that goes even darker still, and includes some of SW's best guitar work to date. [N.B. PT opened their NY show with this, and not only did it work well, but the audience was absolutely mesmerized.] One reviewer complained that he did not hear any progression on this EP from earlier work. Even were that true, I would say that PT has settled quite comfortably into a compelling style that allows for continued experimentation without carrying the work too far in any direction, and that there is nothing wrong with that. Finally, although I gave the EP only three stars, if it had been a full CD, and the remainder of the material was as good as the three vocal tracks, I would likely have given it a fourth star. It is certainly a must-hear for all PT fans.

An awful lot of five stars rating without review for the latest "PT" offering. As loads of "current" bands I would say.

Five stars meaning MASTERPIECE...

It is of course, and by no means a weak effort (but "PT" released few of these). But the same is true in terms of masterpieces. IMO, they released none. Lots of hype about this band (too much). From their whole discography, it is the live albums that are more appealing to me.

Since "In Absentia" in 2002, the orientation of the band is definitely towards heavier, more metal music. As if "Opeth" influence invaded Wilson's inspiration. "Normal" is a great backup to this theory. But before this number, the band offered some "Dream Theater" moments with the title track "Nil Recurring". Strong riff, wild beat at times. A good song though.

As most of their latest work, this EP sounds as:

1. Déjà vu

2. Too much of the same kind

"Cheating The Polygraph" could have been released on any of their last albums since "In Absentia".

"PT" was pioneering the revival of an old genre when they started a long time ago. Even if IMHHO, nothing really outstanding has been produced. Their latest releases awfully lack in personality. Still this EP is a good and pleasant work.

Three stars.

A logical extension of the type of music heard on "Fear of a Blank Planet" and, as a result, is hurt by the lack of creative song writing and sonic variety which hurt that album's overall quality. "Nil Recurring" has a few moments of genuine brilliance in say, the return of Wilson's quite, delicate vocal deliveries and the band's use of Barbieri's considerable keyboard talents, but as a whole I maintain that these song's heavy elements are present merely because they are expected-- they are contrived and near the level of pointlessness. "Cheating the Polygraph" might be the worst song the group has ever recorded.

That being said, "Nil Recurring" is still fun. Fripp's frantic solo in the opening track is one of his best in a long time, and so long as Wilson isn't chugging out metal riffs to Harrison's crashing symbols the album has a fine energy and solid groove. "What Happens Now" is more original than anything on "Fear of a Blank Planet", and "Normal" outshines its full-length counterpart on that album as well.

Fans of "Fear of a Blank Planet" will be wholly satisfied, while fans of PT's stellar earlier output will be waiting for their favorite band to return.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 2

An Excellent EP which leads to Great Album! I wish .

WOW! This is really a great EP that I am pretty damn sure it would lead to a brilliant album in the very near future. It anchors the band's existence in the style of music they have been focusing on, giving away the influences by legendary band like Pink Floyd. It's very obvious in fact through the opening title track "Nil Recurring" where I can hear its music subtleties by playing the music loudly. All the soundscape and the music grooves come out clearly with its excellent sonic quality of the CD represented by tight bass lines, powerful drumwork, ambient keyboard and its effects plus stunning guitar riffs and melody. It's so wonderful and mind-boggling, I would say. This song blew me away at firs spin and in fact I played it loud when I listened to it the first time. It's a great instrumental track!

"Normal" kicks off with inventive acoustic guitar work followed by great music with brilliant grooves in relatively fast tempo followed with nice break that accompanies Steve Wilson's vocal line enters the music. The inventive acoustic guitar work still provide nice fills at background. The song moves brilliantly with a combined style of symphonic music indicated by long sustain keyboard work at background in mellotron-like sound and psychedelic music. This has made the song really attractive and enjoyable to my taste and I am sure it would satisfy wider listeners as well. When the music slows down, there is a violin-like sound followed vibrantly by a blast of music with heavy riffs. It's quite enjoyable the change from one style to another.

"Cheating The Polygraph" flows with medium tempo and provides good break after quite heavy music with previous two tracks. But the music moves into high tones again with nice guitar riffs and floating vocal line. Bass guitar provides great solo right after the high tones and it remarks the music to slow down as the vocal line will enter again. It's really an excellent track. The music returns back to higher tones with heavier guitar riffs.

"What Happens Now?" starts with an ambient nuance followed with percussion work. The music flows steadily with bass lines as beat keepers followed with keyboard which then accompany Steve Wilson's vocal line. The percussion work still work continuously at background. The music moves in crescendo with a great sound effects resulting from guitar and keyboard. The vocal line turns into distant-singing which makes the music more space psychedelic in nature. The drumwork enters and brings the music into its full-blown style, typical to Porcupine Tree rhythm section. It's so wonderful!

Well, I know that this is an EP which serves as a teaser of the band's upcoming album. But, I respect the music highly. I confirm that this is a masterpiece EP that prog lovers must have it or at least they must buy the full album length which I believe would be a masterpiece as well, knowing that the four tracks in this EP are all masterpiece. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Oh no! Not again! I liked the first Nil album much better.

Well, not really as this is really Nil for the first time. It would have been nice if it could have been offered initially in a package with Fear Of A Blank Planet, but I suspect that's in the works at some point. What you get here is some nice supplemental material to FOABP, which was written during the same recording sessions and finished up after it's release.

I like this a little better than FOABP so I think this bodes well for the next regular Porcupine Tree release. We get Robert Fripp doing a nice cameo on the first track, Nil Recurring. Normal is a reprise,. of sort, of Sentimental from FOABP. I love that opening sitaresque guitar lick. Cheating the Polygraph is a nice mix of heavy and mellower bits. The final track is an instrumental, What Happens Now. It has a Porcupine Tree first, a guest on electric violin, Ben Coleman. Some of the parts hearken back to pre-In Absentia PT. Nice percussion work by Harrison in addition to the usual excellent drumming.

If you haven't picked this one up, the first run of CDs were only 5,000, so now your only option to get it is pay for download. This is certainly an essential acquisition for PT fans.

A very good short EP with an emphasis on instrumental songwriting, but quite similar to Fear of the Blank Planet. Despite the lack of originality, the songs range from good to very good and are masterfully produced, as you can always expect from this band. The sound is much more accessible this time.

The album opens with an instrumental that showcases prog star Fripp on guitar and atmospherics. The introductory riff is feeble, out of place, does not bring any emotions, but the electric guitars that complement it carry much more energy and are very welcome. After an ambient avant-garde moment, a burst of dissonant electric guitars appears out of nowhere and is the highlight of the album for me. Unfortunately, that dumb guitar lick of the beginning resurfaces later.

Normal is really a different and longer version of Sentimental with the same chorus and similar melodies and lyrics at parts. It suffers from being long, carries a ridiculously out of place metal part, and has half of the magic Sentimental had. It's good, but Sentimental was amazing. Cheating the Polygraph for some reason sounds great but nothing new. Mellow atmospherics, hard rock riffs, and distorted vocals like usual.

What happens Now bring back the tribal percussion of Waiting pt2 from their earlier psychedelic period and sounds like a mixture of the atmosphere of Signify and the heavy edge of the Porcupine Tree of now. It slowly grows into a familiar riff from their latest studio album, which seamlessly transform into a different riff that ultimately explodes in a similar fashion to the electric guitar explosion of the opening track.

I think this is recommended for the fans as the band didn't stop making good music. Actually, I'll add a half star as the songs are a pleasure to hear.

Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring

It sometimes makes you wonder, doesn't it? Exactly what makes a band decide to drop a song from their full length album? This EP is in a way a bit like the whole of the Recordings CD. It's not an official full-length album, but to call it mere 'leftovers' doesn't do the music right.

Nil Recurring was first released months after the Fear of a blank Planet album, and it is in a way a clear continuation of that album. I'm not per se referring to the fact that this EP features an excellent companion piece to the song Sentimental, but more in general, I feel like these four songs could fit on the original album perfectly. What am I saying... What happens now? might be one of the best Porcupine Tree songs I've heard as a fun!

Musicwise this EP shows a continuation of mainly the last two albums. There's the familiar use of heavy guitar riffing, but this EP also uses various electronica elements from time to time. I am not only referring to the guest performance by Robert Fripp, but there's a general use of subtle electronic elements, as for instance in the closing track. In this song you hear simple, repetitive electronic melodies, which work perfectly for the built-up in this song.

Problem with this CD at the beginning was that it sold out rather quickly. Luckily for fans of Porcupine Tree's music, the EP is being rereleased in a short while, with the only change that it is presented in a jewel case packaging instead of the digipack version the first edition came in. I, myself, was lucky enough to manage to purchase the Japanese version of this EP, and this version even offers a bonus track in the form of the edit version of the Fear of a blank Planet title track.

Nil Recurring is a typical Porcupine Tree band effort, occasionally showing a bit more folky and electronic side to the band, but mainly seeing the band continuing on the laid out path of dark and brooding hard rock... Yes, it's as out of this world as ever, but with a punch!

Recurring indeed.

Porcupine Tree's latest EP was released publicly only very recently, and based on the reviews it had been getting as a order-off-the-website-only deal I was expecting the thing to blow my friggen skull open when I gave it a spin the day I found that it was finally waiting for me on the store shelf. While the EP certainly has it's charms and works very well as a partner to its big brother, Fear Of A Blank Planet, it seems the the hype was a bit too high.

In other words, it's not a masterpiece on par with Close To The Edge. That said, it's still a worthy disc.

Certainly tight in it's musicianship, Nil Recurring deserves most of the praise it receives. The opener (and title track) NIL RECURRING is a very well done instrumental featuring one Mr. Robert Fripp of King Crimson, and he certainly makes his mark. The song comes off as exactly what it is, a PT-KC collaboration that allows both guitar virtuosos to noodle. Running strait into the song is the next track, NORMAL. Basically 'Sentimental Pt. II', NORMAL recycles Sentimental's chorus and some riffs as it makes its way along. Not in any way the same track however, NORMAL has it's own flavor -- as though it has the same narrator speaking from a different chapter of his life. CHEATING THE POLYGRAPH is next, and this one's another good one. Reminiscent of Rush's 'Jacob's Ladder' in terms of structure (one big dark overture with some lyrics to start it off), this one chugs along with some very catchy instrumentalism until it reaches it's eventual end. The album ends with the dark WHAT HAPPENS NOW, which basically reprises not only the ep, but 'My Ashes' from Fear... as well. Similar in style to 'Sleep Together' this one has it's charms in it's mix of flavors.

On a side note -- Packaged in a spiffy ''Super-Jewel-Case'' this one is quite pleasing to the eyes with it's extension to FOABP's artwork.

While the music here is quite good as a partner to the album that goes with it, it's not quite as strong on it's own as some of PT's other EPs have been. Certainly a good extension to FOABP (does the phrase 'extended play [ep]' ring a bell?), but not a good stand alone. Not really essential but certainly a good buy if you really loved FOABP or even liked it. If you want nothing more to do with that album then avoid this. Cautionary note, though -- Don't buy this album expecting completely new material.

I'm always tight pressed to give an ep more than 3 stars... so being a good one, that's what this one gets.

These four tracks, produced in the Fear of Blank Planet sessions, were rejected for the album by Steven Wilson himself, stating that it would spoil the album continuity and experience, even though not considering them inferior to those present in the album. Months later, and with even some improvements, these 4 tracks were released as an independent EP called Nil Recurring. Lyrically, they can be seen as a sort of continuity of the boy's disturbing mind and quest for a more substantiated life.

Musically, some tracks would definitely add even more positive effects to the Fear of a Blank Planet album (unless the sparse experiments are increments post-album). The instrumental guitar myriad of Nil Recurring and the folk Normal with its difficult and appellative acoustic riff both show a particularly meticulous work of perfection of every detail, with its positive and not-so-positive effects. Cheating the Polygraph was supposed to be the Way out of Here of FoaBP but was rejected after the fans disapproval on pre-album gigs. However, its improvements resulted in a solid and appellative track. What Happens Now? ends the album in an atmospheric, quasi post-rock mood, perhaps spoiled nevertheless by its cathartic final guitar solo.

In sum, in the continuity of the album released on the same year, this is a fine complement of its good vibe, and perhaps one or other track should have been stayed on its integrity.

7/10 (good)

This EP is definitely good, but not great. The title track is fairly weak, despite some very quality contributions by Robert Fripp. Normal is the most powerful off the CD, featuring mostly acoustic guitar work, punctuated by sudden bursts of crazy drums and electric guitar at critical moments. Definitely worth the price of the album alone. Cheating the Polygraph and What Happens Now? are both smart tunes as well, replete with some of the best drumming Harrison's done for Porcupine Tree, aside from Fear of a Blank Planet itself. There is even some awkward time work in What Happens Now?, which is rather different for the band.

All in all, definitely a good place to go, a good album to buy, but a weak first track drags it down to just under four stars. Probably worth checking out simply for the drum work throughout.

Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring 4 stars

Can you recur again, one last time?

This is a collection of B-side tracks to the album 'Fear of a Blank Planet'. Each song on here is considerably different, but keeps a similar tone overall. The guitar is usually distorted with some chorus effects put in and seems to be the real driving piece of this EP. The bass and effects are thrown way in the back, not even really having a defining presence. In other words, this is really a new sound.

The title track serves as a simply structured instrumental intro with the guitar dominating on primarily rhythm work. Robert Fripp is a guest on this track and provides some nice backing. 'Normal' is one of the best tracks among Porcupine Tree's work. A very tough acoustic intro is played followed by a heavier rendition of it. The 'Sentimental' chorus is all thrown in, showing its tie to the album. Following this is one of Wilson's best chord work on the acoustic guitar followed by a massive amount of vocal melodies. 'Cheating the Polygraph' is a growing track. It really hit me on the personal level. Started off with Gavin's signature dynamic and tom work, followed by Wilson hitting a fuzzed and delayed chord every measure with some haunting lyrics really creates the atmosphere of the song. Some good parts follow this main course like some jams and solo's. 'What Happens Now' is a great closing track. The vocals dominate the beginning of this track. The drums once again last the whole track, but towards the middle this song turns into Porcupine Tree's typical wonderful jams.

This is one of my favorite EP's. It is clearly a step above most artists entire albums. I just hope PT can put their next album up with a sound similar to this. Wilson, always the progresser.

Well i'll admit right now that i'm a PORCUPINE TREE fan boy.There is a reason for the "tree" on the end of Sinkadoten. Anyway i can't get enough of this EP which explores the same subject matter as "Fear Of A Blank Planet".There is something about hearing Steven Wilson singing and playing his acoustic guitar that transports me.Barbieri's synth work is for me like coming home after a long trip.It's familiar,comfortable and where i want to be. The title track features the Frippster leading things off(love the intro), and i like the way it builds to a nice heavy sound 1 1/2 minutes in.A calm follows 2 minutes in with deep bass and synths.A fuller sound returns 3 1/2 minutes in as drums pound with prominant synths(i'm home).Harrison is fantastic 4 1/2 minutes in. "Normal" opens with some cool sounding intricate guitar as drums beat their way in.It settles with vocals before a minute.Love the vocals with synths before 2 minutes that reminds me of the PORCUPINE TREE of old(and Sarah). Heavy outbursts after 4 1/2 minutes followed up by vocals and acoustic guitar.Nice. Cool line that is sung over and over to end it. "Wish i was old and a little sentimental,you gotta see the waves,not the wine bottles".Amen Steven. "Cheating The Polygraph" reminds me of RUSH to start with before the vocals come in.A full heavy sound 2 minutes in.It settles back down quickly as this contrast continues.Aggressive and raw sounding guitar before 4 1/2 minutes as Harrison puts on a show.He's at it again 6 minutes in while the synths that follow are classic PT. "What Happens Now?" is pastoral to begin with as percussion and synths lead the way before reserved vocals join in.It's building.It's brighter 4 1/2 minutes in.Heavy 5 minutes in.The guitar is great after 7 minutes. This is a great companion EP to go with "Fear Of A Blank Planet".

Porcupine Tree is always releasing EPs and released an EP in the same year their released their latest album, Fear Of a Blank Planet. Nil Recurring has the same structure of their last album and probably was made of songs that were not finished at the time Fear Of a Blank Planet was released or were leftovers of that album. But contrary to the most people's opinions, it is better than the album itself. Of course there is a major flaw in it, but it doesn't last so long and is much better than, for example, the opener and the closer of Fear Of a Blank Planet, which are totally forgettable, because they are Porcupine Tree wanting to be metal, but without competence. Another similarity with Fear Of a Blank Planet is that all the songs have around seven minutes.

Porcupine Tree has lost most of its progressiveness in favor of a alternative rock/metal feel, but they can deliver good songs yet and I think they return to some of their highlights of Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun and In Absentia era. The music that marks this and is far better than the others is Normal. With seven minutes, it cuts out the artificial metal crap and delivers excellent guitar riffs (acoustic and electric) and keyboard sounds. There are some metallish moments, but just to build climaxes, which is intelligent. The instrumental Nil Recurring is not so good, but shares some of the phylosophy of this song and is good also.

Then comes the big mistake of the album. Cheating the Polygraph. The song fails badly because it seems to be an attempt of Porcupine Tree doing music like Tool. I'm not a Tool fan, but even so original Tool is better than Porcupine Tree trying to be Tool, because Tool knows well how to do songs in their own style and they have very good songs. Not the whole song is like that, but many moments of the song make me remember Tool and in my opinion, this is completely flawed, though many metalheads will like it. Not that the song is terrible, but worse than the other songs in the album.

What Happens Now? is the last and longest song of the EP. It is a song that is a mixed bag of what Porcupine Tree has been doing in the last 10 years. The song has alternative rock parts, plain sequencer beat, prog guitar and synthesizer parts. The instrumental section that goes from the middle till the end of the song is very good and gives some hope that Porcupine Tree use the final part as inspiration for their next hard/metal songs, not trying to imitate Tool or alternative metal bands, like they have been doing recently.

Overall this EP is better than their albums since In Absentia. I hope it indicates that their future is brighter and Porcupine Tree returns to their best form, as it was in the beginning of their career.

Nice but for the fans

PT is a favorite of near everyone and I'm no exception. I think "Fear of a Blank Planet" is an incredible chunk of rock music, one of the finest in recent memory. And while "Nil Recurring" is good, and a nice addition to flesh out FoaBP, it is nonetheless an expensive extra that is "for the fans" which means a two-star rating. No one should buy this EP in place of FoaBP as it is not the complete, complex work that the Fear is. There is a nice twist on "Sentimental" dubbed "Normal", the fine space-instrumental title track, and two other average tracks. Generally speaking the music is along the same lines as Fear though not quite as arresting. The digipak design is quite nice with some great photographs of teens, though I've wondered how teens perceive the 40ish Wilson's presentation of them both visually and lyrically. I think the real question is: do any of the 4 tracks on NIL deserve to have been put in place of any track on Fear? I don't think so. I think "Sleep Together" is the weakest track on Fear, but in retrospect I wouldn't trade any of NIL for it. If these tracks were recorded at the same time as Fear then I credit Wilson for making exactly the right song selection for his masterful Blank Planet album. NIL is a nice cherry on the top for fans but it is hardly a necessity, and thus, two stars is appropriate. An essential EP could be worthy of more stars but NIL is not essential if one possesses Fear. How some can call this a stand-alone 5 star masterpiece is beyond my grasp. 4/10

Because these four tracks were rejected from the 'Fear of a Blank Planet' album, they can hardly be considered essential. They continue on the good work from that album, having the same feel: tight drumming, crunchy guitars, not as melodic and perhaps a little less progressive and a lot more metal than the PORCUPINE TREE we've known.

The four tracks are an odd bunch, and don't really flow together. The title track is an instrumental, and I feel it's an odd choice to open the EP. 'Cheating the Polygraph' might have been a better selection, despite it being a slghtly warmed-up remix of 'Anesthetize'. I'm also not sure that an inferior arrangement of 'Sentimental' - masquerading here as 'Normal' - ought to have followed the opener. Because this means we don't get to the meat and veg until the last track, which is indeed the equal of anything on their latest album.

From me, however, that's not the highest praise. I don't find FOABP that convincing, and these four tracks add little to the puzzle. At times they sound - well, recycled. The best of them, 'What Happens Now?' should, I think, have been on the album, but the rest are marginal. This is not up to the standard of some of the other supplementary PT releases, such as 'Insignificance', 'Staircase Infinities' and 'Recordings'. Still, FOABP and Nil Recurring do make a nice package - at nearly twice the price.

After this less than satisfactory change in direction, I wonder what happens next for PORCUPINE TREE.

I am a music lover who considers "Fear of a Blank Planet" to not only be the deservingly-anointed prog album of the year 2007 but a strong contender for album of the decade. It's that special. If you have a comparable, lofty opinion of it then adding this bonus disc to your collection is a no-brainer. "Hold on. It's a bit pricey for an EP of just four songs" you may complain but I'm here to assure you that I've spent a lot more and gotten a lot less quality in my day so it's well worth the extra lettuce. Basically these are tracks that didn't fit into the magnificent flow of the masterpiece that is FOABP but that doesn't mean they're substandard at all. Au contraire, monsieur. All four are ripe fruit from the Porcupine Tree and they stand on their own merits accordingly.

The opening salvo that is "Nil Recurring" just may be one of their best instrumentals ever. It constructs a patiently crafted, wonderful piece-by-piece build up to a near frenzy over the first few minutes, then levels out over a psychedelic plateau where the band floats in suspension with guitar and synthesizer incidentals darting in and out of the sky. A large-scale guitar/bass riff follows and that opens things up for drummer extraordinaire Gavin Harrison to dazzle your senses with his amazing stick work before they tack on a wild, frantic ending where guest Robert Fripp performs his unique magical mayhem. It's nothing less than a thrilling, six-minute roller coaster ride. Hop on and strap yourself in.

"Normal" is a variation on the PT song "Sentimental." Don't worry, it's not just a remix but a totally different tune that happens to share some of the same lyrics. They aren't pulling a scam here at all. An acoustic guitar and a short rocking segment start things off before a lighter vocal space ensues with synthesized strings creating a deep backdrop to Steven Wilson's melodic lines. "Here is my car, my phone and my TV/I've got it all but you can still see through me/but am I here?/its kind of hard to tell/I do a good impression of myself/but what's normal now anyhow?" Wilson's unadorned portrayal of the unending angst of the younger generation is poetic yet straight to the point, just as it was throughout FOABP. There's a cool synthesized soprano sax solo to enjoy along the way and then they lull you into a relaxed state of mind prior to jolting you rudely awake with a stunning cannonade of dense sound tidal waves. And then just as unexpectedly they drop down into an acoustic guitar-driven air where intertwining vocal lines chant "wish I was old and a little sentimental" like some child's nursery rhyme. (Careful what you desire, Steven, age and sentimentality aren't always what they're cracked up to be. Take it from one who knows.) A tight, spirited ending brings the song to a tasteful close.

You get a good dose of Harrison's deft touch during the onset of "Cheating the Polygraph" as he rolls effortlessly underneath stark guitar chords and a lonesome vocal. Here Wilson is the voice of the teenage outcast who feels destined and doomed to forever be a disappointment to his parents. "Lying through my teeth again/I've been bad again, black lies/skirting round the truth again/to escape the look in your eyes," he confesses. The number evolves to an intense, riff-based segment, then moves into a jazzy interlude and returns to another round of the verse/chorus. Steven turns in a blistering, edgy electric guitar lead as the group gathers to fire up a big-time finale where Gavin flies over, under, around and through his drum kit. The man is a monster and this is an example of why he's one of the best in the biz.

Light congas and percussion make "What Happens Now?" a welcome change of pace as the group lays the foundation for an outstanding cut that's filled with surprises. An airy atmosphere constructed by keyboard man Richard Barbieri surrounds the vocal in which Wilson expresses how crass materialism pales when one is confronted by the puzzle of existence. "So I got all these things, but so what?/in the end you can't take them with you/you think you can save my soul?/well, ok./tell me, with all your conviction/what happens now?" he questions. A pulsating synth program enters and the song grows and grows until it finally finds a fat groove to drive comfortably inside. It's not unlike some of the soundscapes they traversed back in their 90s "Up the Downstair" phase but they don't linger too long and soon develop a musical segment where they cleverly combine and overlay a variety of beat patterns with fantastic results. Harrison handles the complexity with ease, of course, and eventually "God's Guitars" engulf the track like the aftermath of the parting of the Red Sea. I love it when he does that.

This is simple, really. If you are a fan of Porcupine Tree then you owe it to yourself to indulge in these fine tunes while you wait for future releases. You won't be disappointed. 4.4 stars.

Had Porcupine Tree cut "Sleep Together" off Fear of a Blank Planet and made Nil Recurring the rest of that album, they would have had, instead of a four-star LP and a four-star EP, one five-star masterpiece. As it stands, this is a reliable short album that serves as a continuation of the aforementioned album.

"Nil Recurring" Innovative guitar work saturates this frenzied instrumental. In a way, the piece is similar to recent King Crimson, and no wonder- Robert Fripp is in the studio on this one, and I find his work here is better than some of what he did with King Crimson. Speaking of Fripp's main creative outlet, the first two minutes feature the same repetitive but steadily built-upon structures that make up a good King Crimson instrumental. Throughout other sections, there is a static rhythm on distorted electric guitar that serves as a basis for the other instruments to create the dynamic aspects. The different guitars provide different textures: While one may be heavily distorted, another won't be, and yet another is laden with reverb.

"Normal" There is a frantic introduction that somewhat bridges the previous track into this, then things slow down with some soft instrumentation, distorted bass, and Wilson's voice. The first time I heard this, I was blown away with how the song is the separated twin of "Sentimental." Thematically, the two songs are bound together by the same cell phone chargers, mp3 player headphones, X-box controllers, and cold apathy, and the songs feature the same chord progression at times. The music and musicianship of "Normal" is better than "Sentimental," but I find the lyrics and vocal work of "Sentimental" to be superior. However, the sudden acoustic section- "Wish I was older and a little sentimental"- is superb. The counterpoint line, "You've got to see the waves, not the wine bottle" is particularly meaningful to me.

"Cheating the Polygraph" I initially found this to be the weakest track on the album, but it gradually became what was in my opinion an excellent Porcupine Tree song. Wilson does sound a bit nasal on this track, and his distorted vocals in the chorus in 5/8 make the words nigh impossible to make out. The clean guitar solo two minutes in is lovely, and the various effects on the other sounds are generally pleasant and compliment the composition. The heaviest parts of the song are fitting, even if though I don't always care for them. The weird instrumentation that bridges the heavy moments is intriguing and worth checking out.

"What Happens Now?" Otherworldly keyboard work and hand percussion begin the fourth and final track. The lyrics are a little cliché, and the singing is very close to that of recent Bono for some reason, but things pick up and get creative again. The lyrics reprise "My Ashes." There is some absolutely stunning music halfway in, and later, the music reprises "Anesthetize." Afterwards, the music temporarily has two distinct rhythms occurring just before some dramatic, heavy business and a lead guitar solo that brings things to an end.

Porcupine Tree ? Nil Recurring review

By ProgkidJoel

"Please note that the material on the album is definitely NOT comprised of "rejects" from the Fear of a Blank Planet album, in fact we consider it every bit as good, they just didn't fit into what was a very concept driven record. Nil Recurring is a completely self-contained and carefully executed work so you can consider this the second (albeit slightly short) Porcupine Tree album release of the year!"

- Steven Wilson, PORCUPINE TREE

Nil Recurring is a companion album to Porcupine Tree's 2007 release, Fear Of A Blank Planet. It is comprised of four excellent tracks which sit perfectly into the FOABP song cycle. Although these tracks were left out as they didn't fit into the mood of FOABP, they're none the less quality tracks, and take a place ahead of FOABP in my own tastes.

The EP opens with the instrumental title track, NIL RECURRING.

"I just thought it was an interesting idea I had. I had this instrumental, and I didn't have a title, so I called it Nil Recurring. It's always quite hard to name instrumentals, because obviously there's no subject matter to relate it to. I just thought the idea was quite funny. I kind of like absurd titles. I kind of have a history of having these titles that make no sense, like Up The Downstair (1993). I mean Nil Recurring is another paradox like statement. You cannot have the number nil recurring. So it's just a bit of fun really. And of course, it seemed to fit in with the lyrical concept of some of the other pieces that featured on Fear Of A Blank Planet. It was that idea of blankness, of not being there or negativity that helped gave that piece, and the E.P. its title."

- Steven Wilson on NIL RECURRING, the track.

This track features Robert Fripp on lead guitar, although this seems unnecessary, as Steven Wilson could have easily handled the guitar virtuosity shown throughout this track. This track is marked by a heavy sound, although a different type of heavy to the majority of Fear Of A Blank Planet. This feels much more clean and rehearsed. This track is filled with lovely chords and great drums. The track continues with a solidly enjoyable formula of insane percussion and heavy guitar work, closing with a display of insane technical virtuosity from Gavin Harrison.

NORMAL is without a doubt the best track on the EP, featuring a lovely intro in the style of Opeth and all round fantastic playing. This track is a companion to FOABP's SENTIMENTAL, featuring the same chorus. The track has a great ebb and flow, but it didn't suit the atmosphere of FOABP, and as such, was replaced by SENTIMENTAL. This feels much less atmospheric and much more song-based than its counterpart, and is a class Porcupine Tree track. The acoustic guitar work is once again lovely on this disc, and plays wonderfully. This track continues in its bitter-sweet fashion, and around halfway through, heavy acoustic guitar and drums break through, opening up a whole new emotion and feel to the track. After this section comes the best part of the song ? A repetition of a great lyric (Wish I was old and a little? Sentimental) and some lovely guitar work yet again. These lyrics transpose the opening lyrics to SENTIMENTAL, which state "I never wanna be old? And I don't want dependence". The centerpiece to a fantastic EP.

CHEATING THE POLYGRAPH is another solid track in the style of Fear of A Blank Planet, featuring a masterful guitar solo and all-round delicious instrumentation. This track is definitely in the same vein as FEAR OF A BLANK PLANET (track), although its still a lovely song on which stands perfectly on its own two feet. Another lovely midsection to a fantastic disc.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW? Is another great song, this time featuring part of the mid-section to ANESTHETIZE. It opens with a drum repetition, which is somewhat similar to PT's older work on SIGNIFY. This song has a dark atmosphere and some great vocal work. The guitar work on this track is super-melancholic and virtuous, and fits perfectly with the rest of these great tracks. A massive change of pace marks the last two minutes of this song (and disc) and closes with an incredibly dark feeling and genuine emotion.

This disc is a must have for PT fans ? I prefer it to FOABP, on the whole.

Enjoy it! -Joel

An outstanding EP!

After the absolute masterpiece "Fear of a Blank Planet", Steve Wilson and his buddies released this short EP with only 4 tracks... But so full with good music, that it will please the most demanding prog listener!

"Nil Recurring" is for "Fear of a Blank Planet" what "Staircaise Infinities" was for "Up the Downstair"... It's similar in style and sound, but it doesn't really fit with the whole album. The orientation of these tracks is more psychedelic, experimental, and it requires more patience from the listener. Nevertheless, it's still very related with the original album. Even a pair of melodies (specially from Anesthetise...) are repeated in "Nil Recurring".

The sound of the EP is also excellent, specially the drums... I have no more adjectives left for Gavin Harrison. What a drummer! The Barbieri's keyboards have also a lot of protagonism, in detriment of Steve Wilson's voice (the EP is motly instrumental...) and guitars.

Conclusion: taking a pair of take offs from "Fair of a Blank Planet", and some new recordings, Porcupine Tree released this very worthy EP, wich is a pefect extension for a great album in a more psychedelic and experimental way, wich also brings to the mind the older band's style, but with the incredible musicianship that the group has gained through the years. A very recommended EP, and totally obligated for fans!

My rating: ****

Nil Recurring is an EP release by UK progressive rock act Porcupine Tree. The four songs on the EP were written and recorded during the same sessions as the songs that ended up on the Fear of a Blank Planet (2007) album ( some parts were finished a bit later though). The band didn´t feel that the songs would fit on the album but they also felt that the four songs on the EP were too good not to released.

The 28 minute playing time means that there is lots of quantity for the money and after listening to Nil Recurring the conclusion is that there is lots of quality as well. All four songs could easily have fit on Fear of a Blank Planet IMO. High quality songs in the typical alternative rock/ psychadelic rock/ progressive rock ( and slightly metal) style of latter day Porcupine Tree. The title track is a great instrumental while the three other songs have vocals. All very high quality tracks.

The production is naturally similar to the production on Fear of a Blank Planet which means that it´s a bit more organic than the production on the last couple of albums.

If you enjoy In absentia (2002), Deadwing (2005) and Fear of a Blank Planet , this EP is mandatory listening IMO. A 4 star rating is well deserved.