FEAR OF A BLANK PLANET

Not much I can add to what's already been said. I had the deluxe edition with audio DVD on order, but when I saw it hadn't shipped on the U.S. release date, I cancelled and went to the local record/electronics store. I got the last copy on the shelves. I was hoping to get Marillion's new one, Somewhere Else, but they didn't have any, or any Marillion at all for that matter, so I'll be getting it somewhere else. I'm afraid this one's going to overshadow it anyway so it's probably a good thing I had to put in a mail order. This one does pair up nicely with the new Nine Inch Nails, Year Zero, that came out the week before. They even have similar color schemes for the covers.

There's no groundbreaking music here, but it's basic Porcupine Tree, and therefore quite good. I've got most of their studio releases except for Lightbulb Sun (hope to see a remaster soon), since I didn't discover PT until late '04, and like everything in the catalog, even the sometimes maligned On the Sunday of Life. Fans will hear a lot of musical elements they've heard before. Thematically the lyrics are similar to a lot of Deadwing's. The opening song, Fear of a Blank Planet, is very similar to Deadwing's opener, starting out like gangbusters. You have the occasional heavy metal gunk gunk gunk guitar, but it's certainly not overdone and I think PT has actually taught me to enjoy it. I know as a musician it's fun to get loud and heavy sometimes. It's a great album to just sit down and listen to, which is the hallmark of any good progressive album. I also appreciate getting the lyrics in the package, which was missing from Deadwing.

I'm still absorbing this album, but I find it one of their best, which isn't saying much since they're ally good. The music is very rich and worthy of sitting down and listening to with your undivided attention.

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