DEADWING

This latest album of Porcupine Tree is very easy to get impressed by on the very first spin, having a great rocking opener and excellent production. But actually after repeated listens I've to say I prefer the albums they did before STUPID DREAM. That one and IN ABSENTIA did not convince me that much anymore, because I got more and more the impression that they moved more towards an ALTERNATIVE ROCK and METAL approach and they included more elements of GRUNGE in their music that is not so much "my cup of tea". And DEADWING is for me in fact the final prove for my impression. But let's get now to the songs of this album.

The title song is a quite versatile one trying to blend elements of nu metal, progressive metal with typical floydian PT ones. It's not really bad, but I couldn't also tell, that it blew me away. In "Shallow" they show a tough alternative metal sound, they never did before, I can't find this one that "progressive" as well. "Lazarus" is a typical modern ballad, very common in many other British alternative pop/rock bands, probably very impressive if you've just fallen in love freshly, sorry I'm not in this enviable situation. "Halo" is again a trial to blend the typical floydian and spacey PT elements with alternative and death metal ones. I've to say this song did not give me much in the beginning, but I started to like it a bit more when I watched them playing it on a concert I visited recently. PT is an excellent live band I've to admit and their playing was much more convincing than on the studio albums. I was fascinated especially by the work of Gavin Harrison on his enormous drum kit. "Mellotron Scratch" is a quite nice acoustic type PT song, nothing special and I think they've done already better ones in that vein. "Open Car" is again a song in a rather typical alternative metal vein showing little or no prog-ish resemblance at all. Sometimes I get the impression I'm listening to a more spacey reincarnation of Smashing Pumpkins. "The Start Of Something Beautiful" is the usual mish-mash as before between heavy (alternative) rocking elements and more mellow ones. Quite nice, but I've to say after repeated listens it quickly loses attraction and becomes rather boring, like most of the alternative rock stuff. Last song "Glass Arm Shattering" is a song quite in the "old" PT vein and the first one of the album I really appreciate.

Overall I would say this one is a nice album in general and an enjoyable listen but not a real essential one in progressive rock.

Share this PORCUPINE TREE review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to hdfisch
• Report this review (#34353)
• Buy PORCUPINE TREE music online with PA partners
• Show all PORCUPINE TREE MP3/Stream
• Go to PORCUPINE TREE page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Deadwing page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for PORCUPINE TREE related discussions