IN ABSENTIA

In Absentia could be described the first "full & heavy sound" Porcupine Tree album, benefiting from the arrival of the great drummer Gavin Harrison and the steady improvements to the overall musical maturity of the PT members in the preceding 10 years of the band's history.

As all albums in the world, In Absentia has its stronger and weaker moments. I feel that Mr. Steven Wilson's singing is one of those dead horses that do not need any additional flogging, so I'll leave it alone. It is what it is; it's a part of the PT heritage, and nothing is going to change it (for better or worse).

My favorite track is the purely instrumental :) Wedding Nails, but apart from the Trains with its somewhat awkward lyrics I would rate all the songs uniformly "strong 4 stars" or higher.

I view In Absentia as a potent prelude to the PT's pinnacle studio album, the FOABP (when I say FOABP, I mean the LP version, which incorporates the absolutely brilliant Nil Recurring).

On balance, 4.5 stars, rounded down to 4.