DEADWING

DEADWING is by far my favorite PT disc and, although not their most musically complex album, it demonstrates what PT can truly create as a band. On IN ABSENTIA, Steven Wilson and the rest of PT seemed to be unsure of their musical footing moving from trip-hop to alternative metal to math rock. Though it made for some very unique-sounding music (e.g. Gravity Eyelids, The Sound of Muzak, Strip the Soul) some of the songs were quite dull and the ideas were lacking especially on tracks like the spacey Lips of Ashes or the repetitive symphonic rock of .3. DEADWING, on the other hand, brought Steven Wilson's musical ideas into a cohesive piece of art rock that is musically, lyrically, and thematically strong. From the pulsating synths of the opening title track to the last melancholy notes of Glass Arm Shattering, DEADWING takes the listener on musical roller-coaster ride that, while still very eclectic and genre-bending, manages to hold together better than IN ABSENTIA. Highlights include the title track, Halo, Arriving Somewhere (But Not Here), and Open Car although the whole album rarely falters (even the slightly too-long ballad Mellotron Scratch has an amazing ending). DEADWING holds it's place in my personal Top 10 favorite albums alongside such classics as THE WALL and MOVING PICTURES. Though some may disagree, I believe that DEADWING is the best album in PT's ever-growing discography. GRADE: A (97%)