THE INCIDENT

OUCH! I hope this will be the only INCIDENT from now on...! Porcupine Tree are sitting in my Olympus of Great Modern Musicians, deserving it by releasing a strip of albums that always surprised me in terms of the wide arrays of musical ideas, from the sweetest melodies to the heavy riffs, and giving the real feeling of continuos evolvement. With The Incident, as others wrote, there were "great expecations" due to the announced long suite that would have been the centerpiece of the work. Now I have to say that this project outcome is not standing up to (my) expectations. The predominant feeling is that the music on this album is COLD, like a razor's stee, or like a vanishing space: the production is indeed superb, and with headphonesyou can taste every note and sound, it seems distilled like the finest and purest cognac. Fact is, with difference to the previous PT releases, I noticied a much higher ratio of unconsistent material. You can find good pieces, like Blind House (but it ends practically at 2/3!), Great Expectations, Kneel and disconnect, Drawing the Line. And then you have to cope with small musical "links" (the shortest pieces) that aren't adding nothing to the whole. "The Incident" title track exits from a cold and distorted vocal "intro" at 2/3 of length! "Time flies", the longest song is not giving me satisfaction completely, due to the central section (a disappointing dark lead guitar work that seems mendearing without a proper melodic construction, looks like improvisated). After this song, interest gets down and resumes only with the last "I Drive the hearse", a nice trademark ballad, with very catchy chorus. Some very good things are coming out from the four songs that are out of the "Incident" suite: Black Dahlia and Remember Me Lover in my opinion are the best songs of bunch, and also Flicker is enjoyable.

Final comments: the coldness feeling remains in the end, and a kind of fear that Porcupine Tree have depleted their momentum. Having heard the many Pink Floyd innuendos on this album, I really hope this album is not like The Final Cut! Please PT, do unleash some more passionate music into the next record and I'll sure you'll make a stronger statement than this. Rating really between 2 and 3 => 3-.