In Absentia: Porcupine Tree: Amazon.ca: Music

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This item: In Absentia ~ Porcupine Tree Audio CD CDN$ 19.99

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Fear of a Blank Planet ~ Porcupine Tree Audio CD CDN$ 17.08

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1. Blackest Eyes

2. Trains

3. Lips Of Ashes

4. The Sound Of Muzak

5. Gravity Eyelids

6. Wedding Nails

7. Prodigal

8. .3

9. The Creator Has A Mastertape

10. Heartattack In A Layby

11. Strip The Soul

12. Collapse the Light Into Earth

Product Description

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After a quarter-century of punk and postmodern excesses, it's always something of a surprise to find young musicians who not only recall a past era's musical indulgences, but also revel in them. This Lava Records debut is the latest fruit of Porcupine Tree mainstay Steven Wilson's obsession with prog, a mania that dates to the late '80s when the "band" was little more than a fantasy, though one with a remarkably imaginative--if entirely fictional--history and bio. But that pipedream eventually became a real "alt prog" cult fave, with these dozen ambitious songs finding a focus that occasionally eluded the band on half-hour soundscapes like its underground hit, "Voyage 34." Tracks like "Gravity Eyelids" have a retro-psychedelic feel that would have done the XTC alter ego Dukes of Stratosphear proud, with Wilson's pure melodic tenor pushing it beyond the merely baroque. But the collection is also a strong statement of another crucial Wilson/Porcupine retro-sensibility: The album has unified musical statement. "Lips of Ashes" and "Prodigal" serve up the sort of impressionistic, harmony-rich musings that Pink Floyd has rarely managed since Wish You Were Here, while "The Creator Has a Master Tape" punctuates the rich harmonies of tracks like "Heart Attack in a Layby" with Crimson-esque metallic thrash and processed vocals. While the band's instrumental prowess sometimes slums its way into the free-form jazz noodling of past efforts, the album remains one of the band's fullest achievements. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

Hailed by Billboard as 'cinematic...simple gorgeous', Porcupine Tree are unquestionably one of the UK's most inspired and inventive rock groups. In Absentia is their eagerly anticipated Lava Records debut. Digipak. 2002.

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Customer Reviews

179 Reviews

5 star:		(144)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (179 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A breakthrough, April 4 2010

By

RDB (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Absentia (DVD Audio)

Pop music is generally quite conservative, stuck in adoration of the creative 1960's, but porcupine tree creates here very innovative ambiances and ways of doing things. All textures are different and all are filled with invention at all levels: composition, arrangements, sound design, mixing. Amazing! Except for the inevitable heavy metal licks and blasé general attitude, this album is a complete musical breakthrough.

Expect very loud general levels, but the sound quality is somewhat maintained.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Black the sky, weapons fly...", Sep 24 2003

By

A.F. "musicfan585" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Absentia (Audio CD)

I have always heard of the name Porcupine Tree when I started getting into the modern-day progressive rock bands, but I had never heard anything by them and was skeptical whether or not they'd be any good. A few weeks ago, I bought a copy of their latest album IN ABSENTIA and was intrigued by the sound clips. This was some really heavy stuff, yet further info led me to discover that PT were a more mellow prog band on their earlier albums. You would never guess that from the blistering opening track "Blackest Eyes."

What Porcupine Tree have done on IN ABSENTIA is a truly remarkable achievement. By bridging the gap between old-school prog. rock and modern-day progressive metal and throwing in some melodic pop/rock for good measure, they have created a totally unique sound. There are some stunningly beautiful moments on this album, and some of the most intense moments I've ever heard. Yet, it always remains consistent and the album flows incredibly well. How else can you explain that the gorgeous "Heartattack in a Layby" is followed by the dark and punishing "Strip the Soul"?

The album begins with the aforementioned "Blackest Eyes," which expertly combines big, crunchy metal riffs with catchy harmonies and stellar acoustics. The song smoothly segues into "Trains," my personal favorite off the record. This track just might be the greatest pop song ever written. The two solos - one on acoustic guitar and the other on banjo - fit in perfectly, and Steve Wilson's vocals are heartbreaking and emotional, especially when you read the lyrics. After this great one-two punch, the song quality continues.

The excellent "The Sound of Muzak" is a slashing commentary on today's music industry, with clever lyrics and solid drumming. The 8-minute epic "Gravity Eyelids" starts off slowly with some innovative ambient samples and soundscapes that mesh wonderfully with Wilson's dry vocals, and around the 4 minute mark, a seriously heavy riff kicks in and the band rocks out for the remainder of the track until the ambience is repeated again at the end. The complex instrumental "Wedding Nails" is another rocking highlight, sounding like Black Sabbath and King Crimson jamming in the studio together. Nobody seems to have mentioned the beautiful ".3," but I think it's a mesmerizing, hypnotic song that conveys a lot of emotion through it's two lines of lyrics than anything else (one of them is my review title).

Unlike a lot of prog bands, Porcupine Tree's musicianship is used to serve the song rather than merely show off, but they still play great. The drummer Gavin Harrison is an absolute monster, laying down some killer grooves and playing some pretty speedy fills, especially on the industrial-like "The Creator Has a Mastertape." The guitar work is also fantastic. The tone and feel the riffs and solos are absolutely astonishing. The production is also top-notch, courtesy of Wilson as well, who also produced the last three Opeth albums (guess that's what inspired him to have the guitars heavier this time around).

IN ABSENTIA is a solid slab of classic progressive rock and deserves to be in everybody's collection. I don't use the word "masterpiece" very often, but that's what this album is. Once you own it, you'll feel the same way.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fast shipping, Sep 19 2011

By

thio - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Absentia (Audio CD)

Fast shipping, thanks ! I'll deal with you again without any doubt ! The CD is brand new, no default

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