Porcupine Tree - Deadwing (2005)
This famous five piece have been changing their sound continuously over the years and Deadwing is testament to that fact. Continuing with In Absentia's heavier sound, thanks to Steven Wilson's discovery of the underground metal scene, Deadwing provides a blend of old and new. Songs like Glass Arm Shattering wouldn't be out of place on older PT albums like Stupid Dream or Lightbulb Sun, whereas songs like Lazarus are clearly written with a more mainstream centered audience in mind. The lyrics are a strong point on this album, increasing in complexity and sounding a lot better than previous releases. Starting with the exceptional title track, the album takes a slight dive for the next 3 songs. Shallow and Halo are both flops when it comes to incorporating a heavier sound to Porcupine Tree's music and Lazarus closely represents a 'written for radio' song. Overall, the song is far from bad, but in the end it just doesn't cut it. This sequence is broken by the epic Arriving Somewhere, But Not Here which lives up to the standards I expect of such a great band. From ASBNH the album is a gem, flowing together and ending well, leaving the listener satisfied. The biggest grumble I have is the 3 track streak of under strength songs which makes you feel like the album is dragging on, especially for first time listeners. Maybe a bit of track list tweaking would help to separate the worse tracks and make it easier to keep focus. Overall the album is a success, but I'll be hoping for a more consistent effort in 2007.
