Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet Review

Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet

Rating

RIYL

Rush
King Crimson
Tool
Pink Floyd

Tracklist

1. Fear Of a Blank Planet
2. My Ashes
3. Anesthetize
4. Sentimental
5. Way Out Of Here
6. Sleep Together

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Dave Spak	Rick Gebhardt
QuirkyMora	cloudscollide
Spartan E7

In 1990, Public Enemy released their seminal album Fear of a Black Planet, dealing with racial and social issues which were of great importance at the time. Now, Porcupine Tree believes it's time to address issues which currently seem significant such as technological influence and the decline of American youth. Chances are they won’t be able to gain the popularity and recognition that Public Enemy received with their record. A concept album written about the youth of America by several older musicians seems like it may be trivial at first, but as you listen to this musical expedition through modern culture, you begin to realize that Steven Wilson and company are serious and even more importantly, sincere.

Fear of a Blank Planet shows remarkable progression from their last release, Deadwing. Less focus is placed on accessible songwriting resulting in more epic song structure. There are fewer tracks then their last few albums, but there is no lack in musical prowess. The title track kicks things off with fast acoustic picking before the song breaks into some aggressive electric guitar riffs. The lyrics set the stage for the observation of a young boy who has turned to drugs, video games, and other means to escape from reality. Each phrase describes a different facet of teen angst with lyrics like “Xbox is a god to me / My finger on the switch / My mother is a bitch / My father gave up ever trying to talk to me.”

The next song, “My Ashes” is a slow atmospheric ballad about alienation. The instrumentation is mostly acoustic guitar and piano with some violins that swell during the chorus. This song serves more like a bridge between the title track and “Anesthetize.” The album as a whole can actually be viewed as one long composition broken down into six movements since everything flows together so smoothly and has a cohesive theme. “Anesthetize” is the mammoth centerpiece of the album and the longest song Porcupine Tree has written since their 1995 release, The Sky Moves Sideways.

“Anesthetize” starts off very lethargically but takes the listener on an auditory journey which contains some of the heaviest material the band has written in years. At around 4 minutes, Alex Lifeson of Rush fame contributes an innovative guitar solo that gets the track progressing faster. The song contains many stylistic changes but still retains cohesion since it is so beautifully arranged. At around 11 minutes, the band even breaks into a Meshuggah-like metal freak-out. The track ends perfectly with stunning vocal harmonies sung amongst a calm tempo until it tapers off. It is truly one of Porcupine Tree’s greatest achievements.

“Sentimental” is another ballad-like slow song featuring the piano. It also displays one of the album’s biggest flaws -- there are too many slow areas where the record begins to lull. After some of the heavier sections, I find myself wanting more faster-paced material. “Way Out of Here” is one of the stronger ambient tracks which is probably because Robert Fripp of King Crimson contributes some of the sonic soundscapes to the song. Thankfully, the album ends on a high note with the compelling “Sleep Together.” This track brings the album to a close with a gorgeous crescendo of guitars, keyboards, and strings.

This was quite an ambitious record for Porcupine Tree, but they manage to pull it off masterfully. It’s a fairly accurate account of escapism and the effect it can have on a person or, in this case, a teenage boy. The band provides an excellent soundtrack for us to examine the impact of modern society. I can’t help but think it would be more powerful if they wrote some heavier parts in certain songs but it still works well as it is. This record is evidence that progressive rock can still be innovative and it’s great to see that progressive rock legends Alex Lifeson and Robert Fripp were willing to be part of the cause.

--Dave Spak

Author

Dave Spak

Last updated: 09/29/2009 08:59PM

Comments

Rick Gebhardt

06/05/2007

06:05AM

Age: 31

Location
Minnesota

You're right, “Anesthetize” is a monster of a song. I was pretty floored when I heard PT breaking into some heavy metal playing. It was great!

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Rich

06/05/2007

08:08AM

Age: 26

Location
Leeds, England

Great album, but it feels a little short - I'm left wanting more.

Sleep Together is a phenomenal closer, those strings at the end bring the album to an eargasmic climax.

cloudscollide

06/05/2007

08:20AM

Age: 23

Location
PA

I love this disc but believe it or not...I think the last song is the worst by far on the cd. Other than that, the first 5 songs are amazing.

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glhxckid

06/05/2007

09:01AM

Location
Troy, Michigan

great album

babarm87

06/05/2007

09:39AM

Location
Los Angeles

public enemy fans?

postrockpaperscissors

Rapture

06/05/2007

10:08AM

Location
Canada

it sounds to me (could be wrong) like this album is dominated by songs in the vein of "trains" or "lips of ashes". While those are good songs, I would be bored by an entire album of them.

I really disliked deadwing. This however may get me back in fandom with PT.

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