Deadwing

Artist: Porcupine Tree
Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Enhanced
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 075679343727
EAN: 0075679343727
ASIN: B0007TX894

Release Date: 2005-04-12

Deadwing

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Tracks:

Deadwing
Shallow
Lazarus
Halo
Arriving Somewhere But Not Here
Mellotron Scratch
Open Car
Start of Something Beautiful
Glass Arm Shattering
Shesmovedon [*]

Similar Items:

In Absentia
Sky Moves Sideways
Arriving Somewhere (2pc)

Album Description

Porcupine Tree's 2005 album includes a secret bonus track, 'She Moved On'. Featuring guest appearances by Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth, and Adrian Belew of King Crimson. the hidden track is just a partial re-recording of Lighbulb Sun's 'She's Moved On'. Lava/Atlantic.

Customer Reviews:

Great album! (But doesn't beat "In Absentia").......2005-11-09

After being graced with "In Absentia", I thought for sure that PT would never come close to topping it. I figured they had seen their peak and were headed for a downhill. Surprisingly, I was wrong. "Deadwing" may not beat "In Absentia", but I enjoy it just as much as "In Absentia". The only reason why this album doesn't beat "In Absentia" is because of the style. "Deadwing" has a more rockish sound with songs like Shallow and Halo, while "In Absentia" was more mellow and dreary throughout.

Some people may like this album more than "In Absentia" if they want something with the same quality, but a little more rockish and fast-paced. On the other hand, those who were hypnotized by "In Absentia" like myself will think "Deadwing" comes in a not-so-distant second place. But EITHER WAY, it's a must-have from the Porcupine Tree collection.

Like trying to describe a Salvador Dali Painting........2005-06-11

Truly a Masterpiece - There are no words I can describe for this - No matter what sytle of music you like I think you will appreciate this album... Very talented musicianship... and quite possibly the best rock band to emerge since the 70's.
BEST TRACKS: Arriving Somewhere But Not Here / Open Car / Lazarus

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Where did he got lost.......2005-05-24

About that title, this may be a little too strong. By the time of signify, what happened. Steven Wilson... I don't know no more about PT now. Anyway..

This year, Blackfield totally got me ! hundred times better.

If you liked "In Absentia", you should already own this.......2005-05-02

If you haven't heard anything by Porcupine Tree, then this album is a great place to start.

Following in the large footsteps of their groundbreaking 2002 release, "In Absentia", Stephen Wilson has crafted yet another masterpiece. With "Deadwing", Porcupine Tree have mastered the art of blurring the lines between genres. The album combines progressive metal's heavy guitar crunch with the warm passion of radio-friendly pop-rock, always retaining that vintage Porcupine Tree psychedelic atmosphere.

If you think about it, it's really a daunting task. Porcupine Tree have a remarkably organic sound and they execute it almost effortlessly. Even fellow prog-rock juggernauts Spock's Beard have distilled and one-dimensional songs that never take off with imaginative fireworks. Other bands, like the hyper-progressive Magellan cram as much musical firepower as they can into every song to the point that it makes your head ache. Stephen Wilson and the `Tree keep every element in check and make "Deadwing" come alive.

All the innovative elements of "In Absentia" are here: heavier songs, a greater focus on Wilson's guitar work and singing, and a profound emotional depth. Heavier pieces like "Shallow" and "Halo" emphasize the guitar and, surprisingly, the bass lines rather than the synthesized elements of earlier albums, giving the songs a more authentic sound and an added appeal. This convention is comforting, really. The British band's earlier recordings contained songs that were simply ambient sound with little or no apparent instrumentation.

This is not to say that the album is heavier on the whole. Although some come close, no song ever reaches the intensity of their previous album's face scratching "Wedding Nails". The overall heaviness of the album is kept slightly lower than its predecessor by certain standout tracks. The tear jerking "Lazarus" is guided by a cheery piano, accompanied by Wilson's soft, vulnerable voice. The song's painfully melodic textures are reminiscent of mainstream artist Pete Yorn. The album's hidden track, "Shesmovedon" (a remake of an earlier song), is another classic Porcupine Tree gem - acoustic guitars layering Wilson's harmonized vocals, soft-to-angry guitars and a heartbreaking narrative ("She changes every time you look, By summer it was all gone - now she's moved on").

The majority of "Mellotron Scratch" is led by a repeated guitar line (very reminiscent of earlier, trance-like albums), but builds in intensity until it is a straightforward rock number, ending with a beautiful vocal arrangement. Similarly, "Glass Arm Shattering" leads you across its landscapes with a slow, repeating twang, stopping occasionally to let Wilson's delicate, almost feminine voice take the spotlight. Although not a spectacular cut, it follows the format.

But the album's truly outstanding pieces are also the longest. The title-track almost touches the 10-minute mark and exemplifies everything that makes Porcupine Tree such a noteworthy creative force. The song is framed by a repeated keyboard and a pounding bass line, joined by a reckless guitar and fast drums. Like most of the other offerings on "Deadwing", it is both catchy and technically challenging. In addition to exploring the trance-inducing textures that have characterized the band's catalogue, the song flaunts the edgy, bleak voice of Opeth's frontman Mikael Ǻkerfeldt.

And now we come to the album's magnum opus, the song everyone's talking about - the multi-dimensional "Arriving Somewhere (But Not Here)". The piece is a musical feast of every Porcupine Tree element thus far, and at 12 minutes it feels more like a generous buffet. It begins with a hypnotic keyboard/synthesizer duo, which is later joined by an ominous guitar and the dual attack of Wilson's and Ǻkerfeldt's morose voices. At the 4-minute mark, the song erupts with drums and a simple but impressive guitar solo. From here, the song builds in intensity, adding layer upon layer of guitars and keyboards, coming to a maddening halt around the 9-minute mark, where Ǻkerfeldt's guitar work shines in a soothing solo. The song finishes brilliantly, fading with its original melody.

The cynical listener may chime in by claiming that "Deadwing" is a clone of "In Absentia" with a few bonus tricks. To be perfectly honest, it's a decently accurate description. But replicating "In Absentia", a modern masterpiece in the inscrutable arena of progressive rock, would be impossible. Porcupine Tree have taken a canonical album and explored the limits in each direction. The work is truly a five-star effort and a reassuring deposit into the constantly evolving world of progressive rock.

See also: Porcupine Tree - In Absentia, Opeth - Damnation

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