Porcupine Tree
„Fear of a Blank Planet“
Double Black Vinyl LP. Reissue 2024 (2007).
Progressive Rock.

In 2007, PT shifted his style again with "Fear Of A Blank Planet." While "Deadwing" thrives on its script-like character and the interplay of musical contrasts, "Fear Of A Blank Planet" is clearly dedicated to a single theme. It addresses issues such as overstimulation, desensitization, isolation, and inner emptiness, and thus this album derives more from the conveyed coldness and darkness of its subject matter. A concept album in the truest sense. Therefore, there are no prog-like flourishes within its complex musical structures.

There are no breaks between the songs. The shortest of the six tracks is 5:09 and the longest 17:52. A single, guitar-driven theme, sophisticated drum and bass playing, and underlying keyboard structures combine to create progressive rock with metal elements. The theme is the information revolution then taking hold via the internet, Xbox, and PlayStation, the over-prescription of slow-release medications, the download craze, and commercial re-education. According to Steven Wilson, this distracted the generation of that time and those that followed from real problems, leading to isolation and turning music into a generic commodity. In contrast to reality, which never unfolds as expected, Wilson's lyrics are based on the novel "Lunar Park" by Bret Easton Ellis.

As an example, here's more music analysis. Sides A and B contain "Fear of a Blank Planet" and "My Ashes," both under 13 minutes long, while side B features the 17:52-minute, brilliant "Anesthetize." For me, clearly the heart of this album. 
"Fear Of A Blank Planet" is musically paradoxical; the title track boasts massive prog structures, yet emotionally it feels surprisingly empty. And for me, that's cleverly done. Musically, something is constantly happening—riffs, dynamics, rhythmic shifts, electronic elements—while the character being sung about is barely processing anything. The sensory overload isn't just narrated; we, as listeners, partially experience it ourselves. "My Ashes" doesn't just serve as a counterpoint to the aggressive, cold, anonymous opening section; it introduces fragile intimacy and brings the individual back into focus.
"Anesthetize" isn't simply great because it's almost 18 minutes long, or because Gavin Harrison, Colin Edwin, Richard Barbieri, and Steven Wilson perform at the highest musical level. The dramaturgy is crucial; the piece shifts its character several times, yet it never falls apart. The heavy passages feel almost physical, then come the calmer, more psychedelic sections, and later, this enormous crescendo. Robert Fripp's guitar adds another ethereal layer to "Anesthetize," like a stream of consciousness. This is no longer a prog epic; it's a musical description of a state of being.

Let's get a little less academic; I just wanted to show how much depth this album has. Side C begins with the wonderful, yet bittersweet "Sentimental" and "Way out of Here," together clocking in at just under 13 minutes. Side D contains only "Sleep Together," and at 7:26, the rest is wasted. Which, of course, doesn't diminish the quality of the closing track.

"My return to LPs is also a bit of a rebellion against the omnipresent streaming world. Nostalgia, of course, and it sounds better too."

FOABP isn't just another great prog-rock album from Porcupine Tree. It feels cold, oppressive, and that comes across powerfully. Musically, the established path is further developed. This isn't just another socially critical album that only expresses itself through lyrics. Here, we feel it because the music leaves us no other choice. The bitter essence: We humans are not redeemed by the world. We disappear within it.

Porcupine Tree:
Gavin Harrison – Drums
Colin Edwin- Bass
Richard Barbieri – Keyboard, Synthesizer
Steven Wilson – Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Keyboard

Guest- Musicians
Robert Fripp
John Wesley
Alex Lifeson

On The Sunday Of Life 1992
Voyage 34 1992/1993 (2022)
Up The Downstair 1993 (2021)
The Sky Moves Sideways 1995 (2021)
Signify 1996
Coma Divine (Live) 1997
Stupid Dream 1999
Lightbulb Sun 2000
Recordings 2001
In Absentia 2002
Deadwing 2005
Fear Of A Blank Planet 2007
Nil Recurring 2007
Anesthetize – Live In Tilburg 2008
We Lost The Skyline Live 2008
The Incident 2009
Octane Twisted Live 2012
Closure/Continuation 2022
Closure/Continuation Live 2023

The photos are all from my LP. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

TheProgThief
©16.12.2024
Mk 4