After the temporary "dissolution" of Porcupine Tree in 2011 by Steven Wilson, who devoted himself to his solo career, it was officially announced in 2021 that a new album, Closure/Continuation, was in the works for 2022. Everyone except the bassist is on board. In 2023, the 4-LP box Closure/Continuation Live in Amsterdam was released on vinyl. Steven Wilson wouldn't be Steven Wilson if this box didn't set standards in terms of quality. Am I excited? Yes!

Nothing is surprising. Everything is well timed. The sound is almost perfect for live. They say the light show is also perfect. Seriously? Should I criticize that? I have my not always positive opinion of Steven Wilson, but his perfectionism is not one of them. If you want to hear something spontaneous, you've come to the wrong place. If you want to hear great songs in high quality, you've come to the right place.

I am holding one of the best designed LP box sets in my hand. A sturdy slipcase made of thick cardboard on the outside. Each individual record has its own printed sleeve and its own printed inner sleeve.

This quality permeates the entire album. Musically, Porcupine Tree shows off all their skills. In addition to the show opener “Blackest Eyes”, which perfectly shows the range of the band, there are also all the songs from PT’s last album, Closure/Continuation. The wonderful “Trains” serves as the closer on side H. Conclusion? One of the best live albums on vinyl. There is nothing more to say.

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.