IN ABSENTIA

Thanks solely to this website I have found another great album to enjoy for years and years to come. This band's great storehouse of musical influences are obvious throughout. However, unlike many other artists who end up creating music that just sounds like an inferior version of those original influences, these guys have produced songs that can more than competently stand on their own merits. If the first four songs don't convince you then you might as well trash the cd. They are brilliant in every facet. The production quality, the arrangements, the engineering, the composition skills and the musicianship are five star. If there is a low point at all it's on "Wedding Nails" which sounds like the riff to "One Way Out" by the Allman Brothers performed in the diatonic scale. It's not so bad, it just doesn't fit and sorta retards the momentum that has built to that point. But the following tune "Prodigal" and the gorgeous ".3" raise the level back to incredible heights and it never lags again. One thing these boys understand is the concept of dynamics and they've learned well from Led Zep, Tull, Peter Gabriel and even Trent Reznor the art of never becoming predictable during the course of a song. While the whole album rocks, the tasteful use of acoustic guitars is so refreshing and the vocals sometimes bring to mind the experimental and haunting harmonies of Crosby & Nash on some of their work together. And few albums end as gracefully and hypnotising as this one with "Collapse The Light Into Earth." It is beautiful in its simplicity. In essence, this cd epitomizes what I listen to progressive rock for. "In Absentia" may be my first excursion into the entertaining and exciting world of Porcupine Tree but I can assure you that it won't be my last. It doesn't get much better than this.