Porcupine Tree...Heavy Prog?

Ricochet wrote: If and when you have time, you could search our topics in the Collaborators Lounge, we've discussed PT's better place with lots of fervour. The thing is, PT turned from its psychedelic aura years ago, and it's no mere alternative style they've tried since. Therefore, first of all, the band has experimented a different style that the psychedelic one, which was attribute to PT as a whole. On the other hand, you can't say PT's newest style(s) are marginal, incidental or shallow ones. Therefore, however great the psychedelic period was, PT has become a band of rock (instead of psych) and of different emulated styles. Now, since the Eclectic idea has fallen off, Heavy Rock sounds just fine.

PT was always a rock band. I don't know how you differentiate between Psychedelic/Space Rock and rock. Does an album have to have only sitar and acoustic guitars to be psychedelic? And anything protruding into a rock style should be removed from Psyche/SR? Also, nothing in the Heavy Prog definition would indicate bands like The Mars Volta and Porcupine Tree belong there. It indicated mainly 70s rock bands, most of which I've never heard so I'll grant that to you, but no mention of modern bands at all, and nothing that applies to bands like PT or TMV. If you have something else in mind with Heavy Prog, revamp the definition to meet what you're trying to do, because I'm confused here.

Raf: I did also look through the Psyche Team thread, but I don't have time to wade through pages with only getting minor hints at the already discussed decision. It would be much more convenient to link me to the page, or at least give me some idea of where the argument was. Better yet, post the argument (or link me and I will post it) also members of the regular forum can see it too.

Or rather I do have time, but after the first 3 or so pages, I thought this would be the easier option.




Edited by stonebeard - November 16 2007 at 17:30

Eetu Pellonpää wrote: Atavachron wrote: outrageous decision... who's responsible for this?   This was discussed in our team thread. I was personally for the ecletic due their many style elements, and also highly absent from the discussions sweating with concrete walls and paints at my home, but I don't a see a reason for drama in this thing.

Eetu I was joking... I should have used a smiley, sorry

I would put PT in Crossover, but Heavy Prog is fine.

PT are definitely not psychedelic/Space rock anymore, though calling them "Heavy prog" isn't really an appropriate genre for them. They seem to be too heavy at times on their recent albums for prog rock, but not enough for Prog metal, Though they have had too many non heavy albums to fit under "Heavy prog" (Rush is the same actually, But they are put under it) . Overall, I don't think they should, though I  am actually not sure what they should go under since they have had so many  different sounds.

Edited by Spydrfish - November 18 2007 at 03:45

The Whistler wrote: Put 'em in Art Rock!

Well that's what we've done! Art Rock splitting into Heavy, Eclectic and Crossover...remember?

cause it's fun!

I'm still baffled why people think Rush aren't heavy prog... to this day they mostly do guitar-based, hard progressive rock.. some poppy songs here and there don't make them Xover or Eclectic.. nor do albums that happen to be popular (i.e. Moving Pictures)

As a huge Pink Floyd fan, and my wife telling me I was living in the past, and wanting to get to know some bands who I could actually go and see live - I was on the hunt for a new band that played like-Floyd type music - as I had worn out all my old PF albums.
In this I stumbled across your website a couple of years ago just looking for reviews on PF albums.
Your website was very insistent that Porcupine Tree were the most Floyd-like and with the Psych/ Space Rock category it definitely helped me to find them.  What a great discovery - I've never looked back - and I've loved all their albums spacey or metally I don't care.
I don't really feel they fit with Rush or the Mars Volta - great bands, but not really comparable to PT.
I guess they are much more heavy now, though I'm not sure what the difference between Heavy Prog and Prog-metal is.
I feel a little disappointed however that some old Pink Floyd fans like me won't discover them now like me, because of that change.
On the other hand, I guess it's a compliment to this great band - not being able to decide what category they are - as they are so diverse - ranging from beauty to psychedelia to awesome power.

With the release of FOABP, PT has shown that they're playing a different style of music than we heard on Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun, to name a couple.

In fact, I believe Steve Wilson has even said that PT is moving more in the metal direction and away from experimental psych prog.  Their music is still great, but IMHO, is slowly losing some of the prog-elements that first drew me to them in the first place.

They still put on a great show though! Saw them live in Toronto this past May!

^ thanks for the positivity