IN ABSENTIA

Despite my great admiration for "Fear of a Blank Planet" and "Deadwing"....."In Absentia" stands as my favorite Porcupine Tree album. All the elements that now define the "PT sound" are found here, laying the groundwork for their future accomplishments. An outstanding album from beginning to end, one of the best prog albums of recent years without question.

While bands such as Rush continue to damage their once-perfect legacy and others such as King Crimson simply fade into retirement - we have Porcupine Tree who have been at their creative peak for the past 5 years (and still going).

I won't do a track-by-track breakdown as this has been done too many times already. For those early PT fans who prefer the 'space-rock', Floydian sound of the band's early releases....I guess I can understand why this album troubles them. Truthfully, this is a band that is constantly evolving. As Steve Wilson himself has stated, the 'metal sound' that has grown with each successive album is simply another piece that has been added to the band's vocabulary - and that has allowed them to become one of the most interesting and diversified prog bands in the world.

5 stars. I'd give it 6 if I could.