FEAR OF A BLANK PLANET

I can consider myself a long time fan of this group, I discovered it 4 o 5 years ago, but I have listen to each and every one of the albums and, for me, is one of the few good alternatives of modern prog.

Having that cleared, lets get down to business: this album almost took me by surprise (I didn't know about the new PT album and wasn't even expecting it) but, once I had news about it, I went for it. . .

First thing, only 50 minutes of music in the era of the 70 and 80 minutes CD's. . . very strange, did SW ran out of material? Don't know and hope not. . . for music's sake. Second thing, when I knew about the album, I created - as expected - my OWN expectations about it. . . hoping to hear some new and thrilling. . . and have to say that FOABP didn't really live up to those MY expectations.

Its a complicated album, didn't get much of it from the first listen. . . believe me, folks, FOABP needs a few - lets say QUITE a FEW - listens or runs throughs to catch up with it. . . it does not come easy into your ears and brain. . .but, after listening it over 5 times, I can say its a typical PT album, it has THAT mark on it. . . someone - in his review - said that PT has found its sound in this album: I TOTALLY AGREE!!! . . . PT sounds AT THIS MOMENT only like PT. . . SW has found his voice (even though it involves heavy dubbing and distortions, but that's his trademark) and he is quite a good guitar player (don't enjoy much his heavy metal riffs but he somehow finds the way to make it interesting for me), Barbieri is a MASTER with the synths, keyboards and their atmosphere, pitty SW doesn't give him more space to shine, Colin Edwin is SOLID, RELIABLE and this is definitly Gavin Harrison's up most performance, what a way to progress from DW to FOABP!!!, he really calls up my attention here (and I didn't even like him at first when he filled in for Chris Maitland). . . Good guests appearances, specially Alex Lifeson's . . . OK, that's for the performers. . .

The album really looks like a concept album with only one song divided into 6 parts. . . thats how I see it, feel it and hear it. . . It goes from a strong start (FOABP the song), through a well blended My Ashes and it reaches its peak with Ansthetize (GOOD SONG!!!) then starts fading with Sentimental (not a bad song, anyway), Way Out of Here and Sleep Together. . . resuming: NOT the best PT album ever but its good to have it in their collection (I still have Lightbulb Sun as my preferred album). . .

I give it a 4.25 or something like that. . . PT fans will love it, others will hate it. . . for me, I'm just happy that SW eased up on the dark metal influences (too much on In Absentia and maybe on Deadwing). . . so there you have it, proggers, PT at their trademark sound. . . ENJOY IT LIKE I DO. . . SEE YA. . .

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