FEAR OF A BLANK PLANET

Fear Of A Blank Planet is the ninth full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act Porcupine Tree. I´ve been very interested in the band´s releases since In Absentia (2002) when they changed their sound and began incorporating progressive metal elements. Deadwing (2005) was another excellent release IMO, so I had great expectations to Fear Of A Blank Planet when it was released. Most releases by Porcupine Tree have a tendency to take me a long time to appreciate. Not because the band´s albums are inaccessible, but more because the melodies take time to sink in. The melody lines almost always seem simple and a bit dull on first listen, but continue to grow with every listen.

Fear Of A Blank Planet continue the musical development that started with In Absentia which means that Fear Of A Blank Planet is the third album in a row that has a somewhat similar sound. A mix of alternative pop/ rock, psychadelic rock and progressive rock/ metal. People who crave development with each release will scream that this is a generic release, but personally I´m still not bored with the style so I can´t complain. There are six songs on the album. One of them is the 17:42 minute long Anesthetize which is a great track that in addition to some excellent atmospheric parts also feature some of the most intense progressive metal riffing the band has done so far. The title track is also a favorite but all tracks are of high quality.

The production is a bit more organic than the sound on Deadwing and I´m still undecided if that´s a good or a bad thing. No matter what it´s an excellent production that suits the music very well.

Fear Of A Blank Planet is an excellent release by Porcupine Tree and now after three consecutive great releases you´re allowed to call me a fan. A 4 star rating is well deserved.