THE INCIDENT

4.5 stars. Well i'm sure it's no surprise that for my 2,000th review I have chosen PORCUPINE TREE's "The Incident". What is surprising to me that this comes on the very night i'm going to see them live in Toronto. In fact i'll be leaving right after this review with my daughter. I remember back in 2007 I thought that year was going to be the best year ever for me music-wise because my three favourite bands RUSH, ANEKDOTEN and PORCUPINE TREE were all putting out studio albums that year.They had only done this one time before back in 1993 with "Vemod", "Up The Downstair" and "Counterparts" respectively, but that was before I knew ANEKDOTEN and PT. Anyway back to 2007 and those three albums "A Time Of Day", "Snakes And Arrows" and "FOABP" I felt they were all solid 4 star albums but honestly I was wanting more. "The Incident" is a 55 minute "song cycle" as Steven calls it and it's pure bliss for the most part. Can't wait to hear it played just as it is on the album live tonight.

"Occam's Razor" has this powerful intro followed by acoustic guitar then more explosive sounds. A haunting atmosphere ends it. "The Blind House" is a top three, although I really should have a top five for this album. Here we go ! As this heavy intro blasts in and then it settles with vocals. Contrasts continue. Killer track ! So emotional. Check out the atmosphere 4 1/2 minutes in. Sounds come crashing back to end it. "Great Expectations" is one of the most moving songs on here for me. It features strummed guitar and vocals which make me feel so good. Electric guitar follows as contrasts continue. So uplifting. "Kneel And Disconnect" opens with piano, strummed guitar and synths as reserved vocals join in. Classic PT right here. Beautiful track. It blends into "Drawing The Line". Drums come in and vocals are next. The chorus kicks in at 1 1/2 minutes and I am not a fan of this, in fact i'd be giving this 5 stars if not for the chorus on this one. Love the guitar that follows though. It settles again as contrasts continue. "The Incident" has this electronic beat and processed vocals. Steven starts to sing in a reserved manner. Higher pitched vocals follow. Heaviness after 1 1/2 minutes. A change 3 1/2 minutes in to a brighter more uplifting melody. "I want to be loved...".

"Your Unpleasant Family" opens with strummed guitar as these humerous lyrics come in.The guitar grinds it out beautifully after a minute. "The Yellow Windows Of The Evening Train" is atmospheric with samples. Cool tune. "Time Flies" is amazing. Steven says that yes he borrowed the guitar riff from FLOYD's "Animals" album but changed it enough so not to get sued. Haha. I have to leave for the concert will finish this tonight. I'm back. The way "Time Flies" opens made me think of Finnforest right away. Just read his bio. This song opens with the words "I was born in '67 The year of Seargent Pepper and are you Experienced ?". A song about growing up. I like when the calm comes in at 4 minutes. It's dark a minute later and FLOYD-like. The guitar cries out 6 1/2 minutes in. We're back to the earlier melody before 8 1/2 minutes. Classic sounding PT to end it. Amazing song ! "Degree Zero Of Liberty" opens with a reprise of the start of "Occam's Razor" before it settles with acoustic guitar. "Octane Twisted" is an absolute killer track live. It opens so beautifully. Vocals and a fuller sound after a minute. Kicks in heavily before 2 minutes as all hell breaks loose. Then it settles into this drum led section with background synths. Kicks in like before then some cool guitar comes in. It settles down late to end it. "The Seance" is a top 5 for me. Love the suspense as Steven tells the story. It's so atmospheric too. "Circle Of Manias" is heavy duty and Harrison gets to have some fun.

"I Drive The Hearse" is my favourite song on here. It's Steven's signature isn't it to create a sad but beautiful song to end an album. This might be his best. My eyes were filled with tears when I saw them do this live."When i'm down I drive the hearse" You have no idea people. It kicks in at 4 minutes with some killer guitar.This is all about the lyrics though that really hit home for me. When they finished the 55 minute "The Incident" the crowd stood as one and cheered wildly. Steven looked up from his piano and smiled. Disc two begins with "Flicker". It opens with waves of synths. Just a gorgeous sound when it gets fuller. Dreamy vocals come in. Check out the relaxed guitar before 2 1/2 minutes. "Bonnie The Cat" is the song they ended the concert with (well except for "Trains" which was the encore). Atmosphere to open. Steven was very animated during this track. Some prominant bass and drums here. Guitar as vocals cry out follows. Contrasts continue. Heavy late. "Black Dahlia" is gorgeous. Richard wrote the music for this song. Melancholic and moving. "Remember me Lover" is another home run. Again check out the lyrics. It just gets better everytime i hear it. Some heaviness 3 minutes in and later after 5 1/2 minutes.

This album mixes a lot of what they've done before including Steven's solo album "Insurgents". This record has it all.