Porcupine Tree - The Incident review
| Band: | Porcupine Tree |
| Album: | The Incident |
| Style: | Progressive metal, Progressive rock |
| Release date: | September 15, 2009 |
| Guest review by: | Nosurper |
Disc I
01. The Incident
1 - Occam's Razor
2 - The Blind House
3 - Great Expectations
4 - Kneel And Disconnect
5 - Drawing The Line
6 - The Incident
7 - Your Unpleasant Family
8 - The Yellow Windows Of The Evening Train
9 - Time Flies
10 - Degree Zero Of Liberty
11 - Octane Twisted
12 - The Séance
13 - Circle Of Manias
14 - I Drive The Hearse
Disc II
01. Flicker
02. Bonnie The Cat
03. Black Dahlia
04. Remember Me Lover
Disc III [Limited Edition Box Set DVD] [5.1 Surround Mix + High Resolution Stereo]
01. The Incident
1 - Occam's Razor
2 - The Blind House
3 - Great Expectations
4 - Kneel And Disconnect
5 - Drawing The Line
6 - The Incident
7 - Your Unpleasant Family
8 - The Yellow Windows Of The Evening Train
9 - Time Flies
10 - Degree Zero Of Liberty
11 - Octane Twisted
12 - The Séance
13 - Circle Of Manias
14 - I Drive The Hearse
02. Flicker
03. Bonnie The Cat
04. Black Dahlia
05. Remember Me Lover
On this Porcupine Tree record, The Incident, there is a huge contrast in sound to that of the band's back catalog. It focuses much less on the rock, and much more on cheesy pop sensibilities. Not that Steven Wilson hasn't pulled from the pop vein before; the most notable example being Stupid Dream. But this time, it's all "Kneel and Disconnect".
On Stupid Dream, Wilson & Co. developed songs with genuine emotion. Songs with an incredible pairing of tonal sensitivity and intelligent lyrics. Here, on The Incident, the first half is a trembling, claustrophobic mess; not excluding the electronic influenced title-piece. The piece attempts to capture the essence of a traumatic incident. The flavor of the electronic elements provides a modern feel, perhaps conveying some aural portrait of a terrorist age. But that feeling is soon overwhelmed. Hapless chugs of distorted guitar enter, and Steven Wilson contributes an awful whining sequence to close the piece.
The piece 'Time Flies' is the highlight of the album, but that's not saying too much. It's a "Floydian" carbon-copy. Dull the production down a bit, place it into Pink Floyd's Animals album, and the flow would likely be maintained. It's not so much contrived as it is lackluster.
The rest of "The Incident" is progressive metal in its confused and hapless form; more blasts of distortion, some drum set spasms, and some dull and shuttered vocals.
Not good.
BUT, where the weak first disc leaves off, the second disc picks up.
"Flicker" is Porcupine Tree mixing the elements of their sound in the same way that has worked for them for the past ten years. And it doesn't sound old at all. The lyrics are great, and the music is great.
"Bonnie the Cat" provides an In Absentia feel, with insidious lyrical content. "Black Dahlia" has a memorable vocal, but is ultimately forgettable. And "Remember Me Lover" closes out with a take on a struggling relationship. The song seems to combine all of the elements that Porcupine Tree were experimenting with on this album; an insipid blend of metal, pop, and electronica.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 5 |
| Originality: | 4 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by Nosurper | 08.04.2012
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
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Comments: 36
Visited by: 166 users
| andreosokin SOUNDERY Posts: 227  |
How many times did you listen to this album? I mean, I had the same opinion after 1-2 or 3 runs. You know, a good record deserves a number of runs to understand it. So just give it some more time to get into your head 
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| Nosurper Stinky Lips Posts: 442  |
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by andreosokin on 09.04.2012 at 12:52 A good record can also be understood after one spin and the same thing applies for a bad records. 99% of all music isn't so deep and complicated that you need to spin it loads of times to understand it. I certainly wouldn't classify Porcupine Tree as to being so deep and complicated.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.04.2012 at 13:17 Obviously you just don't understand the mastery of this project, Marcel. You have to listen to these albums 10 times to get it.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 09.04.2012 at 16:36 Then they are like an extremely bad teacher failing to get thier point across right from the start 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.04.2012 at 13:17 If you are that perceptive that's quite a remarkable feat, at least from my perspective. As a rule of thumb I usually require about 3-4 listens to grasp an album. One listen certainly isn't enough for me, unless its exceptionally accessible or something which offers nothing I wouldn't have expected. I don't think music has to be 'deep and complicated' in order for it take more than a single listen to comprehend, it has more to do with one's familiarity of the elements within the music itself and how they're put together. 'Deep and complicated' I think is more of a personal emotional response triggered by certain kinds of music to particular people. As for this album... I think you judge it a bit harshly, particularly in originality as I always feel that they bring something at least slightly different to the table, but its still not an album I really enjoy all that much when compared with PT's other releases.
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
JohnDoe
Account deleted
Why did you bring Pink Floyd's Animals in there? Don't state as a fact that's a bad album, it's just your opinion. 
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=17278] on 09.04.2012 at 18:55 A review is an opinion piece, no matter how objective it may seem.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
JohnDoe
Account deleted Written by Troy Killjoy on 09.04.2012 at 19:35 right, why did he bring Animals in discussion?
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=17278] on 09.04.2012 at 19:55 Because he felt the songs were carbon copies of the ones that appear on Pink Floyd's Animals.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=17278] on 09.04.2012 at 20:04 He's saying one of the songs in particular, "Time Flies", sounds as if it came straight from the Animals album, if only you took that song and cheapened the production slightly, meaning he thinks Animals is a poorly produced album - or at least more poorly than The Incident.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=17278] on 09.04.2012 at 20:11 Beats me. I never really cared for Pink Floyd beyond a few songs so I'm not really one to ask to dissect the music. Ask Nosurper.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
JohnDoe
Account deleted Written by Troy Killjoy on 09.04.2012 at 20:16 right, i wasn't asking just you (sorry for quoting you so much), but, yes, the reviewer needs to explain that.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Well there you have it Mr. Reviewer, one of your readers wants to know why you have beef with the production on Animals.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311  |
Written by [user id=17278] on 09.04.2012 at 20:11 Don't get your head around that idea too much. There is no way "Time Flies" could fit in Animals, it was an attempt of the reviewer of not being too direct saying that the song is a ripoff of the songs on that album.
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| DahliaRock Posts: 153  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 09.04.2012 at 13:17 Umm.. Meshuggah?
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by DahliaRock on 09.04.2012 at 20:48 They sound way more complictaed than they actually are. And that's another band I can judge after one listen.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311 |
Written by DahliaRock on 09.04.2012 at 20:48 If you had a hard time getting into them, that is just you. I believe you can find people who liked Shugga at first listen, I know a guy. I agree that "music hard getting into" it's not fault of the music, but of the people.
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
JohnDoe
Account deleted Written by Unhealer on 09.04.2012 at 20:48 well, I've just finished listening to the song and it's no rip-off of any song of Animals  Porcupine Tree has always been influenced by Pink Floyd, especially by David Gilmour's guitar playing, but from this to rip-off, there's a long way.
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311 |
Written by [user id=17278] on 09.04.2012 at 21:48 I don't think is a rip-off either, but it's clearly a homage. The whole structure is really similar to "Dogs" and there are some bits that remind me of "Sheep". And if you really like to think it's a rip-off, I guess you can also find some pigs in there as well.
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| Nosurper Stinky Lips Posts: 442 |
Written by Unhealer on 09.04.2012 at 21:57 What he said.
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| Nosurper Stinky Lips Posts: 442 |
And the production on Animals is good for its time, I'm just referring to modern recording techniques and their effect on modern music as opposed to older stuff
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
JohnDoe
Account deleted Written by Nosurper on 09.04.2012 at 22:15 really, it's not what you say in your review, now the song is an homage?! Make up your mind, is it a rip-off or an homage? 
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| Nosurper Stinky Lips Posts: 442 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 09.04.2012 at 20:07 Basically this
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| Nosurper Stinky Lips Posts: 442 |
Eh, I said Floydian carbon-copy. I'd go with homage though. I did say it was one of highlights on the title track.
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| Nosurper Stinky Lips Posts: 442 |
Older stuff just has a different sound. If I reviewed Animals, I would rate the production higher than I did on The Incident because I think The Incident is a bit overproduced. 
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| JohnDoe Account deleted |
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