Music=Life: Porcupine Tree - In Absentia Review

I discovered Porcupine Tree through Opeth. I got real into Opeth, and started doing some research on the band and just tried learning everything I could about them, and came across this guy Steven Wilson on numerous occasions. I didn't think much of it I though maybe he was just a producer that the guys liked using or just a guest musician from a band they liked. When I actually paid attention to what he contributed to Opeth I was surprised so I had to check him out. He produced, and contributed backing vocals, guitar, and keyboards to Opeth's album Blackwater Park and Damnation which Blackwater Park is by far one of their greatest albums.
Steven Wilson really has opened my pallet of tastes in music from progressive rock, indi rock, soft acoustic contemporary rock, psychedelic rock, jazz fusion, ambient, to more hard core metal. I have checked out bands just because they were mentioned in an interview with Steven Wilson that I watched, and loved them. His music intuition is far above any one persons I have ever seen. He has such a wide range of tastes, and abilities that its no wonder he has so many projects going for him. Steven Wilson is a music workaholic. He doesn't admit that its him being a workaholic, he is just doing what he loves which is right, but he never stops doing something with music weather it be with Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Blackfield, I.E.M. (  Incredible Expanding Mindfuck ), Bass Communion, to his solo project. Every work of his is so different in so many ways. I highly recommend checking out Blackfield, and his solo stuff. They are truly amazing. When I went to check out Porcupine Trees material I was blown away at how much stuff these guys have put out on the last 20 years. They have 10 studio albums, 4 live albums, 4 EP's, and 3 compilation albums.  Staring from 1991 to now. That's a lot of stuff in that amount of time. Not to mention that's just Porcupine Tree. All the other projects as well have numerous releases. So he is a very busy man.  Steven Wilson is such an awsome person to listen to talk about music, and what moves him. He is brilliantly smart, and innovative with everything he does. This is just a portion of the information that he has done. I hope that maybe this review turns you on to something of his or even this album in particular b/c this is my favorite Porcupine Tree album. So now to the album haha.
In Absentia came out in 2002 and is their 7th studio album. For me from start to finish this album has you by the hand the whole time. Its like running through a musical painting with everything in it from, heavy distorted aggressive riffs, to melodic piano, and sprinkled with soft intoxicating melodies. This album definitely for goes in numerous directions throughout the record. For instance the first song right of the bat starts you off with a crunching prog metal piece. When the soft part comes in after the intro heaviness its hauntingly good. Blackest Eyes is one of my favorite tracks off the album. Than Trains comes on and its this soft acoustic wonder. That to me I would play this song while driving down an old dirt road going really slow during the summer without a care in the world and enjoying the air. Now comes this angry march Sound of Muzik. That while not being very heavy seems to give me this since of power and I just nod my head to the beat the whole time and listen to his truly in your face message. The progressive drums are just amazing. Gavin Harrison is one of the great drummers of today. He was featured on my top 20 drummers of all time. So now you go though a few prog rock tracks that really keep you going until you get to the wondrous Heartattach in A Lay By. The eary mantra that this song gives you will send chills down your spine. His voice grabs you and pulls you into the spiral of sounds and melody that will bring you to a place in your head you never thought existed. I listen to this song and get lost in everything that's happening slowly but surely. And finally the end saddening I know but man they end it well.  Collapse the Light Into Earth gives me a since of confidence that tomorrow will be better and the day after that, well who knows what will be there for me, but that's the beauty of life. Not knowing whats in store and playing the game a little.
This album really has changed my life almost. It really made me look at what music meant to me. If a few guys could do something like this and put their heart and soul into it, and it come out like this there's gotta be something powerful and needed in music that I think most of today's pop culture, and big heads of the world have forgotten about. Music is a way of life. It moves you in so many ways. Backwards, forwards, deeper, nowhere, somewhere, there, here, and anywhere your minds wishes to go.  Music is the way. We need to start remembering that.  i recommend this album for everyone in the world. There is something there for every person big or small. So of course you guys know I give this album a 10, and this album is one of my favorite albums of all time and will be for a long time. It will be hard to top, and if anyone were to do it it will probably be Steven Wilson anyway. So until next time stay hard, stay heavy.