Difficult masterpiece

With "The Incident" Laying Porcupine Tree in front of the stylistically most sophisticated concept album of their career to date. Contrary to tackling the persistent employment rumor is not about a single long track, but probably about a thematically coherent song cycle, in which some of the pieces complement melodically. The idea behind the album picks supposedly everyday events (Incidents just) on how they all too often hear in the news or maybe even already able to observe: traffic fatalities, driving a sectarian community somewhere in the Midwest , the discovery of a corpse floating in the water. The highlight: the listener is this neutrality, the protective distance robbed because all these things are described from the perspective of each person directly concerned.

The sound of "The Incident" turns out to be varied conclusions from nearly 15 years of previous work (I count from Signify): The hardness and gloom recent albums can be found here as well, like the elegiac and psychedelic elements of older disks. The band thus reinventing itself by no means new, but it has to that because with each album? The quality of the songs has certainly not suffered, and some tracks are too detached from the rest beautiful to hear. For example, the aggressive-rock earworm "Blind House", the sinister theme song "The Incident", which undergoes an unexpected and heartbreaking beautiful metamorphosis from the second third, or the wonderfully light and grandiose melancholy "Time Flies". Moreover, can be found on the disc also many shorter tracks (about 1:30 to 2:30 min), the sound in itself unremarkable and after semifinished gap fillers. It was only in the wider context of the album unfold this "Songschnippsel" fully effective; an outstanding example is here "The Seance" and "Circle of Manias" mentioned that complement each other with "Octane Twisted" to a spine-tingling experience - always assuming it embarks on the underlying concept and also deals even so, what it actually goes into the songs. (Blessed is he who has secured the limited edition of the album at the right time via Rhino Records, including 116-page hardcover book with an accompanying photo material - was coal woth ;-)).

The second CD presents four great tracks is more than just a nice addition: The opener "Flicker" is spreading with its relaxed then rolling beats an acoustic rug, in which you would like to wrap up the most, in order to dream away the day. An ominous plucked bass and menacing whisper Lyrics identify the second track "Bonnie the Cat", and suddenly it's over with the cosiness. At least up to "Black Dahlia" again taken out a little pace and hardness and is distributed instead maintained melancholy. Finally, to attract even the most beautiful kind of draw a line (pun intended): The grandiose "Remember Me Lover". It's just fun these guys playing their instruments listen - unfortunately not a requirement to be successful in the music industry. Anyway, the hosts today wannabe drummer Gavin Harrison could learn that your drum set a little more than hergibt BUM-BUM-ching-ching or (the brave) BUM-BUM-ching. But I digress ...

"The Incident" is certainly not an easy album: It would be very gradually explored and conquered before it unfolds its full potential, and certainly not everyone can or wants to take the time for it. Specifically, the above-mentioned "Songschnippsel" are to some extent a matter of taste. For me, the plate is confirmation of the exceptional status of this band that plays just unrivaled beautiful, melodic prog rock that defies simple categorization.