The Raven denied the song ...

Why does he do that? Here actually could be several reasons to book. Firstly, is this smart black birds a melodious to our ears reproducing sound but quite remote. Secondly, they have obviously been the new album of the British Hemel Hempstead heard babies. Afterwards them the last croaker is literally stuck in its beak. For what mastermind Steven Wilson presents in his latest work, one may safely be called a superlative. Its implemented in grades ghost stories come just fantastic therefore.

From bass driven (like one is already accustomed to the great Polish Progrockern to Riverside) starts the brilliant opener "Luminol" afloat, almost jazzy. Each instrument gets its own part to play to the gallery, yet blends harmoniously into the overall context of the song. After about 4:30 the dynamic pushing off but stops abruptly and Steven comes the first time to speak. But only briefly is his accompanied by flute and chorus singing before leaving a wonderful piano solo space. To all appearances, to each of its fantastic musicians who already accompanied him on his last "Grace For Drowning" tour, be given the opportunity to show off his skills before ultimately be classified in the Gesamtkunstwerk now following. Because as such can be "The Raven That Refused To Sing" undoubtedly call. What Wilson presented here, crowning his career without "Porcupine Tree" at another time. "Grace for Drowning" hinted already that the self-made man from the UK is one of the greats in progressive rock. With this work, he has now surpassed itself. How can this man actually still stop?

Stop? For heaven's sake, no! That is the enthusiastic listeners absolutely remote. Because with "Drive Home" is heard as the second title the first ballad, which shows significant bonds to his project "Black Field", which he sometimes puts on the legs with the Israeli superstar Aviv Geffen. Guitars, strings elements Melotron and especially harmoniously einfügende vocals of Wilson and his Chorus underline this soulful, melancholy and elegiac song. Powerful rock, with darkly diabolical bonds then even more fits the holy drinkers of no. 3 ("The Holy Drinker") in the Insurgentes-time. After also pithy, punchy and forward facing "The Pin Drop" with its monumental acting Chorus and his clanking Clarinet solo follow with the same extremely complex and catchy, up layer upon layer-building "The Watchmaker" and finally the eponymous, emotionally enthralling song "The Raven That Refused to Sing" undisputed highlights of the album. Wilson's "watchmaker" and his "work verweigernder Rabe" bear witness once again to the high art of the perfect combination of progressive and ambient sounds that understands just perfect to stage the Briton.

Conclusion: Great arranged and mixed homogeneously Wilson succeeded by a perfect combination of classic progressive rock of the 70s and modern influences and a clear sound, a very big hit on eerily high level. A work that clearly has the makings of Album of the Year and has initially just pushed me speechless in the chair. "From there they sent only impotent showers hotter Krächzens" to a bit amateurish express it with the words of our great poet Goethe, as this album seems to me. I for one am series in the chain of "vocal objectors" a. For my boxes now have a boom.