Porcupine Tree – "Closure/Continuation"

Better late than never

Yes, I know this review's been some time coming. But hey, so has this album.

Indeed, it's been 13 years since we last heard from Porcupine Tree. And while lead singer/guitarist Steven Wilson did put out some blinding solo material in the meantime, some of us have been getting more and more of a Tool / Guns n' Roses vibe in terms of waiting for that next bleedin' PT record to just hit the goddamn streets already.

To my great joy and relief, "Closure/Continuation" still sounds unmistakably like PT. A tree-piece effort – long-time bassist Colin Edwin being absent for whatever reason, and Wilson handling bass duties – this is all the more of a tight-knit record, its remaining elements all the more evenly distributed.

This is evident from only few seconds into opening track "Harridan". Keyboardist Richard Barbieri accentuates the restless 5/4 time signature with strangely pretty, yet disquieting, irregular strokes of pure expressionist atmosphere. Human drum god Gavin Harrison, combining the intuitive feel of a Jeff Porcaro with the near skill level of a Danny Carey, plays against Wilson's bluesy phrasings, which present a noticeable improvement in his lyrics since the teenage-angsty "Fear of a Blank Planet" ('07):

Gold man
Bites down on his silver tongue
Takes a deep breath
And then blows the candle out
He knows the truth
But he keeps it to himself
Here it is:
You can only save yourself

And as the sporadic chorus hits, its rich, juicy chord harmonies equally teasing and pleasing the listener, there's a warm feeling of recognition like seeing an old, close friend for the first time in – oh, say – 13 years?

This is masterful.

It's been 13 years since we last heard from Porcupine Tree, and some of us have been getting more and more of a Tool / Guns n' Roses vibe in terms of waiting for that next bleedin' PT record to just hit the goddamn streets already.

In a stark contrast, the clean, soft "Of the New Day" gives off a distinct vibe of "Lazarus" from "Deadwing" ('05), but in a much more authentic manner. Trying way less to fit a radio-friendly single format, it evolves with a crunchy, almost funky staccatto-guitar and all-round way too many details to be able to take in during even several spins.

This element of contrast remains throughout the album's overall structure. "Rats Return", centered around a cold metal riff, could have been on "In Absentia" ('02), an eerie, ghost-like Moog backdropping probably the most detailed interaction between Harrison and Barbieri to date.

Then, the acoustic waltz of "Dignity" features some of the most beautiful vocal harmonies ever heard from PT (which is saying a lot), an element luckily prevalent throughout the album. The tense 11/8 time of "Herd Culling" with its quiet, paranoid verse and crushingly loud, frustrated refrain is yet another starkly different world, its own C-part graced by more of the same aforementioned warm harmonies on top of a sweet pop cadence.

So unique and yet instantly recognizable, this is the work of true artists. Not only in their own niche, but in the vast world of music.

It's only "Walk the Plank", in and by itself a neat little tune in all its intangible ambience, that stands out as the least remarkable song this time around. But of course, this is judging by the deluxe edition with its three bonus tracks, out of which only the instrumental "Population Three" would count as another possible throw-away.

In fact, the two ending bonuses, "Never Have" and the closing "Love In the Past Tense", are among PT's all-time most easily recognizable songs, and they've possibly even entered my personal top 20 of PT faves. (I should maybe write that one out at some point.) I find myself getting utterly, gawkingly lost in the latter, basking and dreaming in its grand, open ethereal space. I can't contain how beautiful this is.

So, did we potentially get some closure here? Well, should this turn out to be PT's final opus, it would definitely make for that proverbial ending bang. But an output like this is practically screaming for continuation more than anything else. So unique and yet instantly recognizable, this is the work of true artists. Not only in their own niche, but in the vast world of music.

About bloody time.

Rating: 5.5 out of 6

Genre: Progressive rock / hard rock
Release date: 24/6/2022
Label: Music For Nations / Megaforce
Producer: Porcupine Tree