Porcupine Tree - Closure/ Continuation

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Porcupine Tree - Closure/ Continuation 

Genre: Progressive rock

Label: Music For Nations/ Sony

Rating; *** 1/2

After the 2009 album The Incident, British band Porcupine Tree's frontman Steven Wilson focused on releasing solo material, including last year's The Future Bites, besides continuing his passion for remixing great albums released by the classic rock maestros in the 1970s. In fact, one section of rock lovers recognises him more of his Jethro Tull remixes, whether or not they liked them.

What nobody knew for a long time was that Wilson, along with Porcupine Tree keyboardist Richard Barbieri and drummer Gavin Harrison, were secretly working on a set of new songs. Long-time bassist Colin Edwin wasn't part of this new scheme of things.

One doesn't know what took Porcupine Tree so long to finally release Closure/ Continuation, a title obviously talking of a comeback after a long gap. But the news was hailed by fans who heard of it last year. Released on June 24 after four singles were put out, the album takes off from where they left off, though it leans more towards retro-progressive than the metal leanings some older albums had. Though one may feel there's nothing new in terms of sound and style, some individual tracks make it a highly listenable album.

Almost to prove that he's equally adept at the bass, vocalist-guitarist Wilson begins the first track 'Harridan' with a stunning display of basswork accompanied by strong rhythms. In keeping with regular practice, the song crosses the eight-minute mark, with lyrics that go, "Gold man bites down on a silver tongue, takes a deep breath and blows the candle out". A melodic guitar section reminiscent of the Deadwing album spans the latter half.

'Of The New Day' brings down the tempo, with a balladsy start, and the lines, "Hold your fear in check, my dear, it's got no place here; there's no need to fight, just drift away on the new day". On 'Rats Return', Wilson talks of corrupt politicians who always return, making reference to 'Genghiz K, Pinochet, Mao Tse-Tung, Kim Il-Sung'. The song has an infectious guitar riff and some stunning keyboard atmospherics.

This isn't a concept album with a running thread of thought. There's a constant alternating between song tempos, and a fantastic vocal-driven number 'Dignity' finds place along the instrumental beauty 'Population Three'. Even within songs, softer portions are followed by sudden bursts of manic, head-banging energy, most evident in 'Herd Culling', which addresses violence in today's society. And there are songs with mood shifts, like the brilliantly written 'Never Have', which is about unfulfilled dreams and resigned fates.

The rest of the album has its inconsistencies. 'Chimera's Wreck', written after the demise of Wilson's father, starts with a strong melody but rambles here and there, stretching to almost 10 minutes. 'Walk The Plank' is too experimental, almost sounding weird in the sequence. On its own, 'Love In The Past Tense' has well-crafted lyrics about a broken relationship, and a strong middle riff, but it's a weak album closer, with a rather abrupt ending.

Despite these drawbacks, Closure/ Continuation is a good comeback, and fans will be delighted with some of the new material. Like previous Porcupine Tree albums, this would require a few listens to get into. Once you climb that tree, you'll find new branches.