The song’s jumps from very loud to very quiet and back are a bit jarring, but won’t surprise seasoned fans. “Herd Culling” is built on a memorable guitar riff and uses Barbieri’s talents for keyboard loops and other effects to create tension and atmosphere. The song’s beautifully layered vocals carry a hint of The Hollies, and it plays out grandly, with a nicely developed and engaging solo from Wilson. “Dignity” contains echoes of Pink Floyd, but employs a guitar arpeggio that evokes the glories of mid-1960s British pop. Barbieri’s keyboards give a frightening, horror-movie tone to the song’s message about the recurrence of authoritarian rulers. Harrison’s drumming on the tune is both aggressive and fluid, and Wilson’s guitars cut sharply. “Rats Return” brings the energy level up full force, and shows off the band’s command of jazz-influenced prog rock. “Of the New Day” follows a familiar Porcupine Tree ballad pattern-quiet verses alternating with louder, distorted guitar passages and swirling keyboard patterns. The song travels through several permutations, with Wilson’s heavy-metal guitar chords pushing it at points into aggression that then gives way to calmer passages, and then returns. Other keyboard effects, credited to both Wilson and Barbieri, run through the song’s eight minutes. Wilson’s thumping bass line brings us into “Harridan” he plays four quick lines before being joined by Harrison’s dynamic, syncopated drumming and Barbieri’s electric piano.

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns gave them time to complete the album Closure/Continuation is the first new Porcupine Tree album since The Incident (2009).Ĭlosure/Continuation isn’t very different stylistically from other Porcupine Tree albums. Wilson felt his own bass playing was what he wanted for the songs the trio was writing, so Edwin was not involved in the recordings. It turns out that Wilson and Harrison had been working on songs, on and off, since 2011, and Barbieri joined the collaboration in 2016. Drummer Gavin Harrison toured with King Crimson and recorded with The Pineapple Thief keyboard player Richard Barbieri focused on solo projects and other work and Colin Edwin lent his bass-playing talents to several other bands. Wilson was busy with his own albums and with remixing and remastering classic albums by King Crimson, Jethro Tull, XTC, and many others. Four more Wilson solo albums followed, and the band seemed to be on a permanent hiatus. The British band Porcupine Tree took some time off in 2011 so founding member Steven Wilson, its chief songwriter and leader, could work on his second solo album, Grace for Drowning. Music for Nations / Sony Music 19439956901

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