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porcupinetree octanetwisted
Artist: Porcupine Tree
Title: Octane Twisted
Genre: Progressive Rock
Release Date: 23rd November 2012
Label: KScope


Album Review

No, it's really not the anticipated follow-up to 'The Incident', but considering all the band members are busy pursuing their own projects at the moment I figure a live album is the best we can get right now. 'Octane Twisted' is a snapshot off the time the band was touring in support of 'The Incident'. Each evening was divided into two chapters so to speak. The first one being the album played front two back and the second being an assortment of selected track off of earlier albums. Even though the tracks in their studio versions are well-known to the fans there is always huge excitement connected to seeing them being performed live. There's more dynamics to everything and new sounds are being added as they go along plus little improvisations. One fact that is always astonishing about live recordings Steven Wilson is involved in is their superior audio quality. Every instrument is as crystal and separated as if you'd be right there, and if you're listening through a proper speakers trust me the stereo image on its own and the wide sound stage it's building is already worth the money alone.

In case you're still fresh after the complex up and down of the first CD, you sure will insert the second one right away, including some real classic songs and some of the longest at that. The pairing of 'Russia On Ice' and 'The Pills I'm taking' was a good idea but the transitions is anything but fluid, a little displaced if you will. Maybe it's just not good taking a part of a 17 minute track, even though it lyrically works on its own. Clocking in at 14 minutes, 'Even Less' in its full-length version surely is amongst the most beautiful material in the PT repertoire and back then i was very happy to finally hear and see it live. The obscure ''Dislocated Day' unleashes opaque atmospheres onto rumbling bass hums and rapid drums. Would've been a good track for 'Fear Of A Blank Planet'. The psychedelic rivers of 'Arriving Somewhere But Not Here' concludes a very worthy addition to any PT collection and at least bridges the time until the next proper album a little. Until then, what about exploring the various projects of the respective members?


Tracklist

CD1
01. Occam’s Razor
02. The Blind House
03. Great Expectations
04. Kneel And Disconnect
05. Drawing The Line
06. The Incident
07. Your Unpleasant Family
08. The Yellow Windows Of The Evening Train
09. Time Flies
10. Degree Zero Of Liberty
11. Octane Twisted
12. The Séance
13. Circle Of Manias
14. I Drive The Hearse

CD2
15. Hatesong
16. Russia On Ice / The Pills I’m Taking
17. Stars Die
18. Bonnie The Cat
19. Even Less
20. Dislocated Day
21. Arriving Somewhere But Not Here


Line-Up

Steven Wilson
John Wesley
Colin Edwin
Richard Barbieri
Gavin Harrison


Website

http://www.porcupinetree.com/


Cover Picture

porcupinetree octanetwisted


Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 10
Extras: -
Total: 9.5 / 10





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