| Porcupine Tree Nil Recurring |
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 | Tracklist:
1. Nil Recurring
2. Normal
3. Cheating the Polygraph
4. What Happens Now?
| Ranking: #17 for 2007 | |
| | other reviews | flancexander (4)
Steven Wilson and co. release some b-sides from the "Fear of a blank Planet" recording sessions that... | Sean Rizzo (3.5)
The album is solid for the most part, and Porcupine Tree do good here. Nothing more, nothing less.... |
On 26 Lists
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| Summary: An amazing collection of four outtakes from the Fear of a Blank Planet sessions that should have been included in the final project. |
3 of 7 thought this review was well written
Certain things just shouldn't happen...perhaps, like the outtakes of an album being better than the album itself. That shouldn't happen in this day in age-the record companies should be smart enough to pick the bad music from the good music, and correctly choose which songs deserve to be on the final product. Porcupine Tree dives headfirst into this thing that just shouldn't happen, because this four-song EP is quite simply better than the actual album itself, Fear of a Blank Planet. Don't mistake what I'm saying; Fear of a Blank Planet was a good album-but Nil Recurring is just, well, better. Honestly, I didn't think Porcupine Tree could outdo themselves with Deadwing, and Fear of a Blank Planet affirmed this, but Nil Recurring proves me wrong. While it's just an outtake album, it's four songs that seem to be miscellanious B-sides and outtakes from previous albums tinged with a bit of heaviness and Fear of a Blank Planet mentality...spanning from Stupid Dream to Fear of a Blank Planet.
Are you a big fan of the dark 'vibe' of Fear of a Blank Planet? Well, most certainly listen to Nil Recurring and Normal. These two tracks take advantage of Wilson's fondness of simplistic, acoustic guitar tracks setting the mood; and definitely makes these songs feel like something off of Fear of a Blank Planet. Turning the tables a bit, Cheating the Polygraph definitely feels a lot more like something off of Deadwing, while What Happens Now? definitely feels a lot like Stupid Dream-era music with a lot heavier and aggressive guitar work. This provides a worthwhile and enjoyable EP that shows how much creativity is spewing from Steven Wilson's maniacal brain. And, so while the album is only four songs that are worthy outtakes from Fear of a Blank Planet, there is some really, really good music here.
The tracks Normal and Cheating the Polygraph make this album worthy of the name Porcupine Tree. Normal takes advantage of some driving guitar tracks backdropped by some dark, enveloping bass lines. The track is like an upper-class version of the title track to Fear of a Blank Planet. The song is excellent, fast, yet slow, heavy, and switches rhythms well...the verses are kept together by a beautiful atmosphere and some wild bass lines. The acoustic guitar backdrop is addicting, and the guitar track is the catchy part of the song. Wilson's vocals are also impeccable, and they seem to whine at times and have a definite angry feel to them at others. You can definitely tell this is from Fear of a Blank Planet-era Porcupine Tree, and now, there's some more Deadwing-era Porcupine Tree sounding music next on the album, Cheating the Polygraph. Cheating the Polygraph, was I believe written during the Deadwing Tour, to give fans live a little taste of what was in store for them with Fear of a Blank Planet, and there's a definite feel of that here. Not saying it doesn't fit, either, because it's still an excellent track to say at the least. Opening up with a short, quick and fast riff, the title track to Deadwing screams at you in similarity here until the chorus where Wilson breaks out into an all-out heavy chorus which definitely shows you how much heavier Porcupine Tree has become since they began.
This is the heaviest material Porcupine Tree has released-but its still the 'Tree we've come to know and love. Wilson's guitar work has taken itself to a new level, the bass work is incredible, the drumming screams Opeth, and the heavyness is something I like with Porcupine Tree's newer experimentations. From the opening instrumental Nil Recurring, Wilson lets you know this isn't the Porcupine Tree that released the highly-melodic On the Sunday of Life and The Sky Moves Sideways...this is the next incarnation of Porcupine Tree, filled with heavy hooks, progressive solos and influences, and almost metal epics. Four tracks, over six minutes long a piece, and one excellent heavy-tinged Stupid Dream-like track clocking in at over eight minutes. This isn't for any Porcupine Tree fan to love and enjoy, this is for any progressive r...no, any rock or metal fan to enjoy. Do yourself and your musical taste a favor-go out and buy Nil Recurring as soon as your local music story carries it...you won't be sorry.
DOWNLOAD:
Normal
Cheating the Polygraph
What Happens Now?
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U recommend 3 of the 4 songs, just say "Download Everything" and that will do it.
I've never hear Porcupine Tree. Nice review, pos.
Digging: Say Anything - Say Anything
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your misuse of the hyphen in the first paragraph (and recently discovered in the last paragraph) is beyond me.
your ability to consistently spell DEFINITELY wrong is beyond me.
And even if it seems like Wilson is continuing to jam his hate towards today's youth in a few songs in here as well (resorting to using his line Porcupine Tree fans know by heart from the Fear of a Blank Planet album, "The pills don't work."), and while it does seem Wilson is a bit too down on today's youth, the lyrics come off moving, deep, and thought-provoking.
not only did you repeat yourself, but it's hard to even read this sentence without having an aneurysm.
Digging: A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head
| | | Album Rating: 4
My main question was why spend the time to write another review that offers almost nothing new to the one that was written just a few days ago and was really good on its own?
Digging: The Shizit - The Shizit | | |
You pretty much went out of your way to defy every constructive criticism you were given.
[quote=Splat]This reads more like a badly prepared oral report than an actual review. Stuff like "and it's just a really bland delivery" and "let me describe you the introduction, alright?" is fine in regular speech but it's neither descriptive nor authorative in a music review.[/quote]
[quote=review]Are you a big fan of the dark 'vibe' of Fear of a Blank Planet? Well, most certainly listen to Nil Recurring and Normal.[/quote]
And what IsItLuck? pointed out, amongst other things, but I don't feel like reiterating them since you have about 50 reviews worth of advice.
Digging: Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind
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^123.
Digging: Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind
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CAN YOU HEAR US TRIBESTROS OR ARE YOU WRITING ANOTHER REVIEW?
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^lol. probably both
| | | Album Rating: 3
what happens now is my favorite track here, probably because anesthetize is my favorite on FOABP.
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NO, ITS JUST THAT I DONT CARE.
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They're trying to to help you out.
Digging: Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
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If you aren't going to improve, please stop filling up the site with mediocre reviews.
Digging: Animal Collective - Spirit They've Gone, Spirit They've Vanished
| | | Album Rating: 4
NO, ITS JUST THAT I DONT CARE.
Then stop posting reviews. Nobody wants to continue to read these if you aren't set on improving your writing abilities.
Digging: The Orb - U.F.Orb | | |
Why do you read them then?
| | | Album Rating: 4
Why do you read them then? They obviously see that you have the potential to improve, which is why they probably get more frustrated when you ignore the advice that they've given you in the past... that's my random take on it ;)
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Or they just enjoy insulting you.
| | | Album Rating: 4
ha ha, I was just trying to take the positive position on why they may do it
Edit: And since then have read the argument on the forum and realize that he brings it on himself, not just with his reviews but with the way he carries himself outside of them as well.This Message Edited On 09.26.07
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I think, IA/Deadwing/FoaBP are all heaver than this. I have a softer feel with this. That is why this is so much better then Deadwing and FoaBP. It's still not PT's best work, but it's nice to see some good work again 
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@Willie...I don't...CARE!
Don't you realize this? I'm on here because I'm hoping to get recognized by other professional review sites...and it's working. Whether or not you like me, I DONT CARE!
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If you aren't going to improve, please stop filling up the site with mediocre reviews.
And you don't need Sputnik to get recognized by other professional review sites. Just write into them.
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Most other review sites worth a shit dont look for potential writers anyways. They have them already.
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