Review Summary: A pretty good comeback overshadowed by its brilliant predecessors
With the release of their first full-length since 2009’s The Incident, Porcupine Tree have revealed themselves to be a prog rock Schrödinger’s Cat. They were as good as dead by public perception with the band members prioritizing other projects, only to reveal in 2021 that they spent nearly a decade working on a thirteenth studio album behind the scenes. The ambiguity doesn’t end there as even the title of CLOSURE/CONTINUATION exacerbates the question of whether it’s meant to be a new phase for the band or their final curtain call.
Unsurprisingly, the band’s superb musicianship is well-preserved even with bandleader Steven Wilson picking up bass duties in place of Colin Edwin. Wilson’s signature nasally croon is here along with his tried-and-true acoustic/electric contrasts and his bass playing has a notably more aggressive demeanor compared to the previously established grooves. Drummer Gavin Harrison and keyboardist Richard Barbieri round things out nicely, the former serving up plenty of technical prowess to match the jagged rhythms and the latter putting in that spacey atmospheric flair.
The album also features a more loosely structured approach as the group meanders through different segments without going too far off the deep end. While this helps highlight their great chemistry, the individual songs don’t feel as fleshed out or ear-catching. As a result, there isn’t as much of a distinct identity compared to the band’s past staples or even the trajectory seen with Wilson’s solo career. It’s great stuff but doesn’t have the same flair of their “if Pink Floyd wrote pop songs” or “we’ve been hanging out with Opeth too much” eras.
Fortunately, there’s still some quality material to work with. “Of The New Day” and “Dignity” are classic Porcupine Tree ballads, the latter coming out especially strong with a pleasantly layered refrain and uplifting instrumentation. On the flip side, “Harridan” and “Herd Culling” demonstrate those metallic riffs while “Walk the Plank” and “Chimera’s Wreck” have especially tripped out vibes. There’s also something to be said for how well the bonus tracks turned out with “Never Have” having the most memorable hooks of the whole session.
Overall, CLOSURE/CONTINUATION is a pretty good comeback overshadowed by its brilliant predecessors. It has a distinct enough identity as not be confused with what else the musicians have been doing in the time away, but the execution feels more like a solid placeholder than an outright step forward. The songwriting is strong enough to suggest growing potential and if the band decides to stick around, one can hope they find even more ways to evolve. Longtime fans will still get a lot out of it, but I wager Wilson did a better job of scratching that classic Porcupine Tree itch with 2015’s Hand.Cannot.Erase.
