The Incident

Album: The Incident
Artist: Porcupine Tree
Release Year: 2009
Genres: art rock, progressive rock, alternative rock

THE INCIDENT: 1) Occam's Razor; 2) The Blind House; 3) Great Expectations; 4) Kneel and Disconnect; 5) Drawing the Line; 6) The Incident; 7) Your Unpleasant Family; 8) Yellow Windows of the Evening Train; 9) Time Flies; 10) Zero Degree of Liberty; 11) Octane Twisted; 12) Seance; 13) Circle of Manias; 14) I Drive the Hearse.

REMAINING SONGS: 1) Flicker; 2) Bonnie the Cat; 3) Black Dahlia; 4) Remember Me Lover.

Best Song: I Drive the Hearse

Let me start by saying that yes, I picked this album completely at random, so do not accuse me of taking yet another opportunity to plug one of my favorite bands. Second, this album is hard to get into. At first listen it seems bland and uninspired, but spin it a few more times and you'll see its beauty.

"The Incident" (the song sequence occupying the entire first disc) is pure Steven Wilson. Sure, the preceding albums were also written mainly by him, but to hear this one is to see that all the extra layers fall away. It's Steven, alone in a dark room in the wee hours, reading from the hearts and minds of various "characters." Briefly, the theme of the piece is dehumanization through callousness and apathy, and though I'm not sure how well the songs follow it, I can tell you I really don't care. They all flow neatly and logically.

As per usual, the songs are dreary and despondent. All of them. Sometimes I marvel at the band's ability to hold my interest through a dozen albums of what could almost be suicide notes, but maybe that's just an indication of their prowess. Anyway, at least the brands of depression change several times, from detachment to resentment, to painful reminiscing, to regret. There are some dark, mid-tempo rock songs ("The Blind House," "Circle of Manias"), beautiful ballads ("Kneel and Disconnect," "I Drive the Hearse"), and a progressive epic ("Time Flies").

I don't like to spend a lot of time on individual songs (or segments, as these technically are), but I must point out "Time Flies" and "I Drive the Hearse." The first begins and ends as a flowing, yearning song of regret for past failures, concealing a faint glimmer of hope, with a great guitar solo in the middle. "I Drive the Hearse" is, in my opinion, the most haunting and beautiful song Wilson ever wrote. "Silence is another way of saying what I want to say. Pride is just another way of trying to live with my mistakes. And you were always my mistake."

As I said above, though, the main flaw with this album is that it gets monotonous at times, particularly toward the end. After a while, you realize they're not playing anything you haven't already heard in the past hour, and I can see how that would turn some people off. The atmosphere is even darker than on previous albums, and this one certainly doesn't invite you in. But press on, I say! Give it time, and it'll grow on you.

Oh, I guess I forgot to talk about the four songs on the second disc. Uh, well...they're okay.

Rating: 8.5