If you haven’t heard of Porcupine Tree, you haven’t been paying attention to progressive rock – the scene that refuses to die, no matter how hard its detractors pray. To give you an idea of their impact, they headline Wembley Arena in November.
Founder, guitarist and singer-songwriter Steven Wilson has been nominated for six Grammy awards – twice with Porcupine Tree, the band he formed in 1983.
They had their biggest success with 2009’s The Incident, a Top 30 hit here and in the US, but, on the crest of that wave, Wilson pulled the plugs to concentrate on his solo work – his last two albums went Top Five. So fans have waited 13 years for Porcupine Tree’s second coming.
Closure/Continuation, the band’s 11th album, exhibits all of their restless vision, packed with eclectic mood and tempo changes, Yes-style harmonies and first-class musicianship. Rats Return hoodwinks the listener with a hazy, laidback start before the jazzy guitar riff crunches in.