Porcupine Tree Thread v. generic heaviness and boring ambiance

[zxlkho]

Anything think the next live DVD will be called Time Flies? The last two were titled after their respective album's longest track (Arriving Somehere and Anesthetize). I think the title works well for a DVD, especially if they do something that compiles tracks from different shows, a la DT's Chaos In Motion, except hopefully with better quality.

-Marc.

It might just be called The Incident after the song cycle.

[Zantera]

Well, that would be confusing considering that's the name of the album.

[zxlkho]

The Incident DVD or The DVD Incident

[Darkes7]

What about Bonnie The Cat?

[Sintheros]

Trains
Gravity Eyelids
Blackest Eyes
Heartattack
The Creator Has a Mastertape
Prodigal
Collapse the Light Into Earth
Lips of Ashes
.3
Strip the Soul
The Sound of Muzak
Wedding Nails

[ClairvoyantCat]

Speaking of Bonnie the Cat, I seriously disliked the song, my least favorite on the album, but I really liked the music video.  Had know idea what the fuck it was about, but still, really liked it.  Anyone else?

[Zantera]

Haven't watched the video yet, but i do like the song.

[faemir]

Bonnie the Cat is the best song on CD2

[Darkes7]

Bonnie the Cat is the best song on CD2

Agreed.

[ClairvoyantCat]

I don't really get what to enjoy about the song...

[Darkes7]

- atmosphere
- unusual and somehow really haunting vocals (I don't think I've heard many songs sounding more ominous vocal-wise)
- great bassline throughout most of the song
- killer instrumental part in the second half, one of the weirdest and most interesting they've done
- I KNOW WHAT WILL BE.

[Zantera]

I would rank cd2 like this:

1. Flicker
2. Bonnie the Cat
3. Remember Me Lover
4. Black Dahlia.

Overall i think CD2>CD1 though.

[AcidLameLTE]

- atmosphere
- unusual and somehow really haunting vocals (I don't think I've heard many songs sounding more ominous vocal-wise)
- great bassline throughout most of the song
- killer instrumental part in the second half, one of the weirdest and most interesting they've done
- I KNOW WHAT WILL BE.

This...TO THE MAX.

[Perpetual Change]

- atmosphere
- unusual and somehow really haunting vocals (I don't think I've heard many songs sounding more ominous vocal-wise)
- great bassline throughout most of the song
- killer instrumental part in the second half, one of the weirdest and most interesting they've done
- I KNOW WHAT WILL BE.

The bolded out parts are ones which actively take away from my enjoyment of this song.

[AcidLameLTE]

wut

[Perpetual Change]

The instrumental section sounds cool, from the Egyptian sounding leads to the Tool Third-Eye sounding section, but ultimately I just don't think the song goes anywhere. As I've said plenty of times, I don't want to listen to 4 minutes of music I dislike to hear one minute that is really good.

[Zantera]

I really hope the next PT-album will be less heavy, because their latest heavy-sections/songs haven't been "OMG jawdropping" like the PT-standard.
Listening to the second half of Russia on Ice for example makes me think back to the time when it sounded really awesome, even though songs like The Incident (the short one, duh) pulls it off really great, i don't really like it as much in songs like The Blind House and Circle of Manias.

[Darkes7]

- atmosphere
- unusual and somehow really haunting vocals (I don't think I've heard many songs sounding more ominous vocal-wise)
- great bassline throughout most of the song
- killer instrumental part in the second half, one of the weirdest and most interesting they've done
- I KNOW WHAT WILL BE.

The bolded out parts are ones which actively take away from my enjoyment of this song.

I have no idea how any of the four can take away from the enjoyment.

I really hope the next PT-album will be less heavy, because their latest heavy-sections/songs haven't been "OMG jawdropping" like the PT-standard.
Listening to the second half of Russia on Ice for example makes me think back to the time when it sounded really awesome, even though songs like The Incident (the short one, duh) pulls it off really great, i don't really like it as much in songs like The Blind House and Circle of Manias.

I think the balance is perfect as it is on The Incident. In Absentia was probably the heaviest this far, FOABP very close, Deadwing and TI were probably 50/50 and that's perfect.

[Zantera]

Well, it's not really about the balance, more about the quality.
And i think you appreciate something more, if it isn't everywhere. 

[Perpetual Change]

- atmosphere
- unusual and somehow really haunting vocals (I don't think I've heard many songs sounding more ominous vocal-wise)
- great bassline throughout most of the song
- killer instrumental part in the second half, one of the weirdest and most interesting they've done
- I KNOW WHAT WILL BE.

The bolded out parts are ones which actively take away from my enjoyment of this song.

I have no idea how any of the four can take away from the enjoyment.

I don't know. It does have a somewhat creepy atmosphere, but it all seems to just meander along and go nowhere.

[Darkes7]

Well, it's not really about the balance, more about the quality.
And i think you appreciate something more, if it isn't everywhere. 

The heaviness on The Incident is on an impressive entirety of 3 out of 14 parts...

I don't know. It does have a somewhat creepy atmosphere, but it all seems to just meander along and go nowhere.

So that's got nothing to do with what I pointed out.

[Zantera]

Not really, many songs have the heavier-guitars.
Some has more, some has less, but PT isn't a metal-band, and it's starting to feel pretty lame if they're future songs will sound like The Blind House.
The ambient-part of that song is amazing, but the rest is fairly bland. 

[Darkes7]

Going with this line of thinking, you could say Signify is almost entirely heavy and it's bland. Sorry, this doesn't make any sense.

[Zantera]

I don't see Signify as being heavy at all, it's probably one of the least heavy-albums.

[Darkes7]

Just like majority of The Incident. Most of the songs there are lighter than Signify title track.

[Zantera]

I miss the times when PT made rock-stuff, not "its either a soft ballad or meshuggah-guitars".

[KevShmev]

And most of the songs on The Incident are heavier (not heavy per se, but simply heavier) than every other song than Signify's title track.

Also, "Bonnie the Cat" is a hard one for me to rate these days.  It was my initial favorite from Disc 2, but dropped to last place a while back, but I have recently gotten back into it in a big way, so I have no idea what order I would put those four songs in now.

[robwebster]

Yeah, I can't quite place Bonnie the Cat. I love the heaviness, I love the frustration, I love "I know. What.



"...Will be," and I love that hoarse whispered bit, but it doesn't quite gel for me. I wouldn't ever sing along to it, it's not especially brutal or fun or melodic or... anything really. There's a lot that I love about it but nothing that I especially enjoy. It's a really, really weird one.

[orcus116]

I'm with Darkes, the second half heavy bit is awesome.

[ariich]

Bonnie the Cat is probably my favourite track on the album.

And I don't think The Incident is a particularly heavy album at all. Less so than the last 3 I'd say.

[Zantera]

It's heavier then Fear of a Blank Planet, but overall i wouldn't say it's a heavy-album.
As always, PT mixes genres in a perfect way, creating music that could only be described as "porcupine tree-ish".

[Perpetual Change]

I don't know. It does have a somewhat creepy atmosphere, but it all seems to just meander along and go nowhere.

So that's got nothing to do with what I pointed out.

Are you serious? You said you don't understand how the bolded out things could take away from the song, and I replied that it all just seem to meander about without going anywhere. That is: the bassline, the atmosphere, the lyrics and vocals, the "I Know What Will Be", everything-- it all may be very cool individually, but none seems to serve any purpose in the art we call "writing a good song," or even building up to a decent climax.

Oh. I remember now, Darkes. The other posters here can't understand what your saying and disagree with it at the same time, especially since you're always right, and other perspectives aren't scientifically possible. We can only fail to "get" you.

Not really, many songs have the heavier-guitars.
Some has more, some has less, but PT isn't a metal-band, and it's starting to feel pretty lame if they're future songs will sound like The Blind House.
The ambient-part of that song is amazing, but the rest is fairly bland.  

My problem isn't heaviness, since the majority of the music I listen to is heavy. It's that, overall, I still think Porcupine Tree have a hard time doing heavy without it sounding like, "Hey, we're trying to sound heavy!"

Blind House, though, is my favorite song on the album. I don't think that suffers for having a heavy sound. For me, it's that passage from Zero Degree of Liberty ---> Circle Of Manias that gets me. The heavy parts just don't sound heavy or energetic. And Wilson singing all sad-like between the two ends of that whole "movement" doesn't really catch me.

I guess I'm just getting a little weary of this newer, heavier, more down-trodden Porcupine Tree. The Blind House is the only song on the album that has a little "pep in its step."  

Ooooohh! I think I've finally got it. Through this post, I've finally realized why I'm so hesitant about the more recent PT albums. So many of their more recent songs are slow and solemn and melancholy and droning. Deadwing and everything before it had a lot more diversity-- at least in terms of emotional range.

Thanks for being such a good sound-board, guys 

[Darkes7]

I don't know. It does have a somewhat creepy atmosphere, but it all seems to just meander along and go nowhere.

So that's got nothing to do with what I pointed out.

Are you serious? You said you don't understand how the bolded out things could take away from the song, and I replied that it all just seem to meander about without going anywhere. That is: the bassline, the atmosphere, the lyrics and vocals, the "I Know What Will Be", everything-- it all may be very cool individually, but none seems to serve any purpose in the art we call "writing a good song," or even building up to a decent climax.

Oh. I remember now, Darkes. The other posters here can't understand what your saying and disagree with it at the same time, especially since you're always right, and other perspectives aren't scientifically possible. We can only fail to "get" you.

What the fuck are you talking about? And no, meandering and going nowhere has nothing to do with any of the parts I mentioned.

[Perpetual Change]

Hey, I think I got it! If the individual parts of a song don't work together to make it enjoyable for someone, then they're worthless to that person!
 






On second thought you're right, Darkes. That doesn't make sense. I just don't know how to follow a discussion  

[ZBomber]

Was listening to The Incident D2 earlier... excellent stuff.