Langsam werden die Infos zum neuen Album immer mehr. Dieses Mal ein Review von er zweiten Pre-Listening Session mit Steven Wilson. Das Review tauchte in der DarkMatter Mailinglist auf:
„So I heard the album twice earlier today, and it is fantastic. To my ears
it lies somewhere in between The Sky Moves Sideways and In Absentia, and is
in my opinion that this is their best album since TSMS. It is one
continuous 50 minute piece, and is structured and pieced together like the
extended version of TSMS that appeared on the bonus disc of the reissue. It
is also the heaviest PT album to date, in a similar sort of way to how In
Absentia was heavy. Unlike the New York listening we were given the track
titles, but I won’t spill the beans here until PT themselves have put it on
their site.
It all kicks off with a dark brooding riff on acoustic guitar which fairly
quickly explodes onto electric, backed with a driving beat from Gavin. The
lyrics are rapid-fire, and have a few effects to make them seem distant and
down a phone line. This track hasn’t changed markedly from the live
version, but I think the earlier riffs are not quite so heavy – the really
heavy parts don’t kick in until about two-thirds of the way through Track 1.
It all slows down for the next track, being more acoustic and laid back.
Harmonies drench the chorus, creating a more epic setting than is usually
shown by PT. This quickly moves into „The Beast“. A dark, brooding,
minimal riff drifts in, backed by typical RB synths before low drawn out
lyrics emerge. It slowly begins to build, and Alex Lifeson’s solo tears
through the speakers – a very technical, shifting solo, sounds great but I’m
not convinced on it totally fitting the mood of the song at that time.
Things then start getting really heavy, with full on double bass drum, palm
muted riffs, thumping bass – headbangers to the ready! Long instrumental
passages ensure, punctuated with probably my favourite PT chorus ever –
hugely tuneful and catchy, and more glorious harmonies, all over heavy
guitars. It all slows down for the outro, bringing back the mood of track
2, with vocals similar to the intro to this track.
Track 4 is my favourite track after these 2 listens. It is a beautiful,
lush track that is full of clean crisp guitars, more of those harmonies
choruses and a wonderfully catchy little riff that runs through most of the
track, and such a huge improvement over the live version of 4 months ago.
Track 5 is the one track that wasn’t aired on the October tour. Starting
off dark and unsettling, it is built around a stuttering guitar riff on top
of some soundscapes courtesy of Robert Fripp. After a couple of verses it
literally explodes into a monumental slab of heavy guitars and drums, which
although it disappears just as quickly, somehow fits.
A more industrial beat opens the final track, one that builds and builds,
becoming lush with guitars and strings that morph into a hypnotic, epic,
huge outro with so many hooks in it that it hurts, fantastic
Sorry if this is a bit vague, but only having two listens to such a vast and
complex album, it’s going to be a long three months…“
Das wird was! Ich kanns kaum mehr erwarten! Vor allem weil das Album eigentlich ein zusammenhängendes Epos ist – also eigentlich ein Track!
:lach:
pebet
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Now my work is done, I feel I'm owed some joy! - Josh Ritter, Bright Smile