Prog Closure/Continuation It’s often said that all good things come to those who wait, but surely nobody was expecting a new album. When the UK prog crew released a brand-new song, , last November (their first new music in well over a decade), prog-friendly corners of internet came close to having a shared emotional meltdown. Long before progressive music had any kind of critical or cultural recovery, Steven Wilson’s band were slaving away in the pursuit of a more interesting, creative and forward-thinking approach to artful rock.
From the beginnings as a cod-psychedelic DIY project that only really existed in Wilson’s bedroom, to the esoteric, prog-embracing experiments of and , and on to the holistic modern prog magnificence of certified classic albums such as , Porcupine Tree have always been essential listening for fans of non-boring music. Unfortunately, despite enjoying a steady upward ascent, they ground to a rather fractious and unsatisfying halt at the end of touring for their 10th studio album, . Subsequently, there’s been virtually no indication that there’d be any more Porcupine Tree music ever again, and certainly not that there was, in fact, a new album being slowly but surely pieced together.
But here we are. It’s 2022 and there is a new Porcupine Tree album (the stunning ) with an arena tour to follow. As speaks with , and via the power of Zoom, the urge to bellow, “Well, you kept that quiet!” is overwhelming.
Welcome back, you sneaky bastards..