The Incident Porcupine Tree Roadrunner Records Rs 495; rating: *** At a time when boy bands were unleashed upon the world,with their armory of pop group songs,a different breed of bands was meticulously plotting to open an avenue for modern rock. British progressive rockers Porcupine Tree were one such band that erupted into the psychedelic progressive rock/metal circuit with their surreal songwriting and experimental space rock that delivered potent,concept-laced music. The band serves quite a powerful dose with Steven Wilsons dazzling vocal harmonies and stellar guitars and Richard Barbieris distorted trip-hop synthesiser and piano licks. Theyre backed by Colin Edwins bass grooves that are bolstered by subtle snare and offbeat drumming by Gavin Harrison. If that is not enough,the band has fiddled with the mellotron,hammered dulcimer,banjo,guimbri and the samplers. Their previous studio albums,such as Fear of a Blank Planet and Deadwing,were whirlwinds of their creative potential and leaned towards metal-oriented dark tunes compared with their earlier psychedelic jaunts. Now,with their tenth studio effort,The Incident,the band has invoked all their past album experiences and put together a record that will grow on the listeners. Disc one is a 55-minute tour de force of the title track divided into 14 parts. The stabbing track with deeply synthesised sounds and sinister vocal processing leads to the centrepiece Time flies filled with animated guitars,as Wilson belts out,I was born in 67/ The year of Sgt. Pepper and Are You Experienced. The four-track disc two is vintage stuff,with a sonic space fest in the opening track Flicker,and fuzzbox wails,synth attacks and subtle ragas in Bonnie the cat. Mohan kumar mohan.kumar@expressindia.com
