Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

Considering their cinematic scope, it's fitting that the songs on Deadwing were actually inspired by a film script written by Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson. Not that this should come as any surprise to longtime fans who know the UK act's reputation for churning out epic progressive rock so sonically descriptive that it's practically visual. Porcupine Tree creates works with complex structures that do not alienate or obscure the songs themselves, pieces that are dark and psychedelic without being sinister. On the 12-minute opening title track, weighty guitar riffs and spacious synths immediately recall Nine Inch Nails, but swooping melodic changes give way to ambient passages, making it plain that this is no industrial-rock rip-off. "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" begins with processed backwards guitar, building into a harmony-fueled crescendo before dropping off completely to reveal sparse picking over loops and clicks. Guests Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) and Adrian Belew (King Crimson) contribute vocal harmonies and guitar, respectively, and the disc comes enhanced with behind-the-scenes video footage as a bonus feature.