In Absentia

Infobox Album
Name = In Absentia
Type = studio
Artist = Porcupine Tree


Caption = Cover art by Lasse Hoile
Released = start date|2002|9|24
Recorded = Avatar Studios, [cite web|url=http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/september_2002/porcupine.html|title=Porcupine Tree|publisher=Free Williamsburg|accessdate=2008-04-13] New York
March 2002-April 2002
Genre = Progressive rock, progressive metal
Length = 68:14
Label = Lava
Producer =
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:w1uk6j8371r0 link]
*PopMatters (favourable) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/reviews/article/24755/porcupinetree-inabsentia link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/porcupinetree/albums/album/303631/review/5945892/in_absentia link]
Last album = "" (2002)
This album = "In Absentia" (2002)
Next album = "XM" (2003)

"In Absentia" is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released on September 24, 2002. It was their first release on a major record label, Lava Records. It is Metal Storm's webzine #7 of Top 20 albums of 2002 [ [http://www.metalstorm.ee/bands/albums_top.php?album_year=2002 Top 20 albums of 2002 - Metal Storm] . Retrieved 2008-09-25.] and #64 of Top 100 albums of all time [ [http://www.metalstorm.ee/bands/albums_top.php Top 100 albums - Metal Storm] . Retrieved 2008-09-25.]

Concept

Though never announced as such by the members of the band, many consider "In Absentia" to be a concept album. It is said to be an investigation of the causes of insanity and serial killing told through the story of man from childhood through marriage, as many of the songs can demonstrate.

Steven Wilson is always tight-lipped about the meanings of his lyrics largely because (especially on this album) they are loose and open to interpretation. He has said that he means for the lyrics not only to be understood as part of the album's concept (serial killers, rapists, child abusers and other "deviants") but also subjectively, according to what the listener brings and assumes about them. For example, the song "Gravity Eyelids" has lyrics which seem to suggest connection to the album's concept, but Steven Wilson has also noted that it was written about an "evening by the Dead Sea." The erotic feel of the lyrics also lend themselves to interpretation as a love song.

Aside from "The Sound of Muzak", which is clearly a criticism of the modern music industry, and "Wedding Nails", an instrumental, all of the songs have lyrics that can be linked to the theme. Some seem vague and hard to connect: "Trains", which Wilson explained as being an evocation of his memories of childhood summers, includes the lyric "you're tying me up", which shares a theme with a line from "The Creator Has a Mastertape", a song more clearly about an abusive family relationship.

In general, the first songs of the album seem lighter and less or more vaguely connected to the concept, as well as being musically lighter and more cheerful. With the eerie ".3", the album transitions into its darker second section, which contains the songs "The Creator Has a Mastertape" and "Strip the Soul", which deal more explicitly with a family marred by abuse and murder. One fan reported on the official Porcupine Tree forum that Steven Wilson mentioned the killer Fred West as a notable influence on the album. West had a large family whom he abused physically and sexually, while he and his wife lured many victims to their home to be murdered and often buried in the garden or bricked into the walls of the ever-changing house; this theme appears many times throughout the album. It should be noted that there's a music video for "Strip the Soul" that has several grotesque and disturbing images that portray what seems to be a man dismembering a body.

However, the meanings of the songs as Steven Wilson meant them are intentionally left open and are fair game for speculation. They are meant to have different meanings and significance to each listener, so an absolute statement about the origin or meaning of one song would be impossible to make.

This album also marked the arrival of Gavin Harrison, who is their current drummer/percussionist.

Track listing

All music and lyrics written by Steven Wilson except as indicated.

Original release

#"Blackest Eyes" – 4:23
#"Trains" – 5:56
#"Lips of Ashes" – 4:39
#"The Sound of Muzak" – 4:59
#"Gravity Eyelids" – 7:56
#"Wedding Nails" - 6:33 (music: Wilson/Barbieri)
#"Prodigal" – 5:35
#".3" – 5:25
#"The Creator Has a Mastertape" – 5:21
#"Heartattack in a Layby" – 4:15
#"Strip the Soul" – 7:21 (music: Wilson/Edwin)
#"Collapse the Light into Earth" – 5:54

European special edition

Released in January 27th, 2003, it contains a bonus disc with three extra tracks:

#"Drown with Me" – 5:21
#"Chloroform" – 7:14 (music: Wilson/Maitland)
#"Strip the Soul" (video edit) – 3:35

DVD-A

Released in March, 2004, the DVD features the original version plus extra songs recorded during the sessions, all remixed in 5.1 surround sound (presented in DTS and DVD-A), and the videos for "Strip the Soul", "Blackest Eyes", and "Wedding Nails".

#"Blackest Eyes" – 4:23
#"Trains" – 5:56
#"Lips of Ashes" – 4:39
#"The Sound of Muzak" – 4:59
#"Gravity Eyelids" – 7:56
#"Wedding Nails" – 6:33 (music: Wilson/Barbieri)
#"Prodigal" – 5:32
#".3" – 5:25
#"The Creator Has a Mastertape" – 5:21
#"Heartattack in a Layby" – 4:15
#"Strip the Soul" – 7:21 (music: Wilson/Edwin)
#"Collapse the Light into the Earth" – 5:54
#"Drown with Me" – 5:21
#"Chloroform" – 7:14 (music: Wilson/Maitland)
#"Futile" – 6:06 (music: Wilson/Harrison)

Personnel

*Steven Wilson - vocals, guitar, piano
*Gavin Harrison - drums, percussion
*Colin Edwin - bass guitar
*Richard Barbieri - keyboard

Guest musicians

*Aviv Geffen - backing vocals (on "The Sound of Muzak" and "Prodigal")
*John Wesley - backing vocals (on "Blackest Eyes", "The Sound of Muzak", and "Prodigal"), additional guitar (on "Blackest Eyes")

Chart

References