Video Playlist: Why Porcupine Tree Is A Band That Matters

One of the most pleasant musical surprises I have come across in many a moon is the band Porcupine Tree. I honestly cannot understand why it is that this band --who have apparently been around since the early nineties--has not reached a larger audience than the small, but rabidly devoted cult following they currently enjoy.

I discovered them completely by accident myself when I wrote a review for Blogcritics about another prog-rock band--Marillion--that I had recently rediscovered after having long since forgot about them. Several people responded to that review by imploring me to check out Porcupine Tree, and recommended several albums.

So far, I have purchased six of them--including two double CDs--as well as a live DVD, which is where many of the P Tree clips you'll see below come from.

So how do I describe this? Truth is, I don't, since every record sounds so different from the other. On albums like Fear Of A Blank Planet and Deadwing, P Tree go from ethereal sounding textures to bludgeoning metal--sometimes within the confines of a single song. On earlier records like The Sky Moves Sideways, there is a trippier, more psychedelic feel that sounds like it is coming from a completely different band. The title track alone goes for something like 36 minutes, and moves from lush Pink Floydian soundscapes to some of the most insane guitar work I have ever heard.

I don't know--call it "New Prog" I guess. Judge for yourself by watching the clips I have assembled below. It begins with a seven minute long video montage of the entire Fear Of A Blank Planet album. All I know is I dig these guys. A lot.