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Porcupine Tree – Anesthetize – DVD Review

Porcupine Tree
Anesthetize
Kscope/Roadrunner Records
8/10

Even though you may have never heard them on terrestrial radio, Porcupine Tree has become one of progressive rock’s solid touring bands with shows dating back to 1993. Their latest live DVD, Anesthetize, was released earlier this year in May and features the five-piece band rocking out in Tilburg (for the geographically challenged, that’s in the Netherlands) from a tour in 2008. The captivating live show features their 2007 album Fear of a Blank Planet in its entirety and that’s just the first half…

The band’s performance is musically tight and visually intriguing, especially with front man, Steven Wilson’s intense stage presence setting the tone for the two-set show. Like other concert beginnings, the audience cheers as the band is filmed walking onstage. A concert-length video created by Lasse Hoile (who also directed the DVD) is pictured in the backdrop and Wilson opens solo with the riff to “Fear of a Blank Planet”. I remember busting up laughing because his clean guitar tone is run through some sort of effect, making the guitar sound slightly out of tune. This is a usual faux pas, but it was excellent! He picks out the riff with such conviction, and the band follows vigilantly as they make sure to play synchronized to the artistically tasteful video rolling behind them. The second half of the concert features a selection of songs from other albums including the entrancing b-side ballad, “Half-Light” from Deadwing (2005).

Wilson primarily writes the music of Porcupine Tree, which is often described as dark and melancholic. A lover of 70s progressive rock, his music requires an amazing level of musicianship. I was especially impressed with drummer, Gavin Harrison’s precision, endurance, and incredibly tight fills throughout the show. One would think that after two hours of playing to a click with changing meters left and right he’d show some fatigue, but that was not the case.  It must also be mentioned that their bassist, Colin Edwin is THE coolest bassist to watch. He reflects the epitome of bass chill with a charming perma-smug look as he plays and locks in perfectly with the band.

In addition to their music and use of video, another noticeable part of the production is the lighting. There may not a single ray of sunshine in their music, but they use yellow and pink lighting in their show! It’s a beautiful contrast to the concert’s tone. I could see them playing to an elaborate lighting set up like the planetarium at the Griffith Park Observatory. Overall, the Porcupine Tree concert experience has changed quite a bit over the years, and Anesthetize is a good representation of their current vibe and worldwide presence. They’re still hustling hard, on the road until mid-October and even have some dates with American band, Coheed and Cambria.

So the bottom line—this live DVD is not for the faint of heart. If you want to see a tight band rocking out a dynamic performance, set aside two and a half hours of your day and watch it straight through. It’s lengthy but worth it. There are just as many sonically beautiful sections as there are to head bang. It’s cool to see middle-aged guys that can still rock out. Oh yeah…and if you’re fortunate to have a 5.1 system, definitely buy and watch this DVD because I do not have one and cannot say shit about the 5.1 mix (which was also done by Wilson).

Stereo, baby. Stereo.

-Kateri Lirio