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There are many good musicians and authors, some even excellent, but few can be considered extraordinary, unicum of which there is only one mold: Steve Wilson belongs, indeed, to this category. Like a modern King Midas, everything he has touched with his skillful hands to date has turned to gold, even though the treasure he has accumulated, with diadems and gems of various types and carats, has been, until today, a well-kept secret, too much so. His versatility, combined with uncommon curiosity and a desire to entertain (in the etymological sense of divert, meaning to turn in the opposite direction), has led him to explore genres and sounds that, by those with a rigid and pyramidal conception of pop-rock music, could be considered difficult to reconcile.
In his two main projects No Man and Porcupine Tree, the former being more pop and the latter more rock, the diversity, the bold combinations, the imaginative openings have always been the characteristic traits, along with a remarkable balance and an innate style that have always prevented him from approaching the minefields of kitsch or the slippery slopes of mannerism and self-indulgence. Recently, his insatiable desire to engage with ever-new musical experiences, his desire to fully express himself, has led him to the treacherous lands of Metal; and even here, he has managed to perform a small miracle, brilliantly producing the album "Damnation" by the Swedish band Opeth, one of the few albums of that genre in recent years that I would save.
With "Deadwing", an album released recently, Steve and his magnificent band, which includes among others "fairy hands" Barbieri, previously with D.Sylvian and The Dolphin Brothers, hit the target once again. Along with the more traditional rock, a certain progressive attitude, calibrated and always engaging experiments, with a more pop aftertaste peeking in some tracks, this time even nearly heavy metal guitars make a forceful appearance. Evidently, his recent experience with Opeth has left its marks. This new burst of energy appears especially in the first two tracks: in the title track, where Porcupine sound like the best Motorpsycho, with Adrian Belew's guitar providing support, and in "Shallow", a song with even greater impact, with Page-like guitar riffs raising indestructible musical walls. With "Lazarus", the tone changes, and Barbieri's piano becomes the protagonist, sketching a ballad certainly intense, even if somewhat conventional. With "Halo" we take off again to Colin Edwin's bass rhythm, which pumps frantically, best supported by Harrison's drums; vocal distortions and intense guitars spice up a decidedly rock track. "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" is Wilson's most ambitious attempt, a track of about eleven minutes that condenses the essence of the album and contains a bit of all the various "ingredients" present in "Deadwing", including an unexpected metal prog finale. The most Wilson-like track, the one that some old fans will listen to with a touch of nostalgia, is "Start Of Something Beautiful", with its liquid neoprog atmospheres (though the simplifying term might not please Wilson), with Barbieri's keyboards standing out.
The music of Porcupine is like a dish richly flavored, cooked by a great chef: it's not for all tastes; but those who are tired of fast food or monotonous regional cuisines, and wish to try its savory taste, might find themselves captivated and completely satisfied.
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