pip65 Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 First Regret/3 Years Older is streaming here starting at the 2:40 mark:http://dprpradio.pod...andcannoterase/ 3 Years Older sounds like it was ripped straight from a Rush album. Love it!Thank you so much for sharing this link. I have listened to this 3 times back to back and I'm loving it more each listen. I can definitely hear the influence of Rush but also early Genesis (think Watcher of the Skies), Crosby, Stills ,Nash and Young and others that I can't immediately place, but also a lot that is pure Steven Wilson. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnify Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 A review http://progreport.com/steven-wilson-hand-erase-cd-review Steven Wilson, the songwriter, producer, singer, guitarist behind Porcupine Tree and an uncompromising and successful solo career has once again delivered on surprising his fans. Following the success of his last album, the brilliant “Raven who refused to sing”, Wilson has returned to making a concept album and with ‘Hand.Cannot.Erase’, he has delivered perhaps one of the best albums of his career. A true concept album, it is based on the story of Joyce Vincent who was found after being dead in her apartment for 2 years. This can make for some dark moments but Wilson finds a way of encapsulating the entire story of the young woman’s life, providing moments of endearment, love, remembrance, loss and intensity all within the flow of the album. Musically, the album covers a lot of territory from parts sounding like Porcupine Tree and Opeth to Pop and Electronica. He has always ventured into other areas, but seems to be shying away from staying in one lane even more with this one. But rest assured, Prog fans should love this album. For any fans of Porcupine Tree, the opening track “First Regret/3 Years Older” will feel like a return to form. Opening like a movie soundtrack, the section “First Regret” builds on a simple piano refrain and then moves to a string arrangement. The guitar into for “3 Years Older” sounds like it could be the guitar opening from Tommy but quickly the syncopated drum and bass from Marco Minnemann and Nick Beggs draw you into the building excitement. The next few minutes are like a musical overture leading to a simple acoustic guitar where Wilson begins to sing. The harmonies and background vocals are sublime and the explosion when the band kicks back in with force is captivating. There are some brilliant progressive moments in this latter half of the track, with the Adam Holzman’s piano leading the way along with the tremendously talented Guthrie Govan following on guitar. The band features some of the best musicians in the world and they are absolutely incredible throughout. The second track, “Hand.Cannot.Erase” is nontraditional for a Steven Wilson album as it is a simple 4 minute pop song and perhaps one of the most radio friendly songs he has ever produced, certainly from his solo albums. It is an uptempo song that by itself would be cause for concern from the discerning Prog fan base, but in the context of the album, it is completely welcome as a breath of fresh air. “Perfect Life” follows and this is where the album begins to shift. As seen in the video previously released for the song, it is mostly a narrated track where the sister of the lead woman in the story recalls how they first connected and then fell out of each other’s lives. Mostly over an electronic rhythm, Wilson starts to sing “we have got the perfect life” towards the end of the song, making for one of the most interesting and beautiful moments on the album. When asked about this track being a strange choice for the first video and single, Wilson said he is not interested in doing what is expected. Check out the interview with The Prog Report. The centerpiece of the album is “Routine”. The song introduces Israeli singer Ninet Tayeb as the lead character. The song is as much a musical theater track as it is a progressive rock track. It is an epic track that incorporates a boys choir which adds a particular depth to the track. The use of the instruments as characters, shifting them in and out, is another welcome element and shows Wilson’s brilliance as a producer. The next track “Home Invasion/Regret” is something that would have fit on his last album. A heavy progressive track with a lot of instrumental parts make this a fun track to listen to and explore. The second half features an incredible solo section from Holzman. Guthrie Govan has his best solo moment on this track as well. This should be a great live song. “Transciense” sounds like “Lips of Ashes” from ‘In Absentia’. It is a nice break from the heaviness of the previous track. And is a perfect pairing with “Ancestral.” The big epic track on the album is also the heaviest track. It is similar to how Wilson used to write in the early days of PT in songs like Russia On Ice where the first half of the song is subdued and dark before kicking into a metal riff explosion that continues until the song reaches is climax. The closing track “Happy Returns/Ascendant Here On” is a soft ballad and a great way to close the album. After the haunting moments of “Ancestral” Wilson chooses to try and leave the listener on an a message of hope, even though we know the outcome is not good. He has often chosen to close his albums with ballad type tracks, some more simple than others. This one is grand and builds before ending softly with some piano and strings. This is an album that demands multiple listens. It is layered and complex and once again Steven Wilson proves he is just an a different playing field when it comes to Prog and Rock music. He has created his own niche in both genres. He could easily do a full on Prog album as he did with the Raven, but knowing that is why he chooses to not do it. Instead he gifts us with another brilliant piece of music that should stand the test of time. This will definitely be one of the top albums of 2015. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adace1 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Don't think I can put it here (don't want to be banned) but someone posted a link to download Ancestral on SW's Last.fm page. It's a really emotional, dark piece that kinda reminds me of Mastodon in the heavy part. This album's gonna be fantastic! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union 5-3992 Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'm glad I ordered it on vinyl now. Always a little bit of risk (price) vs reward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnify Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 (edited) Don't think I can put it here (don't want to be banned) but someone posted a link to download Ancestral on SW's Last.fm page. It's a really emotional, dark piece that kinda reminds me of Mastodon in the heavy part. This album's gonna be fantastic! This track is really great - thanks for pointing this out! :D So that makes 4 stellar tracks thus far - to hear it all in context will be awesome! Edited February 12, 2015 by cygnify Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union 5-3992 Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 I shouldn't listen to it anymore. I don't want to be too spoiled for the actual release Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnify Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I shouldn't listen to it anymore. I don't want to be too spoiled for the actual release It's hard to stop.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnify Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 There's some debate if that version of "Ancestral" is the final album version. While it is hard to discern from the low quality 128 kbps rip from a web-radio stream, it is apparent that the vocals are different than what is heard in the studio videos that have been released. Specifically, the female voice vs. Steven's voice. It is possible that this version is the demo that is to be released with the Deluxe box. Either way, the song is pretty great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I'll hopefully get my copy in time for my birthday! http://s17.rimg.info/e1ea665fd52a655a33614dc8492197e3.gif 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnify Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) An interview with Steven - many of the comments are similar to other recent interviews, but it has some audio clips and studio footage that does not appear in the prior 3 studio video clips: {edit: i am mistaken, i think i do hear all of these clips in the 3 previous studio clips...} http://youtu.be/SQU6ekkYabI Edited February 13, 2015 by cygnify Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarizeMe Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 It's leaked! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 And it is really, really good. In an odd way it seems to be a progression from The Incident rather than his previous solo work. Gets slightly more jazzy toward the end but man what a tour de force. This is a man totally at ease with himself and his music. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union 5-3992 Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 I've gotta give them a lotta credit considering how close to the release they kept it. Usually their albums leaked a month before, but this is only less than a week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Got the super deluxe coming next week so I don't feel guilty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union 5-3992 Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Got the super deluxe coming next week so I don't feel guilty.Nor do I. Vinyl will be arriving soon so I can take a quick peek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'm on my second listen then I'll probably wait for the surround version. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pip65 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'm not computer savvy enough to find this leak but I can wait another week for the CD/DVD . Getting really, really excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adace1 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Amazing album. At least on par with The Raven if not better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnify Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 First listen -> my impression: Wow. Epic. Masterpiece. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I've not got my copy yet! :boohoo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarizeMe Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 ^ I don't think anyone of us here has a copy of it yet. As for the leak, eh I don't have the motivation/energy to look for it so I'll just wait till my copy arrives in my mailbox/front porch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union 5-3992 Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 It may be another 2 weeks till I get my copy. I'm going to have to work hard not to spoil myself too much :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Union 5-3992 Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 So I heard the Aristocrats are recording their third album.... 2/3 of them are Steven Wilson's band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnify Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 So I heard the Aristocrats are recording their third album.... The tracking is done, it is currently being mixed. June release. US tour to follow. Can't wait!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now