Released: 2009

Genres: Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, Alternative Rock

The Musiquarium’s The Incident Review Score: 4/5

Seen as a disappointment by both fans and critics, being treated like the one stain on an otherwise flawless decade for the band, Porcupine Tree’s The Incident is actually quite good and undeserving of its reputation as being significantly weaker than the band’s other albums from the 2000s, though it is still not quite as strong as In Absentia, Deadwing or Fear of a Blank Planet.

The production on the album feels a bit like a rush job when compared to the preceding albums, but Wilson had just released his debut solo album Insurgentes the year prior, signalling that his dedication to Porcupine Tree was waning; despite all that, there are still several underrated PT songs to be found here.

The Blind House is one of the heaviest songs on the album, but this being Porcupine Tree means that they also know when to chill out and focus on atmosphere. The title track implements an industrial influence. Octane Twisted makes use of some excellent classical-sounding guitar before the metal elements come in. The nearly 12 minute-long Time Flies is the centerpiece of the album, and though it sounds a little too similar to Pink Floyd’s Dogs (considering Wilson is a huge Pink Floyd fan, there’s no way he didn’t notice), it’s still one of the best PT epics.

Having an EP of five unrelated songs at the end of the album was a strange choice, but tracks like Remember Me Lover make it worth it. I will also say that Great Expectations is far too good to be that short of a song and the rather mediocre chorus in Drawing The Line holds back an otherwise solid song, but those criticisms don’t outweigh the merit that this album does have, and considering its reputation of being a let down after a string of modern classics, you can do a lot worse than The Incident.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Porcupine Tree on Discogs.

Back to the 2009 Album Guide or the Porcupine Tree Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard