Ballooning hype and a fervent hardcore fan base ensure that it's no great risk for Porcupine Tree to release a double CD album (even if it would fit snugly on a single disc). Similar in conception to Dream Theater’s 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence', ‘The Incident’ is a 55 minute conceptual piece plus a second disc of four standalone songs.

  So their prog side is definitely on display here; grand guitar chords crash and ring in a Rush-style intro and the short instrumental assault ‘Circle of Manias’ is unapologetic progressive metal courtesy of a beefy baritone guitar. The second CD, while not much more than a bonus disc, features two quiet, dreamy 70s style pieces and two Porcupine Tree signatures - the dark and threateningly percussive ‘Bonnie the Cat’ and the fucked-up love song ‘Remember Me Lover’, the latter being particularly addictive in its catchy nonchalance.

  Despite the (traditionally alienating) proggy aspects of such an undertaking, Porcupine Tree's familiar pop-song sensibilities are not far away. In fact many of the fourteen tracks comprising Disc 1 are remarkably short, neat songs, and although the seams disappear when listened to as a whole, tracks like ‘Blind House’ and ‘Draw the Line’ stand up as very catchy, accessible songs in their own right (although the indie-pop chorus in the latter will undoubtedly divide opinion).

  Unlike the acclaimed and opinionated ‘Fear of a Blank Planet’, the concept here is rather loose, revolving vaguely around the dubious qualities of the news media. This results in an easier listening experience that demands less emotional input from the listener. Some fans may find this reduces the impact the music has on them, some may prefer this less self-conscious, liberated approach.

  Musically this is no great departure for the constantly evolving prog rock/ambient/psychadelic act, but the style draws on their extensive experience widely – ‘Your Unpleasant Family’ could be from the ‘Stupid Dream’ album and the centrepiece of the recording (Floyd homage ‘Time Flies’) tries to emulate the onomatopoeic rhythm of fan-favourite ‘Trains’ and the sprawling emotional journey of ‘Arriving Somewhere But Not Here’. It is not entirely unsuccessful, but fails to capture the magic of either precedent.

  A highlight of the album is title track ‘The Incident’, using an industrial electronica base in the style of Nine Inch Nails (a similar venture to ‘Sleep Together’, the dark climax of their last release) in a sinister combination with heavy guitars and a mismatch of clean falsetto vocal lines. In a mirror image of this, a lot of the guitar solos are a reverb-soaked distorted tone (conjuring up memories of 70s Black Sabbath) over clean, beautifully produced backing - the Clapton-ian ‘Time Flies’ solo for example.

  Retaining an immediacy despite its premise, this new release still demands repeated listens as such intelligently written and executed music will. With the mainstream music press firmly attached to the bandwagon after the success of ‘Fear of a Blank Planet’, expect critical acclaim for an album that actually deserves it!

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