For me to gain full appreciation of Closure/Continuation, Porcupine Tree’s 11th studio album coming 12 years after the last one, 2009’s The Incident, I had to listen to it in 5.1. Tracking through the album’s 10 songs on my computer was teasing my senses. This needed to be an immersive experience without disruption. Steven Wilson, who many claim is Porcupine Tree, is an undisputed master when it comes to blending audio for a surround environment, so there was little doubt the mixing magic he cast upon Closure/Continuation would be worth the wait. And after a couple weeks of seeking out the best deal and procuring delivery, my patience paid off in dividends.
Closure/Continuation is a return to form for Wilson, who went on a solo album binge from 2008 through 2021 with mixed results. His pop-flavored experimentations were more about personal satisfaction than his legion of followers more attuned to the edgy modern prog he’s known for. Not that it ever left, because apparently Wilson, keyboardist Richard Barbieri and drummer Gavin Harrison spent years crafting Closure/Continuation when time allowed away from other projects. Longtime bassist Colin Edwin didn’t participate for undisclosed reasons.
Some would say Wilson’s own releases like 2011’s Grace For Drowning, 2013’s The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) and 2015’s Hand. Cannot. Erase. seamlessly filled the Porcupine Tree void. When you start to listen through Closure/Continuation, it comes across as more of a band effort, a mixture of prog metal (think 2002’s In Absentia and 2007’s Fear Of A Blank Planet) and modern-day melodies, reminiscent of 1999’s Stupid Dream and 2000’s Lightbulb Sun. In the spirit of PT’s reunion — the “closure” on the last chapter with a “continuation” onto the next one — Wilson divvies up the songwriting credits squarely with Barbieri and Harrison, taking sole ownership on only two of the 10 tracks (the album’s primary seven, plus a bonus of three).
The three-disc Deluxe set includes the primary seven songs on the first CD, and the three bonus numbers plus instrumentals of the primary seven on the second CD. The Blu-ray Disc has the primary seven accompanied by head-spinning visuals and a choice of various mixes — Dolby Atmos, 96/24 Stereo LPCM, DTS HD 96/24 Master Audio 5.1 and 96/24 5.1 LPCM. Dolby Atmos gets a lot of love these days, but it was a non-starter 10 seconds in. Ultimately, the DTS delivered on the promise of an otherworldly playback, maybe the best Wilson mix these old honkers have absorbed. You can only pull out so much of the sonic minutia from a 50-year-old King Crimson or Jethro Tull recording. With Closure/Continuation, you have to figure that Wilson had nothing but advanced technological breakthroughs at his fingertips. One spin through, and it’s obvious he pulled every lever he could to make it scream.
No matter what kind of system you have, the dynamics of “Harridan” punch you right in the gut. Hearing Wilson’s power chords and heavy bassline bark out of my rear speakers immediately alerted my ears to the tremendous mix about to unfold. The simple guitar parts become more dramatic with that low-end undercurrent, Barbieri’s subtle keys and Harrison’s galloping drum work. Once that surge of synths gobbles up the climax, sending the innocent scrambling for tissues, there’s no turning back.
Heavy guitars are part and parcel on “Rats Return” as well, but it toils in a few unknown depths to balance the mood. Much of the album scuttles through layers of ethereal textures, sonic sinkholes in a cosmic Radiohead meets Pink Floyd dalliance. It’s an approach that susses out Wilson’s melodic sensibilities over a cascade of infectious, melancholic measures. Likely the same reason fans gravitate toward songs like “Waiting,” “Lazarus” and “My Ashes.” Pretentiousness and primal instincts at their finest.
That’s what makes “Of The New Day” and “Dignity” such emotional swings. Easy-going chords carry the former, while on the latter, Wilson delivers one of his strongest vocals, etching out a homeless man’s pride in the face of adversity as the soundtrack builds, ascends and increases in intensity. But then you land on “Walk The Plank” — not your garden-variety pirate shanty by any means. Instead, it invokes a brain-rattling soundscape wrapped around a ricochet of aural objectivity. The visuals only add to the dizziness and confusion. “Herd Culling” and “Chimera’s Wreck” paint broader strokes, highlighting every nuance and strength of the band. For everything Steven Wilson brings to the table, having Barbieri’s tactical, atmospheric intuitiveness aligned with Harrison’s precise, thoughtful percussion — impeccable and polished to a shine undoubtedly due to time well spent with both King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief — distinguishes Closure/Continuation as a total Porcupine Tree experience.
The three bonus tracks — “Population Three,” “Never Have” and “Love In The Past Tense” are noticeably absent from the Blu-ray, which only has the primary seven, the visuals and audio settings. No extra videos, interviews, perspectives, backstage shenanigans, or other surprises. When it comes to putting packages like this together, these are concessions one must accept. Seems rather trite to think that Steven Wilson didn’t remix these three songs, along with the other seven, in high definition. Who really knows unless you ask him. It’s likely someone has. Meanwhile, you can roll with the three discs and companion picture book, which is heavily inspired by Hipgnosis and how they framed Pink Floyd throughout the 70s and 80s. It all ties together with the first letter nomenclature and unencumbered white space. The Deluxe configuration of Closure/Continuation comes with a cost, but the sparks flying in Camp Porcupine Tree are worth every penny.
~ Shawn Perry
