Porcupine Tree – Anesthetize

Porcupine Tree’s newest concert DVD, Anesthetize, had a somewhat unusual initial effect on me. Instead of immediately thinking about how great it was, I could only think “Man, I am such a fool for not going to see them when they came through here.” Anesthetize was filmed in 2008, so, even though this release comes on the heels of a new Porcupine Tree album, there are no songs from 2009’s The Incident to be found. Do not be dismayed though: Anesthetize is nothing but highlights from this acclaimed, incredibly-named prog rock band.

Instrumentally, Porcupine Tree is really set apart from the crowd. No matter who the camera focuses on, there is always something interesting going on during this film. With his hair, glasses, and finger-work, keyboardist Richard Barbieri does his best to channel Pink Floyd’s Richard Wright. Sitting adjacent to Barbieri is Gavin Harrison, whose hands and feet perform an incredible dance across his drum kit and show him to be one of the best drummers around. Due both to the constantly-shifting camera perspective and his split duties with live guitarist/back-up vocalist John Wesley; guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Steven Wilson does not dominate the concert happenings, but it is still obvious that he is the focal point for the band. There are solos, there is headbanging, and even though they don’t move around excessively, the postures and movements of the band members make it apparent how invested they are in the music they are performing.

Now, Porcupine Tree has been around for quite some time, and their live show has a significant catalogue to draw from. However, on Anesthetize, the band plays all the way through the Fear of a Blank Planet album. The other tracks played orient this release towards fans of the band’s newer material. The songs chosen showcase the variety of different sounds that PT wrings out of their instruments, as they move from piano-driven, to headbang-heavy, to achingly beautiful. ‘My Ashes’ and ‘Sleep of No Dreaming’ cause chills, while the title track showcases jamming, and ‘Strip the Soul’ reveals the band’s heavier side.

Wilson is an incredible lyricist, whose poetry at times contrasts with the mood of the music, while at others the two are complementary. The two war declaration lines of ‘.3,’ “Black the sky, weapons fly / Lay them waste for your race,” are almost sublime in their delivery, but the shifts from soft to heavy in ‘Cheating the Polygraph’ fits with the alternately confessional and self-loathing lyrics.

I am not sure that I understand the choice of ‘Halo’ to close this film, as it’s one of the shortest songs played, but the footage still shows Porcupine Tree dominating in the live setting. Anesthetize is a great buy for both long-time and new fans; the song delivery is faithful to the band’s studio work, but the performance and stage visuals are enough to warrant checking this concert out even if you already have their albums. And, yes, whenever Porcupine Tree plays in my area again, I’ll be sure to make the trek.