Overall Grade:  4.13 (out of 5.0)

You want something excellent…different? Something psychedelic? Something that might be progressive rock, but not progressive rock? You need to checkout Fear of A Blank Planet, the new album by the London based quartet Porcupine Tree.

The album is only made up of 6 songs, but is over 50 minutes long. Though lead singer/guitarist Steven Wilson says the band is not progressive rock – which is open for debate within the band and amongst fans – you can notice different melodies within on song. The melodies and the changes are not abrupt and are done very well. I am not an expert in progressive rock by any stretch of imagination, but I have heard some artists and songs that I thought were not great transitions within a song. Richard Barbieri adds some terrific spots on keyboards as well.  My favorite track is the title track that leads off the album, "Fear of A Blank Planet". Other favorites include the 17-minute plus song "Anesthetize" and the final track "Sleep Together".

Whether you are an avid alternative/rock listener and you are looking to expand your musical library, or if you are someone that just loves progressive rock and are looking for a good album, I definitely suggest picking up the new album by Porcupine Tree. It ranks in my top albums of the year thus far and I just think it is a great album for every music fan to have in their library.