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 In Absentia - Dr. Hébert's Medical Gumbo - Michael C. Hebert, MD drhebert.squarespace.com |
For other uses, see in absentia (disambiguation).
In Absentia is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released on September 24, 2002. It was their first release on a major record label, Lava Records. It is Metal Storm's number 3 of the Top 20 albums of 2002[6] and number 42 on the Top 100 albums of all time.[7] This album also marked the arrival of Gavin Harrison, who replaced Chris Maitland as their drummer/percussionist. The album is also the first to have a heavier and more metal feel, through a transition from general psychedelic rock and trance.
[edit] ConceptThough never announced as such by the members of the band, many consider In Absentia to be a concept album. It is said to be an investigation of the causes of insanity and serial killing told through the story of man from childhood through marriage, as many of the songs can demonstrate. Steven Wilson is always tight-lipped about the meanings of his lyrics largely because (especially on this album) they are loose and open to interpretation. He has said that he means for the lyrics not only to be understood as part of the album's concept (serial killers, rapists, child abusers and other "deviants") but also objectively, according to what the listener brings and assumes about them. For example, the song "Gravity Eyelids" has lyrics which seem to suggest connection to the album's concept, but Steven Wilson has also noted that it was written about an "evening by the Dead Sea." The erotic feel of the lyrics also lend themselves to interpretation as a love song. Aside from "The Sound of Muzak", which is clearly a criticism of the modern music industry, and "Wedding Nails", an instrumental, all of the songs have lyrics that can be linked to the theme. Some seem vague and hard to connect: "Trains", which Wilson explained as being an evocation of his memories of childhood summers, includes the lyric "you're tying me up", which shares a theme with a line from "The Creator Has a Mastertape", a song more clearly about an abusive family relationship. In general, the first songs of the album seem lighter and more or less vaguely connected to the concept, as well as being musically lighter and more cheerful. With the eerie ".3", the album transitions into its darker second section, which contains the songs "The Creator Has a Mastertape" and "Strip the Soul", which deals with a family marred by abuse and murder. The lyrics are ambiguous allowing the listener to draw their own conclusions as to these songs' inspiration [edit] Track listingAll lyrics written by Steven Wilson.
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Guest musicians
[edit] Chart positions
[edit] References
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