Deadwing

Porcupine Tree

2005

3.16

Rating

Votes

23%

40%

24%

10%

Distribution

Genres: Rock Styles: Prog Rock, Symphonic Rock

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Album Summary

Deadwing is the eighth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, released by Lava Records in Japan on 24 March 2005, in Europe on 28 March, and in the US on 26 April. It quickly became the band's best selling album, although it was later surpassed by Fear of a Blank Planet. The album is based on a screenplay written by Steven Wilson and Mike Bennion, and is a ghost story. Wilson has stated that the songs "Deadwing", "Lazarus", "Arriving Somewhere but Not Here", "Open Car", and "Mellotron Scratch" were originally intended for the film soundtrack, but when the project failed to find funding they were instead recorded for the next Porcupine Tree album. The album versions of "Lazarus" and "Open Car" essentially remain Wilson solo tracks onto which Gavin Harrison overdubbed drums. The album produced two singles: "Shallow" and "Lazarus". Music videos for "Lazarus", "The Start of Something Beautiful", and "Glass Arm Shattering" were produced. "Shallow" also appeared in the movie Four Brothers. The album includes collaborations with King Crimson's Adrian Belew, who plays guitar solos on the title track and "Halo", and Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt, who adds vocal harmonies on "Deadwing", "Lazarus", and "Arriving Somewhere but Not Here". He also plays the second guitar solo on "Arriving Somewhere but Not Here". In 2017, Kscope Records purchased the album as well as the previous album In Absentia; both were remastered and rereleased in 2018 through the label, with the new versions having less compression and an overall improvement in sound quality.

Reviews

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Length: All Short Long

Jan 31 2026 Author

Wondered if I needed another album from Porcupine Tree, but then I enjoyed this very much so I guess I’m good with that. Some someones on here seem to be intent on making sure this band sticks with me… Arriving Somewhere But Not Here is a perfect progressive jam that had me totally in on this album!

Jan 30 2026 Author

The second Porcupine Tree album Iv come across on this user list, and a clear step up in quality from the more accessible Stupid Dream. Darker, heavier, and much more in line with my taste. One I can see myself coming back to rather than just appreciating for a single day.

Feb 01 2026 Author

Listening to this album without any additional background info, I thought the guitar sound was a lot better than the often too clean and overthought sound of other Steven Wilson albums. Now I know that's party thanks to the contributions of Adrian Belew (ex-King Crimson and ex-Bowie). It must have been an honor for Wilson to have such a legend and musical hero on his Team. He lifts two of the song enough to make these interesting and fun to me the others are hit (up-tempo ones) or miss (ballads).

Feb 12 2026 Author

Best. Album. Ever.

Feb 24 2026 Author

super-prog - sounds about 30 years older than it is. the "soundtrack" concept doesn't really come through, but the songs definitely hold their own. a very smart album, by a band I am thoroughly enjoying my time with whenever they show up. does not feel like an 8th album!

Jan 30 2026 Author

The prior offering from this (hitherto unknown to me) band I recall finding a little too relentlessly gloomy, with a bit of holier-than-thou thrown in. While still very dark this felt to me to have a more sprightly energy (and diversity in sound) that helped move that down around, and I liked it quite a bit better.

Jan 31 2026 Author

This was a fine album

Feb 03 2026 Author

My favourite album of theirs, a good balance of their different sides. But no more PT, please

Feb 07 2026 Author

Banger. This and "Fear of a Blank Planet" are Steven Wilson's best work. Strong 4/5.

Feb 10 2026 Author

Porcupine Tree are honestly kind of slept on in the prog scene honestly. This album is really hauntingly beautiful with just the right amount of heavy moments for contrast.

Mar 03 2026 Author

Apparently, people who finished the list really love this band. 2 albums already in the user's suggestion! I must say that this is incredibly much better than "Fear of a Blank Planet". I really enjoyed this listening session. ven not considering a masterpiece due to the repetitiveness of the last songs. Apparently they have a quite long discography, and now I'm hoping someone else will suggest another album from them.

Mar 08 2026 Author

I adore Lazarus. The rest of the album is fine.

Feb 01 2026 Author

Progressive rock, progressive metal, alternative metal. Ni fu ni fa.

Feb 02 2026 Author

Of course, more porcupine tree Lazarus is good 2 Arriving somewhere but not here is really good as well. 3

Feb 02 2026 Author

Fine whatever

Feb 02 2026 Author

This goes hard now and then

Feb 04 2026 Author

I've tried really hard to like Porcupine Tree. It's not that I dislike them, but I feel like, because I love progressive rock like Pink Floyd, Yes, Jethro Tull, ELP, etc, that I should really like them as well. But every time I listen to them, it's just okay for me. Not bad, but doesn't really grab me either. 3 stars.

Feb 06 2026 Author

Difficult to tell what genre they were going for. Some good songs, but some mediocre ones and a bit all over the place.

Feb 12 2026 Author

Normally I really like prog, but this just didn't work for me. It felt a lot like the music you would hear in a TV movie.

Feb 19 2026 Author

Just a couple of weeks after the other Porcupine Tree album in the user submissions. I didn't enjoy the edgy prog of Fear of a Blank Planet, but the more traditional harder rock of this prog is more tolerable. I don't "get" it - there is zero danger of me listening to this again. It's just too big of an investment to commit to a full hour of something in the hopes it would gripper me on a second listen that it failed to even hint at on the first. I can't really fault the musicianship of this, or the production or execution. It just isn't for me, and that's OK.

Feb 24 2026 Author

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Lazarus

Mar 01 2026 Author

I've tried before to get into this band. It's too contrived and smooth for me to latch onto- no rough edges. It's like they're trying so hard to be something that isn't really them but evidently there are a lot of people who disagree with me. A lot of American metal influences mixed into lyrical touches. I need to force myself to listed to this over and over and over until I 'get' them.

Mar 07 2026 Author

It was ok. Didn’t really make a mark in my musical memory.

Feb 01 2026 Author

This band now has 3 albums on the user list so there's clearly some devoted fans here. This LP feels much like the last two, and my thoughts are much of the same – there are some great melodic/instrumental ideas here going on under this heavier modern prog umbrella, but a lack of editing means they get washed out relative to a good deal of filler. There's so many passages here that could've been left on the cutting room floor and heightened the album by making it meaner, sleeker, and more impactful.

Feb 02 2026 Author

I used to complain about how many boring-ass boomer Bruce Springsteen albums were on the OG list, but then you absolute numpties have gone and put THREE albums by the most boing band of all time on this user-submission list. What the fuck are we even doing here? Life is way too short for this shit.

Feb 19 2026 Author

I don't know, they clearly know how to structure a song and progress chords and stuff, but lyrically it feels a bit A-level, a bit Muse.

Feb 26 2026 Author

At this rate, I've apparently heard this band like 3+ times on the list and I don't recall a second of it.

Feb 27 2026 Author

A second porcupine tree album in the user list. They clearly have an adoring fan base however it will not include me. This one was better than stupid dream but it still felt like it was lacking. To me early 2000s British prog rock is more just like American hard alternative rock. This wasn’t bad overall it just feels like there are significantly more albums that dod it better than they do in Deadwing. By the last third I was becoming a bit drained of the album. 5.5/10

Mar 05 2026 Author

Nope.

Mar 09 2026 Author

Boring and at times annoying.