OK, where do I start? PT (as fans around the world call the band) shaped a new path of musical awareness for me. Their albums transcending from one album to another, conquering everything in their way and never compromising with their sound and quality of music. I've been a huge fan of the band ever since I heard Lightbulb Sun and afterward digging deeper into everything they've done. For a start, their "Arriving Somewhere" DVD released in 2006 left me in awe. From the camera work to the lighting to their brilliant performance. The band delivered with help from John Wesley who plays guitar and sings backing vocals for the band during live sessions. From what I've seen from their previous performances (Rockpalast, Nearfest, MHz, and some bootleg videos uploaded by fans around the world in you-tube), PT promises everything a music fanatic could ask for.
Myself being an avid metal fan all my life, live performances matter a lot. And Porcupine Tree, not being a metal band (although having a lot of metal elements in their music post-In Absentia), became my favorite band (or should Isay "The Greatest Band In The Planet") due to their amazing liveperformances, their passion and sincerity for the music they play. The vocal arrangements done by Steven Wilson is beyond belief (Ethereal), followed by the catchy and technical drumming by Gavin Harrison, the haunting atmospherics produced by Richard Barbierri and the on-the-dot precise bass-lines by Colin Edwin.
Come 2010. PT now released Anesthetize. With a fan following much larger than before, one can witness the crowd gathered there to witness the Greatest Band In The Planet doing what they do best. Starting out with Fear Of A Blank Planet from the album with the same name and playing the whole album live on stage, I was stunned at the precision of the band, not that it was something new, but that they were simply amazing. What also caught my attention was the awesome and sometimes psychedelic lighting and the background videos which would leave you feeling like never before. This DVD/Bluray is unlike Arriving Somewhere in almost every aspect, although I love their previous DVD with all my heart equally as I love this one. From the formal performance shown in Arriving Somewhere, comes a heavier live offering, belting out songs from Fear Of A Blank Planet, Nil Recurring, Signify, In Absentia and Deadwing. I envy the people who have seen the band in person, because I for one would give anything to see them before my time is up. My only complaint is they should have played some tracks from their Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream albums. None the less, one of the greatest concerts you will ever witness on DVD, the other contender being their previous DVD. This DVD left me feeling more grateful to be alive and proves that great musicians still walk the Earth. Thank you Porcupine Tree. Thank you Steven Wilson.
Highlights: My Ashes, Halo, Anesthetize, Sentimental, Normal, Half-Light, Drown With Me.