[Proglover]

these days everyone's into PT
 
their newest, The Incident is actually one of my favorites.
 
Offcourse In Absentia, Stupid Dream is great, Fear for a Blank Planet for me is Anesthetize (their best song) and the rest (little bit overrated album), Deadwing simply rocks bigtime, Lightbulb sun is a bit of everything and Signify is where it all started for me. No possible way to rank them.

 

[b0ck3n]

I've made my way through their entire catalogue now and In Absentia is a strong favourite. I must've been distracted the first time I heard it, as of right now it's one of my favourite albums all time. There are alot of similarities between it and Deliverance by Opeth, which isn't strange as Steven Wilson probably worked on both of them simultaneously. 'Gravity Eyelids' and 'Strip the Soul' really speak to the Opeth freak in me, and 'Synesthesia' and 'Anesthetize' from Up the Downstair and Fear of the Blank Planet are incredible songs aswell.
 
PT fans who can stomach heavily distorted guitars and growling vocals should definitely try Opeth as they have alot in common.
 
I'm going through alot of Riverside aswell, by suggestion from scytheavatar, and they're pretty great aswell - heard one song of their latest recording and it was definitely to my liking.

 

[Proglover]

I just can't stand growling, guitars can be heavy, but growling vocals just mess up the music for me personaly. Too bad, because Opeth is a great band.
 
Try Anathema - We're here because we're here

 

[b0ck3n]

I feel the same way about growling these days, but Opeth manages to keep it pretty "ethereal" - light and airy - instead of guttural, which would be purely ridiculous. Damnation should still float your boat though
 
I've heard Anathema before but it's been a while and I suppose they've changed alot lately - I'll give 'em a listen!

 
Quote:

I just can't stand growling, guitars can be heavy, but growling vocals just mess up the music for me personaly. Too bad, because Opeth is a great band.
 
Try Anathema - We're here because we're here

 

[Proglover]

yes, their style has changed a lot

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

I've made my way through their entire catalogue now and In Absentia is a strong favourite. I must've been distracted the first time I heard it, as of right now it's one of my favourite albums all time. There are alot of similarities between it and Deliverance by Opeth, which isn't strange as Steven Wilson probably worked on both of them simultaneously. 'Gravity Eyelids' and 'Strip the Soul' really speak to the Opeth freak in me, and 'Synesthesia' and 'Anesthetize' from Up the Downstair and Fear of the Blank Planet are incredible songs aswell.
 
PT fans who can stomach heavily distorted guitars and growling vocals should definitely try Opeth as they have alot in common.
 
I'm going through alot of Riverside aswell, by suggestion from scytheavatar, and they're pretty great aswell - heard one song of their latest recording and it was definitely to my liking.

Not surprised - but very glad you are digging PT.  I also think "In Absentia" is one of my favorite albums of all time by any band.
 
I love Opeth.  While I got into PT first. I love both metal and Prog, and so Opeth was pretty easy for me to like.  I do like stuff like their early and late stuff best - the middle stuff which had the highest percentage of growling is my least favorite.  I enjoy a little growling, if offset by some pretty vocals, but I don;t like a steady diet of it.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

Quote:

I just can't stand growling, guitars can be heavy, but growling vocals just mess up the music for me personaly. Too bad, because Opeth is a great band.
 
Try Anathema - We're here because we're here

same here, that is why i listen to Damnation mostly, some few times i play others, but still cant get into the growls

 

[b0ck3n]

Really wasn't a bad album, and very different from what I remembered them sounding like. I especially enjoyed 'A Simple Mistake' on the first listen through.
 
Any other suggestions?

 
Quote:

 
Try Anathema - We're here because we're here

 

 

[b0ck3n]

I somehow felt the need to update this dead thread. It was a great trip digging into Porcupine Tree's vast library of recordings, and quite a few albums stuck out to me as really great. The later, more accessible releases were easier to get into quickly, but the earlier, psychedelic recordings win out for me in the end. 'The Sky Moves Sideways' is an absolute masterpiece, the title song and 'Dislocated Day' being two of my favourite tracks as of right now. 'Signify', which marked the end to the psychedelic era, is my number two and 'In Absentia' comes in third. I'll also keep 'Up the Downstair' and the live recordings 'Coma Divine' and 'We Lost the Skyline' on my iPhone.

 

[Skylab]

"We Lost the Skyline" is a great record for testing the resolution of your rig, and its midrange transparency.

 

[b0ck3n]

I think so too. When I demo'd the ES5 I ran a couple of songs off it and it played a part in making the decision to order one for me.

 

[USAudio]

I agree with the general consensus here recommending "In Absentia", great album and probably my PT favorite overall.
Anesthesize on "Fear of a Blank Planet" is a great tune, albeit a long one!  Alex Lifeson of Rush does a guitar solo on that one.  Also "Sleep Together".
Lately I've been enjoying "Stupid Dream".
"Deadwing" is a good album but is unfortunately mastered too loudly IMHO which, for me, creates congestion and detracts from the album.

 

[jackmccabe]

I think "Fear of A Blank Planet" is their best album so far followed by "Stupid dream"
IMO "deadwing" is their weakest album, but then again that's just me

 

[macrocheesium]

I had never heard of PT before I saw this thread, but I decided to check it out. So glad I did. 

I've tried the last 4 albums, and my favorite would have to be In Absentia and Deadwing, followed by The Incident, and then Fear of a Blank Planet. For some reason I didn't like most of that one too much... I guess because it's more mellow than what I usually listen to; it would be better when I'm in that kind of mood. I just downloaded Lightbulb Sun so I'll report back with my opinions.
 
EDIT:: I finished Lightbulb Sun, and it's definitely my favorite so far!

 

[b0ck3n]

^don't shy away from trying their earlier, more psychedelic work - while the later albums are good it feels like more passion went into recordings like 'The Sky Moves Sideways'.