Here we go:
Wilson's 4th album has been described as his most ambitious and varied to date, so is it?
Starting off the surround mix are some effects including school children playing outside, along with deep bass!
When "Three Years Older" starts, the mellotron fills up the surround channels. Everything sounds just as full as it always does on his records once the full band is in.
At times, Steven's lead vocal is very forward and present while other times it's tucked back. His harmonies envelop you in the surrounds.
The title track starts off with the beatbox elements in the surrounds. A fantastic pop song this is! Might have fit well on a Blackfield album.
Having heard the stereo mix several times before my deluxe set arrived, I came to dislike 'Perfect Life'. The music is good, but the dialogue and melody do absolutely nothing for me. The surround mix doesn't do much for me either, but at least it does build over time, which is always a good thing.
"Routine" on the other hand has always been one of my favorites, and it's just as haunting and beautiful in surround. The choir boy and Ninet's singing will give you chills, particularly getting near the end when Ninet just lets it rip! Guthrie also does some wonderful soloing on this song as well. Also at the end of the track, an entire boy choir envelops you in the surrounds!
"Home Invasion" brings the metal back into Steven Wilson's music. Reckon the last time we heard that was on "The Incident". Adam Holzman's distorted Rhodes takes up a lot of the surround real estate, which really helps to emphasize what an incredible player he is! Steven's vocal effects also envelop you to great effect. Only complaint is I wish his lead vocal was a little more present on this one.
Then comes "Regret #9", which is a solo showcase for Adam and Guthrie. Not a very gimmicky mix but really solid!
Next is "Transience", a track that sounds like it could have been on "Storm Corrosion". The picking acoustic guitars come from all sides of you along with Steven's vocal doubles.
And now we come to the beast of the album, "Ancestral". The beatbox effects are once again dominating in the surrounds, while Theo Travis' flute finally makes its first appearance on the album. There are also great string arrangements on this song that envelop you. Guthrie pulls off yet more amazing soloing on this track. His solos are one the best things about this lineup of musicians that Steven has put together! The track then builds up into the heaviest moments on the album, including more metal! The ending also sounds like it came out of "Thick as a Brick"! Fun stuff! Could have used a little more guitar in the surrounds on this mix, but it's still powerful.
'Happy Returns' starts with sound effects similar in feel to the start of the album, except this time we are nearing the end of the journey. Steven's vocal sounds wonderful, so full, present, and upfront. Adam's piano and Guthrie's rhythm licks take up some of the surround real estate along with those lovely strings and vocal harmonies! The choir boys are also back in full effect. Finishing off the track are great solos by Steven and Guthrie, which leads right into the ethereal finale of "Ascendant Here On...", another showcase for the choir boys, which is such a fantastic tone color throughout this album!
What can I say? Steven Wilson amazes yet again with a near perfect work of art! Music, mix, and fidelity are about as good as you could hope for, so I can't give this anything but a '10'. Go get the standalone Blu-Ray wherever you can so you can experience this in its ultimate form!
On a side note, nice authoring work by Ray Shulman that really brings the story to life with pictures while the album is immersing you!
