---
product_id: 513274255
title: "In Absentia"
price: "164 zł"
currency: PLN
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.pl/products/513274255-in-absentia
store_origin: PL
region: Poland
---

# In Absentia

**Price:** 164 zł
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** In Absentia
- **How much does it cost?** 164 zł with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pl](https://www.desertcart.pl/products/513274255-in-absentia)

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## Description

Having recently announced that Snapper Music will be representing Porcupine Tree's Transmission label worldwide, new CD and LP reissues of the band's extensive catalogue will roll out throughout 2021. In Absentia was Porcupine Tree's seventh studio album, first released in 2002, and was the first in a run of three albums that for many represent the pinnacle of the band's artistic achievements. Not many albums can claim to have created a new genre, but with it's fusion of metal, progressive rock, ambient textures, and acoustic singer-songwriter styled material, it became something of a blueprint for a generation of bands to come. It was also something of a breakthrough for the band, eventually going on to sell three times more than the band's previous releases. In Absentia features many of Porcupine Tree's most beloved songs, including "Trains", "The Sound of Muzak" and "Blackest Eyes". While not a formal concept album, many of the songs have common themes related to serial killers, youthful innocence gone wrong, and observations of the modern world, setting a template for many of songwriter Steven Wilson's future songs. Porcupine Tree released their last album, The Incident, in 2009, marking another step forward in the incredible journey of the band that began as a solo studio project created by Steven Wilson in the late eighties to a multi grammy nominated act and one of the world's most revered live bands, selling out arenas across the globe and wowing fans with their incredible performances. This new Transmission 2021 reissue of In Absentia remains faithful to the original artwork and is presented in a digipack with 8 page colour booklet.

Review: A stupid name for a great band - Though the absence of neo-classical solos and floofy synth leads will make some question its authenticity, "In Absentia" is a remarkable example of what progressive music should be. After moving from spacey, psychadelic jams to layered, hook-ridden rock songs, PT morphed again and created a haunting, epic masterpiece while ushering in a new, darker and more aggresive phase in PTs development. In short, "In Absentia" is mandatory listening for any fan of progressive music, both rock and metal. Lyrically, "In Absentia" tackles murder, molestation and mental illness, and the album's style reflects the fractured minds. Here PT move from achingly beautiful clean and acoustic instrumentation to crackling, ominous electro-synth ambience to explosive metal, sometimes in a single track. Mastermind Steve Wilson's vocals, however, remain a constant, though he's equally schizophrenic, evoking vulnerability, rage and frightening indifference. Like most concept albums, "In Absentia" is quite lengthy, and sometimes dominated by instrumental passages. Unlike most prog, however, "In Absentia" is not an instrumental showcase. Wilson and company are surely talented musicians, they're content to leave the pyrotechnics to others. No, they display something better: extraordinary songwriting ability. Indeed, though some songs are better than others, there is nary an outright misstep here, a rarity in lengthier albums. Towards the open we have the nostalgic and wistful "Trains," the most purely melodic track. Wilson's vocal are simply on, and the first run through the chorus always gets to me. "The Sound of Muzak" is a similarly commercial effort, but it's more off-kilter and profoundly bleak, with another insistent chorus. The middle of the album tends toward greater moodiness and less melodicism, and is dominated by the slow and spacey "Gravity Eyelids", and the pounding instrumental "Wedding Nails." It's not as grabbing as some of the early material, but it all has an impact. PT saves much of the best for last 4 tracks. "The Creator Has A Mastertape" and "Strip the Soul" play like a twisted pair. They're violent, disturbing tracks driven by an isolated bass and Wilson's affectless vocals, though "Creator" is concise with a nervous energy, while "Strip" is epic and moody. We're also treated to a couple gorgeous ballads. "Heartattack In A Layby" is one of the most devastating songs I've heard. The prosaic, desperate lyrics and wall of harmonies and overdubs at the songs climax. . .the effect, I just can't hope to describe it. Simply a remarkable song. The closer, "Collapse The Light Into Earth" is equally brilliant. It's mostly a few piano chords and a simple, melancholic melody. Eventually more harmony and variation are introduced, but it's this core that drives the song, creating an elegant coda to the album. In closing, "In Absentia" may not grab you immediately. Some will be disappointed by the lack of prog conventions, while others may not find the moodier sections impressive at first. Personally, I thought it was good, but not altogether great, on my first listen Keep at it, though, and I think most open-minded prog fans will find something truly remarkable in this release. Check it out.
Review: Firing on all cylinders - This was my first exposure to PT. Ran across several references to them in other reviews of prog music here on desertcart, so I decided to give (album title) a listen and one-clicked a copy to try out. First thing I have to say I noticed about the disc was the recording quality. It is PRISTINE and crystal clear. Not sure what Steve Wilson and/or his recording engineer did while recording this to make it sound so good, but hats off to them for pulling it off. This is one of the best sounding CDs I've bought in the last decade. Second thing that struck me was, while I very much enjoyed the music, it didn't necessarily strike me as being obvious prog-rock. Rock, yes. Prog, sort of. I admit my definition of progressive rock is more defined by the 70's prog sound, and PT reminds me more of early 80's Triumph, Rush or Blue Oyster Cult (peppered with a touch of 90's grunge) than 70's Yes, Genesis, or ELP. The use of heavier electric guitars layered with some feathery strummed acoustic reminded me of Triumph (or the like) quite a bit. But is it good music? Oh yeah...the team Steve Wilson put together consists of solid musicians, and they deliver on here, pulling out powerful performances of his material. Another aspect of PT I really like are the vocals. I've moaned in several other reviews about the vocalists in a few other prog bands, and I was pleasantly surprised with Wilson's voice. He tends to sing in a lower register than a lot of Dream Theatre-inspired prog outfits, and it's a nice change. I think it better relates the more personal-sounding lyrics Wilson tends to write. Though I'm not a hard rock fanatic, I tend to like the harder rocking tunes on this. The ethereal-sounding, slower numbers sound great (production wise) but don't really carry the energy the harder numbers do (the slower songs come across a little more emotionally heavy). And don't expect any massive B3 or moog solos or any other prog rock keyboard staples. All the keyboard work is very subtle and textural, flavoring the music much more than leading it. Though some of the songs are less than 5s (the slower, keyboard driven numbers for me), the disc as a whole is a work of art for production and musicianship. So, if you like prog-ish rock with good energy and a darker mood, this is definitely one to consider.

## Images

![In Absentia - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81HngaZBTlL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A stupid name for a great band
*by G***E on May 19, 2008*

Though the absence of neo-classical solos and floofy synth leads will make some question its authenticity, "In Absentia" is a remarkable example of what progressive music should be. After moving from spacey, psychadelic jams to layered, hook-ridden rock songs, PT morphed again and created a haunting, epic masterpiece while ushering in a new, darker and more aggresive phase in PTs development. In short, "In Absentia" is mandatory listening for any fan of progressive music, both rock and metal. Lyrically, "In Absentia" tackles murder, molestation and mental illness, and the album's style reflects the fractured minds. Here PT move from achingly beautiful clean and acoustic instrumentation to crackling, ominous electro-synth ambience to explosive metal, sometimes in a single track. Mastermind Steve Wilson's vocals, however, remain a constant, though he's equally schizophrenic, evoking vulnerability, rage and frightening indifference. Like most concept albums, "In Absentia" is quite lengthy, and sometimes dominated by instrumental passages. Unlike most prog, however, "In Absentia" is not an instrumental showcase. Wilson and company are surely talented musicians, they're content to leave the pyrotechnics to others. No, they display something better: extraordinary songwriting ability. Indeed, though some songs are better than others, there is nary an outright misstep here, a rarity in lengthier albums. Towards the open we have the nostalgic and wistful "Trains," the most purely melodic track. Wilson's vocal are simply on, and the first run through the chorus always gets to me. "The Sound of Muzak" is a similarly commercial effort, but it's more off-kilter and profoundly bleak, with another insistent chorus. The middle of the album tends toward greater moodiness and less melodicism, and is dominated by the slow and spacey "Gravity Eyelids", and the pounding instrumental "Wedding Nails." It's not as grabbing as some of the early material, but it all has an impact. PT saves much of the best for last 4 tracks. "The Creator Has A Mastertape" and "Strip the Soul" play like a twisted pair. They're violent, disturbing tracks driven by an isolated bass and Wilson's affectless vocals, though "Creator" is concise with a nervous energy, while "Strip" is epic and moody. We're also treated to a couple gorgeous ballads. "Heartattack In A Layby" is one of the most devastating songs I've heard. The prosaic, desperate lyrics and wall of harmonies and overdubs at the songs climax. . .the effect, I just can't hope to describe it. Simply a remarkable song. The closer, "Collapse The Light Into Earth" is equally brilliant. It's mostly a few piano chords and a simple, melancholic melody. Eventually more harmony and variation are introduced, but it's this core that drives the song, creating an elegant coda to the album. In closing, "In Absentia" may not grab you immediately. Some will be disappointed by the lack of prog conventions, while others may not find the moodier sections impressive at first. Personally, I thought it was good, but not altogether great, on my first listen Keep at it, though, and I think most open-minded prog fans will find something truly remarkable in this release. Check it out.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Firing on all cylinders
*by W***D on May 22, 2006*

This was my first exposure to PT. Ran across several references to them in other reviews of prog music here on Amazon, so I decided to give (album title) a listen and one-clicked a copy to try out. First thing I have to say I noticed about the disc was the recording quality. It is PRISTINE and crystal clear. Not sure what Steve Wilson and/or his recording engineer did while recording this to make it sound so good, but hats off to them for pulling it off. This is one of the best sounding CDs I've bought in the last decade. Second thing that struck me was, while I very much enjoyed the music, it didn't necessarily strike me as being obvious prog-rock. Rock, yes. Prog, sort of. I admit my definition of progressive rock is more defined by the 70's prog sound, and PT reminds me more of early 80's Triumph, Rush or Blue Oyster Cult (peppered with a touch of 90's grunge) than 70's Yes, Genesis, or ELP. The use of heavier electric guitars layered with some feathery strummed acoustic reminded me of Triumph (or the like) quite a bit. But is it good music? Oh yeah...the team Steve Wilson put together consists of solid musicians, and they deliver on here, pulling out powerful performances of his material. Another aspect of PT I really like are the vocals. I've moaned in several other reviews about the vocalists in a few other prog bands, and I was pleasantly surprised with Wilson's voice. He tends to sing in a lower register than a lot of Dream Theatre-inspired prog outfits, and it's a nice change. I think it better relates the more personal-sounding lyrics Wilson tends to write. Though I'm not a hard rock fanatic, I tend to like the harder rocking tunes on this. The ethereal-sounding, slower numbers sound great (production wise) but don't really carry the energy the harder numbers do (the slower songs come across a little more emotionally heavy). And don't expect any massive B3 or moog solos or any other prog rock keyboard staples. All the keyboard work is very subtle and textural, flavoring the music much more than leading it. Though some of the songs are less than 5s (the slower, keyboard driven numbers for me), the disc as a whole is a work of art for production and musicianship. So, if you like prog-ish rock with good energy and a darker mood, this is definitely one to consider.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best Band You've Never Heard Of
*by L***E on October 10, 2005*

I first saw PT two years ago when they toured with Opeth. I had only heard one tune from PT (Strip the Soul), and I figured they would be worth checking out. After the show, we thought their performance was so excellent, that my wife and I bought this CD for $10. I've spent $10 on a lot of things, but never has something been so worth it before. I am a big fan of those quiet, genious, mastermind artists that crank out music because they actually enjoy it and have something to say (i.e. Devin Townsend). The frontman for PT is one of these people. Anyhow, you could classify PT as "progressive hard rock", but that is really a shallow description. There are elements of many other musical genres (as others have said) and they all blend together nicely. The guitars are clean and groovy, and they aren't afraid to whip out some heavy, power-chorded riffs. There are just enough crunchy, heavy and softer tunes on this album for anyone that enjoys real music. The vocal melodies can be both creepy and moving at the same time. The music is pleasing to listen to, and it's plainly obvious that each member is a professional musician. There's no cheapness to this album. You can sense the perfection they were striving for. The production quality is excellent; everything sounds great. The songs and lyrics are both sad and inspiring. Every time I listen to this album, I get a different feeling. Get the DTS/DVD version of this for an extra treat. We ended up buying that version a year later just for the bonus tracks and DTS track. As a result of this album, we have now purchased many other PT albums and been to two more shows. Do yourself a favor and see PT live (they are currently touring America!) to understand this band fully. So, turn off that crappy, radio "mainstream" trash and enlighten your mind with PT.

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*Store origin: PL*
*Last updated: 2026-10-18*