Progtastic noisewizards Porcupine Tree release their second DVD, (after 2006's Arriving Somewhere...), Anesthetize; was recorded over two nights in Tilburg during their Fear Of A Blank Planet tour, and as such, the album is played in its entirety for the first half of the show. Some bands would seem dull playing their album in order, but theirs is an engaging performance from a band who let their dazzling light show and video screens make up for their relative immobility onstage.

Opener 'Fear Of A Blank Planet' remains one of their most exciting songs, still a powerful message about the vapid and potentially dangerous culture and its affect on today's youth, but the similarly bleak DVD title track is another highlight, a sprawling seventeen minute beast with a blistering instrumental assault and lancing strobe lighting that dares your head to try and remain still.

The second half of the show/DVD consists of songs lifted from their previous albums; but rather than the obligatory greatest hits montage, the audience and viewer is treated to a mix that includes classics such as Deadwing's 'Halo', as well as less obvious favourites such as 'Drown With Me' and 'Half-Light' – B-sides from In Absentia and Deadwing respectively – as well as a number of tracks from Nil Recurring – itself a collection of tracks that didn't make Fear Of A Blank Planet. These tracks are that are greeted with the warmth most bands receive for their bestselling singles.

Anesthetize gives the impression to any that have never been to see the 'Tree live, that this is something they should rectify ASAP. Despite being nothing special to watch onstage, their music is so dynamically exciting they don't even need the flashy visuals to drop jaws. It loses out on screen – it would take an expensive HD TV to approach becoming immersive, but it's definitely in the higher quality range of music DVDs for more than its impact in 'glorious HD'. Porcupine Tree have always been all about the music, and the precise, intense delivery of this performance means this DVD is good enough to be recommended to more than just completists: which for a music DVD, especially one without any extras whatsoever (unless you fork out for a special edition or blue-ray) is a highly impressive hurdle to get over.

Rating: 3/5 by Phill May

Tracklisting

1. Intro
2. Fear of a Blank Planet
3. My Ashes
4. Anesthetize
5. Sentimental
6. Way Out of Here
7. Sleep Together
8. What Happens Now?
9. Normal
10. Dark Matter
11. Drown With Me
12. Cheating the Polygraph
13. Half-Light
14. Sever
15. Wedding Nails
16. Strip the Soul
17. .3
18. The Sleep of No Dreaming
19. Halo
20. Outro

Further links

Porcupine Tree on Myspace

Myspace page of UK prog-lords, Porcupine Tree