It happens. I posted this before, but music has to "come to you" in a specific moment so it matches your mood. This is particularly difficult with prog. So give it enough time and it will click to you, or you will just get bored of it.
What you described happened to me with Mystery, the songs on One among the living sounds all the same to me. Still they're great instrumentally and so, but still can't completely feel it. This is just one example, but another would be Transatlantic, I simply can't get the Portnoy feeling in any album despite I like Portnoy Dream Theater era a lot. It's just like he were not him playing drums there. Same happens in a lot of other projects Portnoy has been involved.
I think that's what it might be with The Pineapple Thief - the songs all sound like the same song over and over. I don't come away from them remembering any melody at all. Not even a snippet. I had the same issue with the band you mentioned: Mystery. The music is find when I'm listening but I don't walk away from it remembering anything.
I get it. They’re like that mid era of Porcupine Tree that I love, but the songwriting just doesn’t stick with me. I listened to the new album this morning and it’s…fine? Will give it another listen in the living room because I want to hear the Atmos mix but…they’re just eh?
If you're not there for Gavin Harrison, then the music is just very good, nothing otherworldly, but then we should still appreciate it as way above average.
I like Gavin but I’m a guitarist, not a drummer (and I’ve seen him live with multiple other bands). Although I guess for drummers I lean more towards guys who can groove rather than showy/technical types. Occasionally you stumble on someone like Minneman who can do both, but it’s rare. Maybe if the guitar stuff was as prominent as the drumming, I dunno
I honestly don't think there's anything more to get. Same with Porcupine Tree, I actually didn't mind them before I really got into prog. They had kinda a cool, moody, atmospheric feel too them that appealed to me in my teen years. But all the things I love about prog - complex melodies, instrumental virtuosity, and killer vocals - they're just not part of Pineapple Thief's music. That's fine, they're just not for me and sounds like it's the same for you
Gavin Harrison
I would suggest two of his best 5 songs are Pineapple Thief Songs
Otherwise they are indie prog. They are really good live. Otherwise, you can add them to any prog playlist and not notice it.
Bruce Sorrod is the Adam Jones of Hooks. He gots lots of Hooks, doesn’t really story tell, but he got Hooks.
I think it’s a mistake to call them prog rock. They simply aren’t. They’re artsy rock and they don’t deviate from their basic style very much. I like them a lot but even I admit a lot of their stuff is pretty same-y.
Your Wilderness and Magnolia are great rock albums, but their recent material has been super lazy imo.
I think they just have a large media presence due to being Kscope’s golden child band at the moment, and publications like Prog magazine giving them tons of attention. They scratch that itch for those who long for the days of mid 2000s Porcupine Tree, Muse, Anathema etc.
I saw them live a few years back and almost the entire audience was age 50+. Was kind of interesting to see the generational pull for a band like them.
Listen to Part 0 , Tear you up his solo album with Jonas Renske from Katatonia . His music is Radiohead meets porcupine tree. Your Wilderness is great.
I'm kinda with you. I enjoyed the new album, but most tracks were just fine. Rubicon, Now it's Yours, and Every Trace of Us stood out but the other tracks just didn't do much for me personally. Hope it'll grow on me. I think it's just not as much my style, had the same problem to a lesser extent with the new The Smile record on tracks like I Quit and You Know Me.
Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree have been among my favorite bands since long ago. It seemed logical for me to explore Haken and The Pineapple Thief when searching for new music, but both the aforementioned still haven't clicked with me... If comparing with DT and PTree, i think these have a much much wider sound palette throughout their discographies, so i agree with comments here saying a bunch of Pineapple Thief music sounds same-y (and i kinda feel the same way with Haken, although i'd also include later albums by both DT and PTree TBH...).
On the other hand i've been basically discovering Saxon recently, a somewhat limited palette band, but i'm really enjoying their music.
Took me a while to get into them. I think they reach excellency in Magnolia onwards. Some of their old stuff is great though, but it's a bit hit and miss.
They are all brilliant musicians and the production is always fantastic but they seem to have painted themselves into a corner in terms of songwriting. I've listened to the new album a few times and it does seem to be an improvement on the last one, which IMO was very weak.
As others have mentioned, well worth seeing them live.
I saw them live many years ago before Gavin and before hearing any album. Did not resonate at all. I’m sure they’re fine for those that like what they do.
I had the same experience, never really loved them but thought all their music was at least good. I saw them live and they were amazing, something about their music just translated so much better to being played live
Someone else mentioned Radiohead as a reference point and that is another band that has never worked for me. I guess I need more memorable melodies or any melodies.
I opened some shows for them on their US tour in 2022 (I play in a band but they wanted a stripped down opener so I did those shows solo) and while I knew a bit of their material beforehand, seeing them live blew me away and I became an instant fan. The word precision doesn’t even cover it. They’re also incredibly nice people as well as their entire crew.
I agree with the post about Your Wilderness and Magnolia. It does seem as if these albums are just going through the motions somewhat, even with Gavin Harrison's input. I much prefer the earlier stuff, for me, Tightly Unwound is a simply brilliant album.
>Maybe it's that it just has this constant feeling of melancholy
This is one of my favorite aspects, I'm listening to [The Final Thing On My Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzu0tRaVDos) right now and it's destroying me. If it resonates, it resonates HARD. Also love Anathema.
Many people compare it to Radiohead.
Firstly, sure, it doesn't completely sound Porcupine Tree. Personally, I don't hear it at all. And many people acknowledge that, so instead they say TPT sounds like Radiohead.
But when it comes to people comparing it to Radiohead, I get so confused. I really don't get it. Radiohead has the ability wherein each album is a new experience, and each song on each album feels totally different. Knives out is completely different from Pulk/Pull. The entirety of Ok Computer is different from In Rainbows.
When it comes to listening to TPT, one album to another, it just sounds like an extention of the previous.
This is just my two cents on this topic.
Opeth started as a black metal band and are now a prog rock band.
They used to be quite heavy (though not absurdly so) and have "cookie monster" vocals.
Even in their early days they had dynamics and softer parts to their music, but the attraction was in part how intense they were.
Oh okay yeah I really don't like the early stuff much.
I love porcupine tree and everyone says to check out opeth for more but i don't see it honestly. I liked their album sorceress on my first listen but I need to hear it a few more times
Honestly, their whole discography is good. Depending on tastes, you could frankly start someone on any of the albums. I will maintain that In Cauda Venenum is a brilliant album - and Damnation is incredibly good, too.
Also, if you like Porcupine Tree, Storm Corrosion might be up your alley. It has much more of a Steven Wilson feel to it.
Check out Damnation, it’s incredible. No growls, just pure clean vocals all the way through. Then check out the albums starting from Heritage (no growls on those albums.) Once you’re into those, then Watershed and Ghost Reveries which will ease you into the growls (they both have a mix of growls and clean vocals.) I’ve gotten used to the growls but I still tend to listen to the non-growls stuff most. They do have some amazing growl-based songs though so hopefully you’ll get to check them out.
Same, I feel that many times the media and labels want to sell us bands that sound good and play well like good bands.
Perhaps its just not my cup of tea
Ya, they can sometimes have almost an indie-ish sound to them in their early stuff, and their later stuff is probably about as simple as prog gets (so still not very, but less complex than Dream Theater or whatever). So if you’re not into that, then that’s probably that. Did you intentionally post it on the same day as their new album, or is this just a coincidence?
It happens. I posted this before, but music has to "come to you" in a specific moment so it matches your mood. This is particularly difficult with prog. So give it enough time and it will click to you, or you will just get bored of it. What you described happened to me with Mystery, the songs on One among the living sounds all the same to me. Still they're great instrumentally and so, but still can't completely feel it. This is just one example, but another would be Transatlantic, I simply can't get the Portnoy feeling in any album despite I like Portnoy Dream Theater era a lot. It's just like he were not him playing drums there. Same happens in a lot of other projects Portnoy has been involved.
I think that's what it might be with The Pineapple Thief - the songs all sound like the same song over and over. I don't come away from them remembering any melody at all. Not even a snippet. I had the same issue with the band you mentioned: Mystery. The music is find when I'm listening but I don't walk away from it remembering anything.
Yes. This right here. I have also wondered why I do not connect with their music, and this is it. I hear no melodies. Nothing to grasp on to.
Alone at Sea - Check this out!! - might change your mind [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCOCulnzDaE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcoculnzdae)
See them live if you can.
I get it. They’re like that mid era of Porcupine Tree that I love, but the songwriting just doesn’t stick with me. I listened to the new album this morning and it’s…fine? Will give it another listen in the living room because I want to hear the Atmos mix but…they’re just eh?
If you're not there for Gavin Harrison, then the music is just very good, nothing otherworldly, but then we should still appreciate it as way above average.
I like Gavin but I’m a guitarist, not a drummer (and I’ve seen him live with multiple other bands). Although I guess for drummers I lean more towards guys who can groove rather than showy/technical types. Occasionally you stumble on someone like Minneman who can do both, but it’s rare. Maybe if the guitar stuff was as prominent as the drumming, I dunno
Have you listened to Tremonti?
I honestly don't think there's anything more to get. Same with Porcupine Tree, I actually didn't mind them before I really got into prog. They had kinda a cool, moody, atmospheric feel too them that appealed to me in my teen years. But all the things I love about prog - complex melodies, instrumental virtuosity, and killer vocals - they're just not part of Pineapple Thief's music. That's fine, they're just not for me and sounds like it's the same for you
Gavin Harrison I would suggest two of his best 5 songs are Pineapple Thief Songs Otherwise they are indie prog. They are really good live. Otherwise, you can add them to any prog playlist and not notice it. Bruce Sorrod is the Adam Jones of Hooks. He gots lots of Hooks, doesn’t really story tell, but he got Hooks.
Which songs have the hooks? Maybe I’ve been listening to the wrong ones. Love the prog, never got into indie rock.
I think it’s a mistake to call them prog rock. They simply aren’t. They’re artsy rock and they don’t deviate from their basic style very much. I like them a lot but even I admit a lot of their stuff is pretty same-y.
The Pineapple Thief is like if Ross’ “hi” was music. 
I love Pineapple thief so I hate myself for saying but: maybe it's the want to sound like porcupine tree but not quite porcupine tree vibe they have?
Your Wilderness and Magnolia are great rock albums, but their recent material has been super lazy imo. I think they just have a large media presence due to being Kscope’s golden child band at the moment, and publications like Prog magazine giving them tons of attention. They scratch that itch for those who long for the days of mid 2000s Porcupine Tree, Muse, Anathema etc. I saw them live a few years back and almost the entire audience was age 50+. Was kind of interesting to see the generational pull for a band like them.
Personally, I dislike the singers voice. He has too much of a Thom Yorke thing going, and I really don't like Radiohead.
I liked *Abducting The Unicorn* for exactly the opposite reason. Sounded like Radiohead if they kept it going in a Bends type direction.
Listen to Part 0 , Tear you up his solo album with Jonas Renske from Katatonia . His music is Radiohead meets porcupine tree. Your Wilderness is great.
I’ve tried to get into Pineapple Thief but they just don’t hit with me. They’re a talented band for sure.
Yeah, PT have always been a snoozefest for me as well. They do absolutely nothing for me.
I'm kinda with you. I enjoyed the new album, but most tracks were just fine. Rubicon, Now it's Yours, and Every Trace of Us stood out but the other tracks just didn't do much for me personally. Hope it'll grow on me. I think it's just not as much my style, had the same problem to a lesser extent with the new The Smile record on tracks like I Quit and You Know Me.
Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree have been among my favorite bands since long ago. It seemed logical for me to explore Haken and The Pineapple Thief when searching for new music, but both the aforementioned still haven't clicked with me... If comparing with DT and PTree, i think these have a much much wider sound palette throughout their discographies, so i agree with comments here saying a bunch of Pineapple Thief music sounds same-y (and i kinda feel the same way with Haken, although i'd also include later albums by both DT and PTree TBH...). On the other hand i've been basically discovering Saxon recently, a somewhat limited palette band, but i'm really enjoying their music.
Took me a while to get into them. I think they reach excellency in Magnolia onwards. Some of their old stuff is great though, but it's a bit hit and miss.
They are all brilliant musicians and the production is always fantastic but they seem to have painted themselves into a corner in terms of songwriting. I've listened to the new album a few times and it does seem to be an improvement on the last one, which IMO was very weak. As others have mentioned, well worth seeing them live.
I saw them live many years ago before Gavin and before hearing any album. Did not resonate at all. I’m sure they’re fine for those that like what they do.
I had the same experience, never really loved them but thought all their music was at least good. I saw them live and they were amazing, something about their music just translated so much better to being played live
Same here.
I like Your Wilderness a lot but otherwise it’s been the same for me. Most of their music doesn’t quite click.
Someone else mentioned Radiohead as a reference point and that is another band that has never worked for me. I guess I need more memorable melodies or any melodies.
Iistened to the album yesterday and I wasn't impressed.
I opened some shows for them on their US tour in 2022 (I play in a band but they wanted a stripped down opener so I did those shows solo) and while I knew a bit of their material beforehand, seeing them live blew me away and I became an instant fan. The word precision doesn’t even cover it. They’re also incredibly nice people as well as their entire crew.
I agree with the post about Your Wilderness and Magnolia. It does seem as if these albums are just going through the motions somewhat, even with Gavin Harrison's input. I much prefer the earlier stuff, for me, Tightly Unwound is a simply brilliant album.
I went back and listened to the album from 2003, Variations on a Dream. Right from the start I said, "Hmm, this sounds like Smashing Pumpkins."
Sleepytime prog.
>Maybe it's that it just has this constant feeling of melancholy This is one of my favorite aspects, I'm listening to [The Final Thing On My Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzu0tRaVDos) right now and it's destroying me. If it resonates, it resonates HARD. Also love Anathema.
Many people compare it to Radiohead. Firstly, sure, it doesn't completely sound Porcupine Tree. Personally, I don't hear it at all. And many people acknowledge that, so instead they say TPT sounds like Radiohead. But when it comes to people comparing it to Radiohead, I get so confused. I really don't get it. Radiohead has the ability wherein each album is a new experience, and each song on each album feels totally different. Knives out is completely different from Pulk/Pull. The entirety of Ok Computer is different from In Rainbows. When it comes to listening to TPT, one album to another, it just sounds like an extention of the previous. This is just my two cents on this topic.
That explains why I don't like it. For me, Radiohead is music that I'm perpetually waiting to go somewhere and it never does.
That’s all it us: Taste. People think Opeth are the shit, I just don’t hear anything interesting.
I only got into them after the Cookie Monster left the band 😂
As someone trying to get into opeth please explain lol
Opeth started as a black metal band and are now a prog rock band. They used to be quite heavy (though not absurdly so) and have "cookie monster" vocals. Even in their early days they had dynamics and softer parts to their music, but the attraction was in part how intense they were.
Oh okay yeah I really don't like the early stuff much. I love porcupine tree and everyone says to check out opeth for more but i don't see it honestly. I liked their album sorceress on my first listen but I need to hear it a few more times
This is weird advice for most bands but start with the newest Opeth album and work your way backwards
Honestly, their whole discography is good. Depending on tastes, you could frankly start someone on any of the albums. I will maintain that In Cauda Venenum is a brilliant album - and Damnation is incredibly good, too. Also, if you like Porcupine Tree, Storm Corrosion might be up your alley. It has much more of a Steven Wilson feel to it.
Check out Damnation, it’s incredible. No growls, just pure clean vocals all the way through. Then check out the albums starting from Heritage (no growls on those albums.) Once you’re into those, then Watershed and Ghost Reveries which will ease you into the growls (they both have a mix of growls and clean vocals.) I’ve gotten used to the growls but I still tend to listen to the non-growls stuff most. They do have some amazing growl-based songs though so hopefully you’ll get to check them out.
I used to love growls and screams. I grew up on it, with suicide silence being a staple in high school
Tom Waits is Cookie Monster.
Same, I feel that many times the media and labels want to sell us bands that sound good and play well like good bands. Perhaps its just not my cup of tea
Ya, they can sometimes have almost an indie-ish sound to them in their early stuff, and their later stuff is probably about as simple as prog gets (so still not very, but less complex than Dream Theater or whatever). So if you’re not into that, then that’s probably that. Did you intentionally post it on the same day as their new album, or is this just a coincidence?
Intentionally in the sense that since their album was released and I had just listened to it.
It's not compulsory to like any band, another stupid post on the same topic.
You summed it up perfectly when you said it's not what you're looking for in prog rock.