Fear of a Blank Planet is the ninth studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree and their best selling (until it was surpassed by The Incident in 2010). Released by Roadrunner on 16 April 2007 in the UK and rest of the Europe, 24 April 2007 in the United States through Atlantic, 25 April 2007 in Japan on WHD and 1 May 2007 in Canada by WEA. Steven Wilson has mentioned that the album's title is a direct reference to the 1990 Public Enemy album, Fear of a Black Planet. He explained that race relations were a major issue when it was released and he sees "coming to terms with information technology and...the 21st century" as a modern issue.
The album was written in Tel Aviv and London between January and July 2006. The promotion of the record included a premiere performance of the songs during the shows in support of the Arriving Somewhere... DVD tour between September and November 2006, and a series of listening parties at New York's Legacy Studios, and London's Abbey Road Studios during January 2007. Fear of a Blank Planet was followed later the same year by release of the Nil Recurring EP. With the release of Insurgentes, his first album as a soloist, Wilson would further develop some of the ideas on which Fear of a Blank Planet was conceived.
Even though it doesn't include any singles, the album charted in almost all European countries and entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at #59. Allmusic, which gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 score, assured that "While there is no "radio single" on the disc most songs transcend their complex structure and feel as provocative as any traditional rock tune". The album was highly acclaimed by the critics and gained the status of "Album of the Year" in many magazines and websites.
Read more about Fear Of A Blank Planet: Premiere and Release, Tour of A Blank Planet, Writing and Recording, Concept, Structure, Track Listing, Personnel, Chart Positions, Release History
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—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
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