Nil Recurring - EP

As good as "Blank Planet"

     

"Fear of a Blank Planet" is a good album, not a great one. The slightly overwrought lyrics and "Way Out Of Here" keep it anchored to that judgment. This short (and cheap) set of leftovers demonstrates that, in spite of "Fear's" lack of total consistency, there was still good material that didn't make the cut. The title track is worth the price of admission; this is a far more worthwhile use of Robert Fripp's much sought-after services than "Way Out Of Here". The acoustic "Normal" was obviously left off the album when the inferior "Sentimental" stole its chorus. This track, with its heavy riff that is introduced midway through, reminds me of Opeth. Clearly, the influence works both ways. "Cheating the Polygraph" is the EP's weakest track, and justifiably a leftover. "What Happens Now" could have replaced "Way Out Of Here" and produced a superior "Fear of a Blank Planet".

Buy this if you liked "Fear of a Blank Planet". Even if you didn't, at five bucks on the iTunes store, you can't go wrong.