THE PINEAPPLE THIEF is a band in a world of it's own. If you're not familiar with them, they are an amalgamation of the less explosive side of NINE INCH NAILS, the intellect of STEVEN WILSON and PORCUPINE TREE and the complexity of RIVERSIDE, with the eclectic influences of band leader Bruce Soord thrown in left, right and center. He must have had a rough time in the last couple of years, as he is describing a lot of difficult, embarrassing and excrutiating situations in the lyrics he has written during his career, and used on this, their live album called "Nothing But The Truth".  As if he hasn't had a happy life at all so far. He must have done musically, as THE PINEAPPLE THIEF have been rising to the heights they have reached today at a constant but definite rate. But what do I know?

What the band have succeeded in is making this a very intimate and personal experience. Most of the time one could describe this as chamber music, as THE PINEAPPLE THIEF have kept the outbursts in check, making this into a very intimate album. Starting with the very small song of "Versions Of The Truth" you realize that this is going to be a very personal song, as many will be and/or feel on this lengthy live album. Through all 91 minutes of music you never get the feeling that this is just that, as you never hear any audience. To be honest, that is probably the right decision, because now you can really hear and experience how good a band this is. These are top of the bill musicians that know how to make their music cut through your defenses and enter your brains, heart and soul.

What always pleases me when I hear a band play live is that they have mastered the way they translate their songs to the public, with subtle differences put into the music so that the real fans know that this is not just a studio recording. I must admit that I am so enthralled with "Nothing But The Truth" that it has crept up the rating ladder at an alarming rate, making it into one of the most impressive live albums of the latter years, even though it's not exactly heavy. But it is extremely impressive. I usually applaud it when the band makes a mistake, showing the audience that they are real people playing real music. This time though, I couldn't care less, as I just need to keep on listening to "Nothing But The Truth". Yes, it might be a subdued offering of songs this time, but it suits me. Maybe the band can make the next live album the one where all the fireworks are, just to show their other side. I would love that.