"Hand.Cannot.Erase. is an album rooted in sonic & spiritual modernity... an inventive blend of bleak & brooding industrial soundscapes" - The Guardian
Steven Wilson - six-time Grammy nominee, multi-instrumentalist, producer & founding member of the influential progressive rock band Porcupine Tree - released his critically acclaimed fourth solo album 'Hand.Cannot.Erase.' in 2015. Recorded at London's AIR Studios, the album saw Wilson reuniting with a stellar lineup of musicians: Guthrie Govan (guitar), Adam Holzman (keyboards), Theo Travis (flute/sax), Nick Beggs (bass/stick) & Marco Minnemann (drums).
'Hand.Cannot.Erase.' received widespread critical acclaim on its release, with Classic Rock describing it as "a tour de force of experimental music making" & The Guardian awarding the album five-stars in their review. Commercially, the album performed strongly, reaching #13 on the UK Albums Chart & landing in the top 15 across Europe - including #2 in the Netherlands, #3 in Germany, #4 in Finland, #10 in Poland, #11 in Norway & #12 in Austria.
Since the release of 'Hand.Cannot.Erase.', Wilson has continued to push creative boundaries. His subsequent solo albums, 'To The Bone' (2017) & 'The Future Bites' (2021), both charted in the top five internationally & further solidified his reputation as one of modern progressive music's most innovative artists. His most recent studio album, 'The Overview' (2025), marks yet another ambitious leap forward - a sweeping, conceptual work that contemplates humanity's place in the universe. Hailed by critics as one of his most expansive & thought-provoking efforts to date, 'The Overview' was supported by an extensive, sold-out European tour.
Meanwhile, Porcupine Tree returned in 2022 with 'CLOSURE // CONTINUATION', their first studio album in over a decade. The release debuted at #2 on the UK Official Albums Chart & topped charts in Germany, Switzerland & the Netherlands.
At the heart of 'Hand.Cannot.Erase.' lies a haunting concept inspired by the true story of Joyce Carol Vincent - a young woman who died unnoticed in her London flat & wasn't discovered for over two years.
As Wilson explained: "The basic story, or concept of the record - it's about a woman growing up, who goes to live in the city, very isolated & she disappears one day & no one notices. There's more to it than that. Now, what's really interesting about this story is that your initial reaction... is, 'Ah, little old bag lady that no one notices, no one cares about.' She wasn't like that. She was young, she was popular, she was attractive, she had many friends, she had family, but for whatever reason, nobody missed her for three years."
