The guest list on Pendulum‘s newest album, “Immersion,” includes the Prodigy’s Liam Howlett, Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson and Swedish headbangers In Flames. Their presence summarizes the sensibilities of this Australian-formed, British-based electro band’s third album. The set fuses the drum’n’bass vibe of Pendulum’s 2005 debut, “Hold Your Colour,” and the melodic strains of 2008’s “In Silico.” The result is a sound that fits firmly in the rock mainstream without losing a club-friendly underpinning that makes it a bit more hip than standard issue dance-rock. Howlett helps drive the frenetic, orchestrated track “Immunize,” while In Flames bring the heavy groove to “Self Vs. Self.” And Wilson helps make “The Fountain” a lush, proggy highlight. Pendulum channels the Prodigy again on the song “The Vulture” and taps into Nine Inch Nails on “Comprachicos,” while “The Island” is a two-part epic that finds prog and dance elements meeting on common ground. The nearly 68-minute length of “Immersion” works against it at times, but the aforementioned “The Fountain” and the ’80s-referencing “Encoder” make it well worth reaching the end.
