The album has been remastered by Steven Wilson and the 2017 master has features noticeably less compression and limiting in order to provide a more dynamic listening experience.

In Absentia was the band's seventh studio album and the first in a run of three releases that for many represent the pinnacle of the band's artistic achievements.

Following on from 2000's Lightbulb Sun, the album had a distinctly heavier tone, partly due to the addition of legendary drummer Gavin Harrison. The band’s first for major label Lava / Atlantic Records, In Absentia features several of Porcupine Tree’s most loved songs including Trains, The Sound of Muzak and Blackest Eyes.

While not a formal concept album, many of the songs have common themes related to serial killers, youthful innocence gone wrong, and observations about the modern world, setting a template for many of Wilson's future songs.