not sure if this is actually the real McCoy (the song "Hag") but it's not bad if it is. Mikael singing in Swedish?..nice synths.
I'm not finding an exact Embed code at this point. But go here to view a video with Steven and Mikael talking about the album with SAMPLES.
original article
3/9/12 8:41PM
Track List, Release date (May 8th).
not sure if this link works anymore
Cover Art:
CD
01. Drag Ropes (9:52)
02. Storm Corrosion (10:12)
03. Hag (6:28)
04. Happy (4:53)
05. Lock Howl (6:09)
06. Ljudet Innan (10:20)
Blu-ray:
01. Drag Ropes
02. Storm Corrosion
03. Hag
04. Happy
05. Lock Howl
06. Ljudet Innan
07. Drag Ropes
08. Storm Corrosion
09. Hag
10. Happy
11. Lock Howl
12. Ljudet Innan
13. Drag Ropes (demo)
14. Hag (demo)
STORM CORROSION is the long-discussed and highly anticipated collaboration between two of the modern progressive rock scene's most innovative and multi-talented artists: Mikael Åkerfeldt of OPETH and PORCUPINE TREE's Steven Wilson. The pair will release "Storm Corrosion" on May 8, but you can pre-order it in two deluxe packages starting today.
The "Storm Corrosion" Special Edition Blu-ray/CD Set & Collector's Edition Double LP Bundle (pre-order link) is $50, and includes the album on 180-gram black virgin vinyl, in a gatefold jacket with exclusive artwork; a digital download of the entire album in high-quality FLAC files; the Blu-ray/CD version of the record, which offers the album on CD; a Blu-ray disc containing a 5.1 audio mix of the entire album, two exclusive demo tracks, and five instrumental tracks; a 24" x 36" fold-out poster; and a separate 12" x 12" poster autographed by both Mikael Åkerfeldt and Steven Wilson.
The "Storm Corrosion" Collector's Edition Double-LP Set (pre-order link) is $35, and includes the vinyl version, the digital download, and the two posters.
A little background information on the genesis of this project: Åkerfeldt and Wilson have been friends since the late '90s, when Wilson co-produced OPETH's revered "Blackwater Park" album. Over the years, they'd often spoken of working on a project together, but it wasn't until recently that they managed to make something happen, when Mikael flew over to visit Steven in the U.K. and they ended up in Wilson's home studio throwing ideas around. That visit was the nascence of a whole self-titled album, written and produced by the pair, and mixed by Wilson.
The sound of STORM CORROSION can best be described as enchanting, orchestral, ambient, epic (half the album's tracks clock in around the 10-minute mark) and nothing short of surprising to the new ear. However, the musicians' respective fanbases will be primed to appreciate the new output, with Wilson's recent solo album, "Grace For Drowning", and OPETH's "Heritage" having brought them to a logical place to understand STORM CORROSION. This eponymous collection is almost viewed as one side of a musical triangle.
Says Wilson, "If you'd asked me three months ago about the music, I would have said, 'Expect the last thing you would expect.' But actually, now that 'Heritage' and 'Grace For Drowning' have come out, I don't think it's going to be that much of a shock to people, because it's almost like a third part of the trilogy, in a way. If anything, it's even more orchestral, even more stripped down, even more dark, twisted and melancholic… but it certainly feels like it comes from the same place as 'Heritage' and 'Grace For Drowning', which indeed it does because it was written during the same period.”
"Some of the music on this record I think is the most beautiful music I have participated on ever," adds Åkerfeldt. "There's some magical sections on there. Musically, I think we've created something earthy, a bit frightening, exhausting, profound and rather intense. All at the same time. I can safely say I don't know any other band or artist that sounds anything like STORM CORROSION. I guess that was also one of our goals, so to speak."
Roadrunner Senior VP of A&R, Monte Conner, welcomed STORM CORROSION to the Roadrunner family, commenting, "I am honored to have the Roadrunner logo on the STORM CORROSION album. Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt have demonstrated time and time again that they are two of the truest and most important artists working today, and it is not often that I get to work with musicians of this caliber. This album is a beautiful piece of work that will appeal to fans of Steven and Mikael's past records, while at the same time exploring new avenues for both artists."
12/26/11 1:16AM
Storm Corrosion will be issued by Roadrunner in April 2012. Apart from Mikael and Steven, the album includes guest appearances by Gavin Harrison on drums/percussion, Ben Castle on woodwinds, and Dave Stewart on string arrangements.
9/26/11 8:57AM
Due in April 2012.
Opeth's facebook Wall post
"The long awaited collaboration between Mikael Akerfeldt and Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) is finally being completed. The project goes under the name of 'Storm Corrosion' and will have a self-titled record out in April 2012 through a yet unnamed label. This album could be seen as the final part in the odd trilogy of records completed by "Heritage" and Steven Wilson's brand new solo album "Grace for Drowning". Read more on Steve Wilson's latest venture at gracefordrowning.com"
3/30/11 6:14AM
The project it sounds like will be titled "Storm Corrosion" and the record itself as well. It is done, but it won't be coming out until early 2012.
b-mouth story
not really a ton of new quotes or info in that. It'll be orchestal, yes. And different than anything they've both done, yes. And very little to no drums, yes.
But not until 2012.
I am anticipating something vaguely like Scott Walker's The Drift. Somewhat subtle, and minimalistic stuff. But who knows, hearing even that kind of music from these 2 guys. But we have awhile until we'll know anyway.
11/2/10 1:32PM
Blabbermouth link
"STEVEN WILSON On Project With MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT: We Didn't Wanna Do A Prog-Metal Supergroup - Oct. 31, 2010
PORCUPINE TREE's Steven Wilson recently spoke to the U.K. branch of Roadrunner Records about his much-anticipated collaboration project with OPETH's Mikael Åkerfeldt, tentatively dubbed "Storm Corrosion". You can now watch the chat below.
On how the songwriting sessions for "Storm Corrosion" are progressing:
Wilson: "In March we started [working on the material for it]. It's sporadic, because we get together once every three months. [Mikael] comes over to my studio and we work for a few days and we get really drunk on red wine, go buy and loads of records and then come back, and if we're lucky, do, like, ten minutes work. But the incredible thing was that although, comparatively, we haven't worked that long, what we produced we were so happy with, and we are so happy with. It's nice to know that what we always suspected was that when we actually got together, it was gonna be quite easy. It was also in the back of your mind, thinking, 'Maybe it won't work.' Maybe it [was] just built up so much [in my head before we started writing songs], and it was so easy. So easy. And the music was so crazy and so inspiring to both of us. So I think that was good to feel, like, 'It's gonna work.' So we have about, I'd say, 25 minutes of music [written] so far. We're getting together again in November to do another piece or two. Drink some more wine, buy some more records... So that's kind of a work in progress, and I don't know when that will come out. Then it would be great to do some shows around that, too, but he's [Mikael] gonna be back with OPETH next year at some point, so it may not be feasible. But certainly the record [should be ready to be recorded and released by then]."
On the similarities and differences between PORCUPINE TREE and OPETH and how they play into the new project:
Wilson: "The funny thing is that the music we're making together is actually nothing like either of us made before. Because I think we both had this idea of this kind of music that we knew we couldn't get our bands to play, but that we both kind of understood where we were coming from. 'Cause we have this kind of passion [for] very experimental, obscure records, almost orchestral in their scope. And we wanted to make a record like that for a long time. It's a long way from metal and it's a long way from anything that, I think, Mikael has ever done, including the 'Damnation' record [from OPETH]. I think a lot of people thought, 'Oh, it's gonna be like 'Damnation'.' It's not; it's a long way from that, too. And it's actually a long way from anything I've done; [it's] possibly closer to aspects of things I've done, but really quite distinct from anything I've ever [released]. [It's] very orchestral, lots of strings, lots of guitars and vocals, too. Lots of very long songs that kind of go in different directions that you don't necessarily expect them to go in — almost theatrical in a way. And we both kind of admitted to ourselves that there are a lot of fans out there that are probably gonna hate it. But we're doing it for us. The one thing we didn't wanna do is get together and do a prog-metal supergroup, which would have been so easy to do — and kind of expected, in a way. And, you know, we might do that anyway one day. But this time around, we thought, 'Let's just do this [kind of] record.' Some people will love it and some people will not, and that's OK, because, in a way, I don't think we wanted to just give what was expected, and we're certainly not doing that."
On whether Steven and Mikael are self-producing the new project:
Wilson: "Right now, we kind of fall into my studio at midnight and work through the night and just... It's great, because in many respects, Mikael is the closest I know to someone who is... How do I put this? He's the equivalent of me in his band. He's like the captain of the ship and we kind of understand each other — all the frustrations of being in that position, all the stresses and pressures of being in that situation — so because of that, there's no ego thing at all — yet! [Laughs] But we're both kind of control freaks, in a way, so that's kind of a strange situation to be, where you're working with someone where you don't feel any of those issues and you have that complete trust. So we're just like... [I go], 'Here, you have the guitar. Do something amazing.' And he does. And then I'm like, 'Oh, I've got an idea for that,' and I do some keyboard thing. And he's like, 'That's amazing! I love that.' And so it's really... It sounds like we're kind of blowing each other the whole time... [Laughs] But it's just so much fun. And that's the important thing — I think it's fun. Because there's no ego and there's no pressure. Because people don't know what to expect. And we've kind of already resigned ourselves to the fact that we're gonna do something that people are gonna hate, anyway. I mean, I'm exaggerating... I'm sure a lot of people are gonna dig it. But people are gonna be surprised by it. We're not giving people what they expect, so there's little pressure, really — there's very little pressure. It's just literally swapping instruments and I'm kind of recording it on my own system."
In a recent interview with U.K.'s Classic Rock, Åkerfeldt stated about the writing process for the "Storm Corrosion" CD, "I got together recently with Steven at his house, and we wrote a new tune straight away. Of course, with the two of us involved, it was 10 minutes long. And it came out so well that we started working on a second one as well."
Although DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy was initially supposed to be part of the project, it now appears that he will no longer be involved.
"To be honest, there's just no room for drums on what we've done so far," Åkerfeldt said. "I called Mike up, and he was cool about it. He's got so much going on anyway, and I'm sure we will work together in the future."
So, I'm sort of late in the game here with this. Sorta, kinda, not really. The info is not all that detailed, other than what Steven added there. The name "Storm Corrosion" and some other bits were mentioned a few months ago, I just never got around to passing it along.
I have to admit one thing, the thing about Steven saying this won't be a "Prog Metal" project is fine and probably best, but then he says they may do that eventually. I'm kind of hoping they won't unless it's not like PT or Opeth especially, and more or less derivative of other music.
But not a ton to add, other than I will listen to this, and I won't expect anything mind blowing, but would love to be pleasantly surprised. The Portnoy point has been beaten to death. He's not in it. Maybe he'll be asked to play in the "Prog Metal" project they may do.
Steven's 2011- 2012 Forecast though which I guess is nice to get an idea about.
2011:
Spring:
-Solo Album with guests
late Spring-Fall:
-Blackfield III aka their 3rd album
late Summer/Fall:
Storm Corrosion
no Concerts in Minnesota
2012:
Porcupine Tree
no concert in Minnesota
