I have been waiting eagerly with baited breath ever since this collaboration was first mentioned a couple years back.
If I remember correctly it was to originally include the drummer Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater fame.
I have just gotten the Storm Corrosion album,listening to it for the first time as we speak and I must say half way through it is everything I could
of hope for and expected from these two musical geniuses.
Epic,ambient,whimsical,ethereal,moody and somber are the words that I would use to describe this album.
Laden with passages of aural beauty... we have piano,mellotron,guitar both acoustic and electric,bass and all accompanied by somberly haunting
vocals.
Vocal harmonization here should be applauded,the production work of Wilson is something to behold not to take away form the individual solo
vocals,which in themselves are great.
Akerfeldt's soulful guitar tones/melodies are immediately apparent throughout with a few guitar passages of what could be best defined as a hybrid of
blues & folk with a touch of his Scandinavian unique signature that he is known for.
The entire album flows seamlessly as if it were one long track,although individual songs can be enjoyed,I recommend listening to this album from start
to finish,becoming lost within it's aural beauty and bliss.
I have always thought that Wilson and Akerfeldt when paired together on prior Opeth albums 'Blackwater Park','Deliverance' and especially apparent
with 'Damnation' meshed well musically and vocally.
Now with 'storm corrosion' there can be no doubt that the pairing of their vocals together,separate on individual tracks and the sonically diverse
marriage of both their own influences and unique styles together is nothing short of amazing.
With the combination of their influences bouncing off of one another-Porcupine Tree's 'In Absentia' being the first album to experiment with a more
"metal" influenced approach to Wilson's music,followed by 'Deadwing' and 'Fear of a blank planet'.
You could argue that Opeth's latest release 'Heritage' echoes shades of Porcupine Tree/Wilson influence,among Akerfeldt's love for 70's progressive
rock.
I have been fortunate and lucky enough to have met both Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt,Wilson after a Porcupine Tree concert at their tour bus and
Akerfeldt at a cd signing. (I had 'still life' signed,it was stolen from me a few years latter
)
Both were complete gentlemen,humble and friendly. Wilson took the time to answer a couple questions,sign autographs and take pictures.It will always
go down as one of the best experiences of my life,to meet one of my favorite musicians.
Wilson and Akerfeldt are some of the most creative & talented musicians to ever grace music,of any genre or time period.
I do hope that this is not a one off project.I would love to see this collaborated project continued in the future.
edit on 27-4-2012 by PerfectPerception because: (no reason given)