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PORCUPINE-TREE

Well, My Heart Is Broken: Porcupine Tree Officially On Hold

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on April 21, 2013 @ 10:20am
Category: Music / News

Yup, my heart is officially crushed. In an interview with Something Else Reviews, Steven Wilson has stated that he is focusing on his solo project as of now and that this leaves no time for his other projects, including Blackfield and Porcupine Tree.

Regarding Blackfield, Wilson confirms that a fourth studio album is in the works, saying, “Blackfield has made a new record, though I’m not as involved with it as much as I once was — for reasons which are obvious and apparent. Aviv, my partner in Blackfield, wrote all of the songs on this new record, but I still helped him to produce and record the album, and I sung on a few songs. They have some other great guest singers that have come in and sang on some of the other songs, too. So, Blackfield is certainly moving forward. The last thing I want to be doing is holding other people back.”

Read on for more information. READ MORE

[Album Review] Soilwork ‘The Living Infinite’

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on March 03, 2013 @ 9:00pm
Category: Music / Reviews

When it was announced that Soilwork would be unleashing a double album as their new studio album, the metal world rejoiced. After all, one disc is already a cause for celebration, but two? The Swedish melodic metal master’s ninth studio album The Living Infinite has been one of the most anticipated releases of 2013 by many, even landing on my own list.

One of the things that gave me some trepidation was the loss of guitarist Peter Wichers, who was replaced by David Andersson, who toured with the band in 2006. Also, after the stellar The Panic Broadcast, this album has a great deal to live up to. So now we ask the hard question: does it or have Soilwork fallen short? Find out below! READ MORE

Soen’s ‘Cognitive’ To See Stateside Release This Summer

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on February 22, 2013 @ 1:15pm
Category: Music / News

Prog-metal group Soen will be releasing their debut album Cognitive in the States this summer. The album was originally released last Winter via Spinefarm Records. The 10-track album features some fantastic songs and is well worth checking out if you’re a fan of Tool or Porcupine Tree.

Soen features Martin Lopez (ex-Opeth, Amon Amarth), bassist Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus, Testament, Death, Iced Earth), vocalist Joel Ekelöf (Willowtree), and guitarist Kim Platbarzdis. Cognitive was mixed by David Bottrill (Tool, Coheed and Cambria, Silverchair, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse).

Head below to see their video for “Savia”. READ MORE

Steven Wilson Releases New Song “The Birthday Party”: Creates Visual Ghost Story

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on February 20, 2013 @ 2:30pm
Category: Music / Videos

Prog-master Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield) has unveiled a new song entitled “The Birthday Party”. The video is incredibly interesting as it also includes a short ghost story by the same name that was written by Wilson. The music serves to fit the mood of the tale of a little girl named Victoria who plays a game of hide-and-seek on her birthday only to have it end in a rather unexpected way. It’s a tale that is very reminiscent of something out of Schwartz/Gammell’s The Scary Stories Treasury. You can watch/read/listen below.

“The Birthday Party” comes from the deluxe book edition of Wilson’s upcoming solo album The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories), which comes out Feb. 25th and was produced by the legendary Alan Parsons. The deluxe book edition is now sold out but other copies are available for pre-order here. READ MORE

Katatonia Release Official Video For “Lethean”

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on February 18, 2013 @ 12:32pm
Category: Music / Videos

Swedish prog-rockers Katatonia have released an official video for “Lethean”, which comes from their latest album Dead End Kings (review). Shot in star black and white and directed by Lasse Hoile (Porcupine Tree, Opeth), the video features slow motion shots that serve to compliment the melancholic yet heavy beauty of the song. You can watch it below or here.

Dead End Kings landed at #2 on my Top 10 Albums Of 2012 list, which you can view here. READ MORE

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Steven Wilson Unveils Stunning Video For “The Raven That Refused To Sing”

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on February 07, 2013 @ 1:45pm
Category: Music / Videos

Porcupine Tree/Blackfield mailman Steven Wilson has released a music video for “The Raven That Refused To Sing”, the title track from his upcoming solo album. It’s a stunning, eerie, and heartbreaking video that is beautifully animated with muted colors in the style of older cartoons. You can watch this highly recommended video below.

The Raven That Refused To Sing will be coming out Feb. 25th via KScope Records. READ MORE

Katatonia Announces Headline Shows During Opeth Tour

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on February 05, 2013 @ 1:30pm
Category: Music / News

Swedish prog metal band Katatonia have announced a few headline shows during their upcoming tour supporting Opeth. Katatonia will be touring in support of Dead End Kings, which landed at #2 on my Top Albums of 2012 list, which you can see here. Opeth will be touring in support of Heritage. The bands will also do a special one-off show with Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson in New York.

Katatonia guitarist Anders Nyström states, “Back in the U.S.A…That’s right Springsteen! We’re looking at round number two as special guests to our brothers in Opeth on their last North American leg of the Heritage World Tour. This time we’ll mainly cover off-territories, so regardless if you caught or missed us last time, consider this a second chance to attend the dead ends of North America with one of the best bills there’ll ever be!”

Head on below for the tour dates. READ MORE

Trivium’s Matt Heafy Performs Acoustic Cover Of Opeth’s “Harvest”

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on January 28, 2013 @ 1:00pm
Category: Music / Videos

A pro-shot acoustic performance by Matt Heafy (Trivium) covering Opeth‘s “Harvest” has been released and can be seen below. The song comes from Opeth’s fifth studio album Blackwater Park, which was produced by Porcupine Tree‘s Steven Wilson.

Heafy is a longtime fan of the Swedish progressive death metal band having performed acoustic covers before. READ MORE

6 Dream Tour Pairings!!!

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on January 23, 2013 @ 11:00am
Category: Music / Editorials

How many of you have thought, “Man, wouldn’t it be just awesome if [insert band name here] toured with [insert band name here]?” I know I’ve done it on more than one occasion. Hell, I do it all the damn time. There are some tour pairings that make so much sense that it simply boggles my mind that the’ve never been done. These are tours that would get fans salivating, drool flowing from the mouth like waterfalls.

So I put together six of my most desired tour pairings, ones where the headliner and co-headliner would not only compliment each other but would take things to an entirely new level. Head on below to see my list! READ MORE

[Album Review] Riverside ‘Shrine Of New Generation Slaves’

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on January 21, 2013 @ 7:00pm
Category: Music / Reviews

Hailing from Poland, Riverside have been putting out consistently great music for many years now. It’d be nearly impossible to define what category of “prog rock” they exactly fall under, but that’s what make them stand out from the crowd. They are one of those bands that have such a unique sound that it is easy to immediately identify them, an increasingly rare talent these days.

So upon receiving a copy of their new album Shrine Of New Generation Slaves, I knew I was in for something special, something that would challenge me. But have they delivered once again or did they fall fail to live up to their past greatness? Read on below for my thoughts! READ MORE

Opeth/Katatonia Tour Gets Special Date With Steven Wilson

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on January 10, 2013 @ 5:45pm
Category: Music / Images

Folks in Albany, NY who are going to the April 28th Opeth/Katatonia stop on their N. American tour will be treated to an incredibly special gift as Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield) will be performing his solo material there, complete with live band. This show will be the only one during the tour, so make sure to pre-order tickets in advance to ensure a spot. Head on below to see a poster for this event (I would hang that on my wall in a heartbeat). READ MORE

[Best & Worst '12] Jonny Picks His Top 10 Albums Of 2012

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on January 01, 2013 @ 1:01pm
Category: Music / Editorials

And so another year comes to a close. 2012, just like any other year, you had your gems and you had your flops when it came to album releases. For this article, I’d like to give you my Top 10 albums of 2012 as well as several honorable mentions that didn’t exactly make the cut but were too good to leave unmentioned. So, read on to see my Top 10 Albums Of 2012!

Make sure to check out my worst 5 albums here. READ MORE

Steven Wilson Announces 2nd Leg Of N. American Tour

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on December 28, 2012 @ 9:00am
Category: Music / News

Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield) has announced a second leg of tour dates in support of his upcoming third solo album The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories), which will be released Feb. 25th through KScope Records. You can read more about the album here.

According to Wilson’s website, “The line up on the tour will be the same as the band that recorded Steven Wilson’s new studio album…Guthrie Govan (lead guitar), Adam Holzman (keyboards), Theo Travis (flutes, saxes), Nick Beggs (bass guitar, stick), and Marco Minnemann (drums).”

Wilson has also been working with Lasse Hoile “…to take the visual elements of the show to the next level, making the show even more of a cinematic experience.”

Head on below for the tour dates. READ MORE

10 Moments In Songs That I Just Love

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on December 09, 2012 @ 8:00pm
Category: Music / Editorials

We all have those moments in songs that just speak to us. You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s that part of the song that you’re blasting in the car with a several of your friends and you make them all shut up so you can share that one special moment with them. Usually, it ends up with everyone staring at you, wondering what the hell you’re so excited about.

You know what? Screw ‘em. You know what’s so special. You know what’s going on. And you’re gonna scroll back to hear that part again, whether they like it or not.

So, join me below as I share 10 Moments In Songs That I Just Love! READ MORE

Porcupine Tree Stream “Dislocated Day” From ‘Octane Twisted’ Live CD

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on December 03, 2012 @ 1:45pm
Category: Music / News

Due to a strange glitch, if you are looking for the Randy Blythe Lamb Of God article, please click here.

Progressive rock group Porcupine Tree are streaming their song “Dislocated Day” from the recently released Octane Twisted live CD. The song first appeared on the 1995 album The Sky Moves Sideways. More information on Octane Twisted can be found here. You can stream the song below. READ MORE

Steven Wilson Unveils Title, Album Cover, And Release Date For New Album

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on November 30, 2012 @ 11:45am
Category: Music / Images

Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson has unveiled a great deal of details for his upcoming third solo album. First of all, the title is The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories). Secondly, the album artwork, which was done by Hajo Mueller (and not Lasse Hoile(!!!)), can be seen below. Third, the album will be released Feb. 25th through Kscope Records.

Per Steven’s official website, “The album was written between January-July and recorded in Los Angeles in September with Steven’s current band line up of Guthrie Govan – lead guitar, Nick Beggs – bass guitar, Marco Minnemann – drums, Adam Holzman – keyboards, Theo Travis – saxophone / flute and engineered by legendary producer/engineer Alan Parsons.”

A limited-edition 4-disc set will be released. It will feature a 128 page hardback book containing lyrics and ghost stories, illustrated by Hajo Mueller. There will also be stand alone double vinyl, CD and Blu-Ray editions.

Below you can find videos of the recording process as well as video of the first track, “Luminol”, live from the Get All You Deserve live DVD. READ MORE

Opeth Performs Acoustic Set In London: Fan-Filmed Footage Available

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on November 19, 2012 @ 1:00pm
Category: Music / Videos

Swedish progressive metal band Opeth performed an acoustic set (their first ever) at the Union Chapel in London this past Friday, Nov. 16th. Below is fan-filmed footage of many of the songs as well as the full track list of the show.

According to Blabbermouth, singer/guitar Mikael Akerledt stated in a recent interview, “We’re constantly looking for new ways to push things forward with the live set. We’ve done so many, so to speak, run-of-the-mill type of tours, meat-and-potatoes type of tours where we just go up and play our songs. So this is a little bit of an odd thing, which both makes me excited and a bit nervous; I kind of wanna run away and hide. We’ve never done unplugged shows. I’m not sure if it’s gonna be ‘unplugged’ unplugged; it’s just gonna be laid back…And our discography is quite diverse and we can do things like that, so we figure, why not?”

Opeth’s last album is Heritage (review), which was mixed by Porcupine Tree‘s Steven Wilson. READ MORE

Porcupine Tree Release Second ‘Octane Twisted’ Vlog

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on November 08, 2012 @ 1:20pm
Category: Music / Videos

British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree have released a second video blog discussing the upcoming live album Octane Twisted. Keyboardist/synth guru Richard Barbieri and renowned drummer Gavin Harrison sit down to go over a few questions regarding live production, why the recordings from the Chicago and Royal Albert Hall venues were chosen, what the worst parts of touring are, and more. Check out the video below. READ MORE

Porcupine Tree Release Live Video For ‘I Drive The Hearse’

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on November 05, 2012 @ 5:20pm
Category: Music / Videos

British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree have released a live video for “I Drive The Hearse”. The video comes from the 3-disc edition of their upcoming live album Octane Twisted, which comes out Nov. 20th in N. America (pre-order here). You can watch the video below.

I remember my first time seeing Porcupine Tree back in 2003 at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, MI when they opened up for Opeth (who were touring Damnation). While the crowd was more interested in Opeth, I was blown away by PT. I bought I think three albums and a t-shirt from the merch table and I’ve seen Porcupine Tree each time they’ve come through Detroit since then. I actually flew out to San Francisco to seem them at the Fillmore when Robert Fripp (King Crimson) did a solo opener doing his Soundscapes. Easily one of my favorite bands ever. READ MORE

Members Of Porcupine Tree Discuss Upcoming ‘Octane Twisted’ Release

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on October 29, 2012 @ 1:00pm
Category: Music / Videos

Porcupine Tree‘s Richard Barbieri and Gavin Harrison sat down to discuss the upcoming live 2CD set Octane Twisted, which will come out Nov. 20th in N. America (Nov. 19th in Europe). The guys also discuss what it was like playing The Incident live versus in the studio as well as the future of Porcupine Tree. The interview can be seen below.

Details on Octane Twisted, as well as a free download of “I Drive The Hearse”, can be found here. READ MORE

Steven Wilson Drops Very Cool Bit Of News Regarding Upcoming Solo Album

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on October 23, 2012 @ 5:15pm
Category: Music / Images

Porcupine Tree main man Steven Wilson posted a quick blurb on his official Facebook page in which he states that he went to the home of Robert Fripp (King Crimson) to record his MK2 mellotron for Wilson’s upcoming solo album. This album will be the follow-up to 2011′s Grace For Drowning.

“Today I was at Robert [Fripp]‘s place recording the mellotron parts for my new album on his original sixties MK2 mellotron, famously the one used on the debut King Crimson album. Playing a real mellotron is quite an exhausting physical experience, but it sounds amazing….”

Head on below for a picture of Wilson rocking on the mellotron. For more information on the solo album, head here. READ MORE

Porcupine Tree Stream “I Drive The Hearse” From Octane Twisted Live CD

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on October 23, 2012 @ 3:00pm
Category: Music / News

On Nov. 20th, Porcupine Tree will be releasing their 2CD live album Octane Twisted, which features a full performance of the first disc of their last album The Incident. The second disc of the live set contains eight tracks from various albums over the years. The Incident recording as well as five tracks on the second disc were performed in Chicago while three tracks on the second disc were recorded in London. A special edition with a live DVD of the Chicago performance can be pre-ordered here.

In anticipation of this release, the band has made available a stream of the song “I Drive The Hearse”, which you can also download for free. Check below for the widget.

Porcupine Tree has been one of my favorite bands for about 10 years now, so I’m definitely going to pick up a copy of this. The song “Trains” is what hooked me on them. What song got you? READ MORE

Porcupine Tree To Release Live Album “Octane Twisted”

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on September 28, 2012 @ 3:00pm
Category: Music / News

British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree will be releasing Octane Twisted, a 2CD+bonus DVD live album on Nov. 19th via KScope Records. The first CD will be a performance of the entire The Incident album while the second CD will be tracks from several other records of their career. The majority of the tracks were recorded 2010 Riviera show in Chicago while a few tracks were recorded at the Royal Albert Hall. The bonus DVD includes footage of The Incident performance in Chicago. Below is the full track list and statement from the band. READ MORE

King Crimson’s Robert Fripp Quits The Music Business: Tears Pour Down My Face

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on September 08, 2012 @ 2:00pm
Category: Music / News

Robert Fripp, the only original member of prog-rock band King Crimson, recently granted a rare interview with UK Financial Times in which he stated, “…I made the choice to give up my career as a musician in the frontline to deal with the business.” He continues, saying, “My life as a professional musician is a joyless exercise in futility.” The full interview can be read here.

Part of this stems from Kanye West‘s sampling of “21st Century Schizoid Man” in his song “Power”, which was done without Fripp’s approval. As a matter of fact, the song had racked up over 1 million views before he was even approached regarding its use. This is one of many grievances that Fripp has with the music industry and with Universal Music Group, the largest record label in the world, whom Fripp has been embroiled in a dispute with for over five years.

I’ve been a huge fan of King Crimson for many years, have seen them live, and even flew out to San Francisco to see Robert Fripp do his Soundscapes as an opening for Porcupine Tree. So, as you can probably imagine, this is a pretty big blow for me. I know that original Fripp releases were becoming increasingly rarer and rarer but there was always hope in my heart that new music would come out. Below are some of my favorite Crimson songs that I’ll be listening to throughout the day. READ MORE