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PORCUPINE-TREE

Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt Talks Next Album, Touring, And Guitar Hero

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on August 13, 2012 @ 10:30am
Category: Music / Interviews

In an interview with PitCam.TV, Opeth frontman Mikael Akerfeldt discussed playing the Wacken festival, recording Storm Corrosion (review) with Steven Wilson, and many other great topics. Among them was the discussion if the next Opeth record would be on Roadrunner Records, since the RR offices in Europe were shutdown. Akerfeldt confirmed that the next record would indeed be on RR but that he was very saddened by the shutdown, stating that many people there were friends and he’s not sure who is dealing with the logistics now.

Towards the end of the interview, Akerfeldt discussed how he and Martin Mendez used to play Guitar Hero while on tour, sometimes even up to the moments before going out on stage. End result? Akerfeldt had to force himself to stop because he was getting nervous on stage without a button guitar. Check out the interview below. READ MORE

Anathema Release Gorgeous Video For “Untouchable (Part One)”

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on August 10, 2012 @ 12:00pm
Category: Music / Videos

Alt-rock band Anathema has released a video for “Untouchable (Part One)”, which comes off their latest release, Weather Systems. The video was edited together by longtime Porcupine Tree collaborator Lasse Hoile and features beautiful shots of nature in fantastic time-lapsed shots. From undulating clouds to vicious lightning storms to aurora borealis during starry nights, this video is incredibly soothing and fits the emotional intensity of the song perfectly.

On a personal note, this song is not only one of my absolute favorite tracks on the album, it’s also one of my favorite tracks of the year. The combined play count of this song on my iTunes and my phone probably number well into the triple digits. I truly cannot recommend this album highly enough.

Check out our review of Weather Systems here. READ MORE

Steven Wilson Issues Update On Next Solo Album: Alan Parsons To Engineer

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on July 18, 2012 @ 3:45pm
Category: Music / News

A post made by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Storm Corrosion) on his Official Facebook page states that a new solo album is nearly finished being written and has an early 2013 projected release date. Wilson states, “…this time I’ve written it all for my live band to play, mostly pretty long pieces (including the piece we previewed on the recent tour “Luminol”).” This album will be the follow-up to 2011′s Grace For Drowning. Wilson is also releasing a live concert Blu-Ray/DVD entitled Get All You Deserve in September. You can watch a performance of “Harmony Korine” below.

The album will be recorded in Los Angeles in September with Alan Parsons overseeing the process. Parsons is famous for being the engineer on Pink Floyd‘s Dark Side Of The Moon as well as his own project, The Alan Parsons Project.

Frequent PT and Wilson collaborator Lasse Hoile will once again tackle album artwork as well as studio videos and live show visuals.

Alright Wilson fans, are you eager for a new solo album or do you wish that Porcupine Tree would be the next priority? READ MORE

Steven Wilson Releases Cover Art For Upcoming Solo Live Blu-Ray/DVD

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on June 26, 2012 @ 11:00am
Category: Music / News

Porcupine Tree lead man Steven Wilson has unveiled the cover for his upcoming live Blu-Ray/DVD Get All You Deserve, which will be released Sept. 25th, 2012. Wilson has stated that there will also be an edition that will include the full concert on two audio CDs. While there is no track list for this concert, I’m assuming it will cover both of his solo releases, Grace For Drowning and Insurgentes. You can see the cover below.

Wilson is known for his main band Porcupine Tree but is also a member of Blackfield alongside Israeli musician Aviv Geffen. He also released an album with Opeth‘s Mikael Akerfeldt under the name Storm Corrosion (review).

I’m a big fan of Wilson’s work, so I’ll definitely be picking up a copy of this. Readers, what’s your favorite Steven Wilson-related project?

[Album Review] Petter Carlsen ‘Clocks Don’t Count’

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on June 02, 2012 @ 2:00pm
Category: Music / Reviews

For the past few months I’ve been going on daily walks. I go for a minimum of two miles but sometimes I lose track of time, getting lost in listening to music, and end up going for more than that. Once I ended up going on a seven-mile walk, simply because it was a beautiful night and I was enjoying listening to music that I hadn’t heard for a few years.

And so it was that last night I decided to go for one of my walks, despite the cold temperature, the continuous drizzle, and the steady wind. Within a few minutes, a chill had worked its way into my skin, icy fingers gripping my bones. My brisk pace served only to ensure that I didn’t reach a point where my teeth began chattering.

The soundtrack for this journey was Petter Carlsen’s Clocks Don’t Count. Hailing from Norway, Carlsen received wider recognition when he opened up for Anathema on a European tour supporting his debut album You Go Bird. Hailed for his enchanting voice, melancholic melodies, and songwriting skills, fans began itching for a second album. Clocks Don’t Count was their answer. But does this album fare? Read below for my thoughts. READ MORE

MUST SEE Storm Corrosion Video For ‘Rope Drags’

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on April 24, 2012 @ 2:06pm
Category: Music / Videos

Storm Corrosion, the collaboration project between Porcupine Tree‘s Steven Wilson and Opeth‘s Mikael Akerfeldt, has released Rope Drags, the first video from their upcoming self-titled debut album. The 9-minute video is stunningly beautiful and I cannot recommend it enough. The video uses traditional puppet theater mixed with Tim Burton-esque visuals to create a heartbreaking story of true love being snatched away and the lengths that one will go through for revenge. Watch it below.

Make sure to check out our review here. READ MORE

[Review] Storm Corrosion ‘Storm Corrosion’

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on March 27, 2012 @ 6:33pm
Category: Music / News

[Review] Storm Corrosion Storm Corrosion

Mikael Akerfeldt and Steven Wilson are perhaps two of the most hardworking, innovative musicians today. It’s not necessarily that they put out vast amounts of material (although Steven Wilson seems to have his fingers in more pies than a bakery on Thanksgiving), it’s more that the material they release is so dense and intelligent that it requires more effort than usual to absorb. So when the two confirmed that they were collaborating on a project together entitled Storm Corrosion, the prog and metal worlds went into a bustle of brainstorming. “What could this collaboration sound like?” “Who would have the greater hand in the overall sound?” “WHEN WAS IT COMING OUT????“

Well, on May 7th, this self-titled release will hit shelves and I wanted to weigh in with my opinion. Is it a worthwhile journey or did the collaboration of two stellar musicians fail to produce all that was hyped and hoped for?

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on March 22, 2012 @ 9:34pm
Category: Music / News

For those of you who don’t know O.S.I. (shame on you!), they could easily be considered a supergroup of prog metal masters. Featuring Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater) and Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) as the two staple members, their albums have seen appearances from Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, Adrenaline Mob), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree), Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth, Bloodbath), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), and several more. With credentials like that, this is a band that practically demands notice.

I’ve personally been a fan of this band for several years. That’s why I was so excited when I heard that a new album, Fire Make Thunder, was set for release. Now that I have it, does it live up to my expectations?

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on March 19, 2012 @ 5:57pm
Category: Music / News

Stills From Storm Corrosion Drag Ropes Video Are Delightfully Creepy!

Click on images for larger size

Storm Corrosion, the long-awaited collaboration project between Porcupine Tree‘s Steven Wilson and Opeth‘s Mikael Akerfeldt will be coming out April 23rd and an official website has just been released. The site features a biography, street team information, pre-orders, and, perhaps most exciting, stills from an upcoming music video for Drag Ropes. The stills show a menacing shadow puppet theater with dark religious overtones. Check out more stills below.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on February 28, 2012 @ 8:23pm
Category: Music / News

[Interview] Jim Matheos Talks OSIs Fire Make Thunder

A band that I’ve been a big fan of for many years is OSI, which features Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater). There is something old-school, yet incredibly futuristic about their approach to prog-metal. I can’t exactly explain it, but listen to their albums and you’ll understand what I mean.

So, with great excitement, I got the opportunity to speak to Jim regarding the upcoming album Fire Make Thunder (out March 27th). We spoke about everything from the title to specific songs to how many of the sounds were created. Check out this exclusive interview below.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on February 09, 2012 @ 6:02pm
Category: Music / News

When word came that Martin Lopez quit Swedish prog-metal band Opeth, I was stunned. After all, he brought a certain sound and inventiveness that I had come to appreciate and deeply enjoy. But when I heard of his new project Soen, I immediately had high hopes. The description and influences cited were more than enough to pique my interest. This sounded like a project where Lopez could take his skills and only expand on them. And with their debut release Cognitive, Soen aims to enter the progressive metal genre in a huge way.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on January 30, 2012 @ 5:50pm
Category: Music / News

aliquidlandscapenightingaleexpresscover [Review] A Liquid Landscape Nightingale Express

I’m a sucker for alternative prog-rock. There’s just enough heaviness to satisfy the metal head in me but there is also a vast amount of tones and effects to appeal to the audiophile in me. Seriously, it’s like I’m an addict and the only cure is more interesting and unique sounds. So when I did a bit of reading and checking into A Liquid Landscape, I was immediately intrigued. They cite influences such as Dredg, Porcupine Tree, Sigur Ros, Karnivool, People In Planes, Tool, and more. Talk about an impressive roster of bands to admire, right? But anyone can claim such bands influence them. The question is can they take those influences and make a unique final product? Is Nightingale Express an album that stands on its own merits? READ MORE

[OMFG] OSI Announce New Album: Audio Samples Available

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on January 24, 2012 @ 3:16am
Category: Music / News

[OMFG] OSI Announce New Album: Audio Samples Available

HOLY CRAP! Talk about the best news I’ve heard so far this year! One of my favorite bands, OSI, is going to be releasing a new album entitled Fire Make Thunder on March 27th. They’ve already released the album artwork (above) as well as the tracklist and audio samples from the album, which you can check out below. Preorders have started here.

Formed in 2002 by Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and Kevin Moore (Dream Theater), OSI has used guest musicians to create amazing electronic influenced prog-metal. This new album will again see Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree) on drums. Gavin recorded drums for the band’s 2009′s Blood, which I highly recommend you pick up if you haven’t heard it.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on September 13, 2011 @ 6:46pm
Category: Music / News

A new Opeth album is always a mini holiday for me. When Ghost Reveries came out, I was at the store when they opened, put the CD in my car and I only stopped listening to it when I had to move it from my car stereo to my computer, whereupon I continued to blast it for the rest of the day. Honestly, I don’t think there is a Opeth song that I haven’t heard at least ten times. So hopefully by now you can understand my excitement and, also, my apprehension upon listening to Heritage. After all, it’s not that I built myself up specifically for this album. Rather, I have built myself up to the idea of Opeth for years, since I first started listening to them. So how does Heritage measure up to my expectations? Find out after the jump.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on August 23, 2011 @ 7:52pm
Category: Music / News

I first saw 3 several years ago opening up for Porcupine Tree. Immediately hooked, I saw them again on the Progressive Nation tour with Dream Theater, Opeth, and Between The Buried And Me. Their album The End Is Begun is still a favorite of mine and one that I highly recommend to people who are interested in getting into some heavy prog.

Well, the official word is out that a new 3 album, The Ghost You Gave To Me, will be coming out in early October. Queue me pitching a tent. In my backyard. God, sometimes you people disappoint me so much.

Check after the jump to hear their new single, Numbers, and make sure to head to their landing page to order a copy of their latest album.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on August 23, 2011 @ 6:52pm
Category: Music / News

One of the hardest working men in the music industry, Steven Wilson rarely, if ever, gives himself any free time. Remastering King Crimson albums, producing Opeth records, and more and more. Well, he has a new solo album coming out called Grace For Drowning. After the jump you can watch a video for the track Index, which features Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson) on drums as well as the London Session Orchestra directed by Dave Stewart.

Don’t forget, Grace For Drowning will be the first ever rock album to be released on sexy Blu-Ray video disc on September 27th.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on August 02, 2011 @ 8:13pm
Category: Music / News

Leprous is a band that you probably haven’t heard of, which is a damn shame. These guys were the backing band for Ihsahn (Emperor) for 2009 and the first half of 2010, if that gives you any clue as to how talented they are. Around since 2001 with an EP, a demo and one full-length album, the band is back with their newest release, Bilateral. Laced with heavy doses of 70’s prog rock but with a thoroughly modern twist, this album rolls up and down like a roller coaster. But is it the awesome speedy ride you crave or the disappointing kiddy ride that you have to ride with your wee young’un? Check after the jump for the answer.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on July 26, 2011 @ 9:45pm
Category: Music / News

I probably cannot put into words just how much I love Opeth. They are easily in my top 5 bands and a band that I can enjoy listening to at just about any time. So with a new album, Heritage, on the way, I’m constantly shifting in my seat in anticipation to hear what it sounds like, especially considering the progression the band has gone through in the last three albums. Well, that want has been answered as Stereogum is streaming The Devil’s Orchard, the second track on the album.

Personally, I find myself slightly dubious. I think it’s a fantastic track but it is definitely not what I was expecting. However, I’m keeping my hopes up because I think hearing this song in relation to the entire album will make a world of difference.

You can head to the above link to hear it or just head after the jump.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on July 07, 2011 @ 12:01am
Category: Music / News

Those of you who have been reading this section for a while should know by now how much I love Steven Wilson‘s work, be it as a musician in Blackfield or Porcupine Tree or as a producer. So, as a result, there is a correlation between the amount of news coming out regarding his upcoming solo album, Grace For Drowning, and the amount of excitement I feel. Well, more news has come out, this time detailing the release date and different editions of the album.

The album will be released Sept. 27th and will be the first-ever rock album released primarily as a Blu-Ray video disc, with the music playing in 5.1 surround sound and accompanying visuals and videos for each track. On top of that, there will be interactive videos showcasing the recording, mixing and mastering aspects of the album. As for the editions of the album, “For the most avid collectors, there will be a deluxe edition featuring the Blu-Ray version, 3 CDs, and a 120-page book of artwork and notes. It will also be released in vinyl and compact disc formats.”

Check after the jump for a message from Steven Wilson and some tour dates.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on June 18, 2011 @ 9:12pm
Category: Music / News

When I was sent a copy of Memories of Machines ‘Warm Winter’, I was a bit skeptical until I read the guest spots: Steven Wilson, Colin Edwin, Robert Fripp, Jim Matheos, Peter Hammill, and more. Holy prog-rock boner inducing list! Seriously, though, can you think of a guest list that gets your rocks off more than that? So, with a list like that, you can easily understand why I had quite high expectations. But were those expectations met?

Album Review: Memories Of Machines Warm Winter

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on June 09, 2011 @ 2:59pm
Category: Music / News

Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, Storm Corrosion) has opened a new website as a landing page for his upcoming solo album, Grace For Drowning. As of now, the website only has the video below, but it will obviously be updated as more news becomes available. Any of you readers as excited for this as I am?

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on June 01, 2011 @ 4:10pm
Category: Music / News

Opeth have just unveiled the album artwork for their upcoming 10th studio release Heritage. Normally, album artwork doesn’t matter to me, other than to look at it and say, “That’s cool” or “Nice design”. However, the artwork for Heritage has made me feel a little uneasy. The artwork for each of the Opeth albums has been dark and slightly sinister but was always laced with a hint of beauty, a reflection of the music. Heritage‘s artwork looks nothing like the past Opeth album covers. Instead, it looks like something Hieronymus Bosch would’ve painted had he been around in the 60′s and 70′s flower child movement. I can understand that Opeth is heavily inspired by prog-rock from that era, but I’m still unsure of what to make of it. The cover just doesn’t seem to fit with the music I’m so used to hearing. Check it out after the jump and tell me whether or not you agree. READ MORE

Opeth Releasing Heritage Sept. 20th: Produced By Steven Wilson!

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on May 26, 2011 @ 3:51pm
Category: Music / News

Swedish prog-metal masters Opeth have announced a Sept. 20th release date for their 10th studio release, Heritage. To make this news even more amazing, it’s officially announced that Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) is the producer! Opeth fans will know that Wilson produced three Opeth albums; Blackwater Park, Damnation, and Deliverance. Fans will also know that Wilson and Opeth frontman Mikael Akerfeldt are going to be releasing a project together entitled Storm Corrosion. Longtime album artist Travis Smith created the album artwork.

Mikael Akerledt weighed in on the upcoming album, “It will be our 10th album/observation. I dig it; we all do. In fact, it feels like I’ve been building up to write for and participate on an album like this since I was 19. It’s quite intense at times in some ‘old’ murky way, and quite beautiful and stark at times, if I may say so myself. It’s obvious I’m going to say nice things about it since I wrote basically the whole piece, but I guess it will raise a few eyebrows and it certainly is an acquired taste. I think you’ll need a slightly deeper understanding of our music as a whole to be able to appreciate this record. I’ve realized my influences for this album are so diverse that I can’t really say what it sounds like. If I can compare it to any other band, it would have to be Opeth, but it’s different from the stuff we’ve done before. I’ve listened a lot to Alice Cooper for the last year, yet I can’t say it sounds like ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy.’ I hope you’ll like it once you hear it.”

Check after the jump for the official track listing.

Music
Posted by JonathanBarkan on April 13, 2011 @ 5:47pm
Category: Music / News

Porcupine Tree is easily in my top three favorite bands. I remember buying ‘In Absentia‘ and playing ‘Trains‘ around 20 times before I went to the next track because it was, and still is, such an amazing and beautiful track. So imagine my surprise and delight when I saw a video of 40 YouTube users playing ‘Trains‘ mashed together into one cohesive piece. Just like Eric Whitacre’s YouTube Choir, these people come from all over the world. Enjoy below.