Storm Corrosion: Storm Corrosion 2012

 

Storm Corrosion was a musical collaboration between Swedish musician Mikael Åkerfeldt of

progressive metal band Opeth and English musician Steven Wilson of the progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. While the two have been admirers of each other's work and collaborators in the past,

MIKE AKERFELDT

with Wilson producing some of Opeth's best albums (Blackwater Park, Deliverance, Damnation) and Åkerfeldt occasionally contributing guitar on Porcupine Tree albums, it wasn't until 2010 that the two were able to begin working on original music as their new project.             

OPETH

Åkerfeldt and Wilson began a longstanding musical partnership in 2001 when Wilson produced Opeth's

fifth studio album Blackwater Park. The two began writing together for a new project in 2010, releasing their self-titled only studio album in 2012 through Roadrunner Records. A critical success, Storm

STEVEN WILSON

Corrosion was a musical shift for Åkerfeldt and Wilson. Not wanting the project to be a progressive metal supergroup, the two used it as an opportunity to explore their more esoteric tastes in music, including influences from Comus and Scott Walker.
   

PORCUPINE TREE

With neither songwriter wanting to dig too deeply into their past work for inspiration, the sound strays

away from the metal world, taking it into more spacious, ambient waters than either of their main gigs. The pair signed on with Roadrunner in 2012 and released their self-titled debut through the label later that year. No touring or live performances of the album occurred, nor were any plans for future music established, with the two instead opting to return to their respective other musical projects.
                 

After more than a year of writing, Storm Corrosion's first album was completed in September 2011. In

February 2012, it was announced that the collaboration had signed with Roadrunner Records and that their album would be self-titled and released on 24 April. The end product is something altogether different from what fans of either band might expect, moving away from the rock and metal of the pair's main gigs in favor of a more flowing and expansive folk-touched sound.
               

These spacious musical boundaries give the album a beautiful, dreamlike feeling as it drifts from track

to track with a measured pace that shows off the highly refined songwriting ability being put to use on the record.
                

Given the nature of their earlier collaborations, fans diving into Storm Corrosion expecting a sequel to

Blackwater Park are going to be disappointed as they unexpectedly hit the shallow end of the pool, but even though the album doesn't sound much like the metal masterpiece, that doesn't make it unworthy of a listener's attention, and anyone open-minded enough to approach the project without any expectations will be quickly swept off into the spacious perennial twilight created by these two master craftsmen.
            

The Album starts with Dark Ropes which is full of grotesque depictions intertwined with bitter-sweet

instrumental moments of anticipation which makes your heart pulsating in your throat. Wilson's voice sounds there like an evil witch, while Akerfeldt's is like judge bringing sinister conclusion. Utterly beautiful pastoral beginning of the title track is sensitively and slowly destructed, transformed to the scary dissonant tale, giving us light again with Akerfeldt's typical classical guitar licks.
            

Wilson's psychopathic voice and romantic atmosphere recalling Hours of Wealth from Ghost Reveries end the track. Steady pulse of gloom and foggy perspectives with Wilson's isolated voice and piano of

Hag turn into short mess which resembles Opeth's Heritage. Happy, where Wilson leads again, forming anxiety to which the light in the end in the tunnel is injected. Colors of hope implode into the space of grey swamps and taking us out of the maze. Wilson's Insurgentes's coldness meet Opeth's acoustic beauty.
                      

Rush in the dark forest for survival - that is the vision which recalls me amazing instrumental ride Lock

Howl. Nervous rhythm created by guitar strings leads the track among rich and wonderful melodic textures. Otherworldly closing piece Ljudet Innan starts with Akerfeldt's colossal high-pitched vocals unheard before. Darkness falls, sky parts away, stars shine, and you are engulfed into space, to the brightness of infinite scale of the Milky way.
                        

Guitars sounding like seagulls accompany you on the way. Pure tranquillity, serenity. Theme fluently

progresses to a part recalling hangover and burn-out with Wilson handing over the lead voice. Final solo - majestic, but humble in the same time, lifts again heavenly atmosphere. It is one of the most touching moments of Akerfeldt on guitar ever. Nostalgic, sorrowful, but hopeful. 

                  

Storm Corrosion – Storm Corrosion
Label: Roadrunner Records – 1686-176452
Format: CD, Album, Stereo
Country: Canada
Released: 2012
Genre: Non-Music, Classical
Style: Dark Ambient, Experimental, Avantgarde,  Folk, Progressive

TRACKS

            

01. Drag Ropes   9:52
Arranged By [Strings] – Steven Wilson
Strings – The London Session Orchestra
02. Storm Corrosion   10:12
Arranged By [Strings] – Dave Stewart
Strings – The London Session Orchestra
03. Hag    6:28
04. Happy    4:53
05. Lock Howl   6:09
Arranged By [Strings] – Dave Stewart
Strings – The London Session Orchestra
06. Ljudet Innan    10:20

STORM CORROSION

Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
Steven Wilson – vocals, keyboards, string arrangements

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS

Gavin Harrison – drums, percussion
Ben Castle – woodwind
The London Session Orchestra – orchestral performance - (1), (2) and (5)
Conducted by Dave Stewart

 Flac Size: 247 MB