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STORM CORROSION

Storm Corrosion

Eclectic Prog


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Storm Corrosion Storm Corrosion album cover
3.82 | 491 ratings | 30 reviews | 30% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
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Studio Album, released in 2012

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Drag Ropes (9:52)
2. Storm Corrosion (10:09)
3. Hag (6:28)
4. Happy (4:54)
5. Lock Howl (6:10)
6. Ljudet innan (10:20)

Total Time 47:53

Line-up / Musicians

- Mikael Åkerfeldt / guitars, vocals, co-producer
- Steven Wilson / keyboards, vocals, strings arrangements (1), co-producer

With:
- Ben Castle / woodwinds
- Gavin Harrison / drums & percussion
- Dave Stewart / strings arrangements (2,5)
- London Session Orchestra / strings (1,2,5)

Releases information

Artwork: Hans Arnold with Carl Glover (design)

CD Roadrunner Records ‎- RR7645-2 (2012, Europe)

2LP Roadrunner Records ‎- 1686-176451 (2012, US)

Thanks to Epignosis for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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STORM CORROSION Storm Corrosion ratings distribution


3.82
(491 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(30%)
30%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(37%)
37%
Good, but non-essential (20%)
20%
Collectors/fans only (9%)
9%
Poor. Only for completionists (4%)
4%

STORM CORROSION Storm Corrosion reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Epignosis
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
2 stars Had Talk Talk and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez collaborated on King Crimson's A Scarcity of Miracles, they might have made an album similar to this. The album has interesting moments, but is drearily boring most of the time, especially during the second half. This music is for those who enjoy avant-folk with symphonic and jazz elements, but don't mind waiting around for things to happen. I cannot see fans of Opeth or Porcupine Tree appreciating this as much as they might hope to; it lacks energy, and in many places could be the soundtrack for a B-horror film.

"Drag Ropes" Storm Corrosion begins in a cinematic way, with dark strings, piano, and Mikael Åkerfeldt's soft voice. Steven Wilson's vocal additions are hypnotic and cool, especially right before a flute-like passage. The middle section consists of a Gentle Giant vocal array. The strings are well done. The last passage is an acoustic part with both men singing in an unsettling nature over other disquieting instrumentation.

"Storm Corrosion" Opening with a storm and woodwind, the title track is the most pleasant aspect of the album. The classical guitar that fades in is quite wonderful and comforting. Wilson sings well here. The clean guitar is country-like and much welcome, as is the middle section with its percussion and keyboards. It develops unsettling keyboards and sounds for a while like a bad horror soundtrack.

"Hag" Despite two distinct parts, this sounds like a Steven Wilson entry on a Porcupine Tree album. It is depression, slow-moving, and has Mellotron-like sounds.

"Happy" Ironically titled perhaps, this song is dreary and has depressing vocals in harmony.

"Lock Howl" A long tone opens this, over which an acoustic guitar run falls. The middle passage is very much like Grace for Drowning, yet what comes after is just noise. The acoustic guitar aspect is the most endearing part.

"Ljudet Innan" Falsetto vocal and quavering electric piano begin the final track. The cinematic element here, with the choir and piano is the most moving aspect. It is lovely and symphonic, if still bleak. The guitar work thereafter is well-performed but has far, far too much reverb. There is a singing passage thereafter by Wilson, but it is lifeless, as much of this album is. The subsequent guitar solo is more interesting.

Review by octopus-4
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams
4 stars Opeth+Porcupine Tree=King Crimson

This strange equation comes to mind just few minutes after starting to listen to STORM CORROSION. Since from the first track the connection to KC is more than just an impression. The sounds, the textures, everything says KC. "Drag Ropes" has unexpected connections with the work of the Italians AKT who are used to KC covers. Also the classic guitar close to the end of the song seems crying the name of Fripp.

The title track starts with a keyboard's flute. Before the classical guitar joins it could be Stravinskij. The song is slow. The first impression is of a PT song, but the Opeth imprinting is present as well. The electric guitar, likely overdubbed, would have sounded Floydian with just a bit more of sustain. It's a great song good for every taste which changes mood in the second part becoming unexpectedly darker. I see the first part as the sensation of quietness just before sleeping, then you fall into a dream that becomes slightly bad. The dark part reminds to the Hell side of Vangelis H&H. Then it comes back to the initial theme to close.

"Hag" has chaotic parts, borderline with avant specially in the middle section when the drums take the ownership of the song. Before and after it's a slow and atmospheric song, still with connections with KC but more bluesy. It proceeds very smoothly until minute 4 when the chaotic part arrives and goes as suddenly as it came.

Acoustic guitar and voice start the shortest song of the album. For the chords and the vocals I think to Robert Wyatt solo works. A very complex song even if short. The bluesy guitar in the second part of the song has made me think to Peter Green, while the noisy final has an avant flavor.

The eclectism is manifest on "Lock Howl". A long repetitive intro sets up a hypnotic environment. Here I can catch elements of both Opeth and PT on the respective instruments. After 3 minutes it looses the melodic part and becomes quite psychedelic. The middle part of Interstellar Overdrive comes to my mind, then the acoustic guitar restarts giving the tempo as in the first minutes. It's a very interesting track with a lot of contents. The sudden closure is a kick on your balls while you are sleeping. A hateful end for a good track.

The falsetto on "Ljudet Innan"(will sound before) reminds again to Robert Wyatt. It's followed by 5 minutes of peaceful keyboards which lead to a soft bluesy tune. The atmosphere is now jazz when the singing restarts. Slow jazz and falsetto can't not remind to Wyatt again. The song proceeds alternating several parts until the end. The only element of continuity is a piano note always identical.

It's not a very easy album, even if people familiar with a certain kind of music could think differently, but it's an excellent album to which I give 4 stars. Don't look for Opeth or Porcupine Tree. This is different from both.

Review by EatThatPhonebook
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars 7/10

An ambitious, bold gathering of experiments assembled by two of the greatest minds of Modern Prog.

Storm Corrosion is a project started in 2010 by legendary musicians Steven Wilson, leader of Porcupine Tree, and Mikael Akerfeldt, leader of Opeth. Their self-titled debut album got released two years after that. In this gap of time, fans of both bands waited for this LP anxiously; but when the album did get released, some ended up being disappointed, others on the other hand were really satisfied, as I was.

What many knew about Storm Corrosion, before the album was released, was that it was going to be, according to the words of the musicians, something the two Progheads had never accomplished before in studio; a tribute to the more obscure bands of golden-aged Progressive Rock. And that is exactly what we get: it's an album of relaxed and calm atmosphere, with a good deal of mellotron, almost no percussion whatsoever, creepy tremolo strings, acoustic guitars, flutes, and keyboards, especially. Some of these instruments shape the music into a somewhat Ambient form, other times, something more like into Prog Folk form. In any way, the music is always calm, with a whole variety of emotions poured into the notes, from fear, to peacefulness.

Each song has a great characteristic to it, and they all remind, in a way, of those old bands of the seventies that didn't gain as much attention as they should have.However, there simply is no specific band or style the project is aiming for. Among the strongest tracks, the single 'Drag Ropes', which also opens the curtains to the show, is the closest thing to Steven Wilson's typical style: it's not as intimate and shockingly different as the other tracks, but it still is a huge, noticeable change, for both the musicians. The track is beautifully layered by various instruments, including mellotron, synths, keys, acoustic guitars and other curiosities, and its flow feels very natural, despite its length. It is with the other songs though where things get really odd: the title track has this amazingly intimate guitar section where Wilson's voice gently contributes to the atmosphere, however, the song gets a bit of a twist when a strange, creepy wall of sound, of what seems to be strings, hypnotizes the listener effectively. After these two songs, the overall tones are much more calm and peaceful, like in the final track 'Ljudet Linnan', sung mostly by Akerfeldt, where keyboards and guitars blend into this warm, cozy aura. Some sparks of sinisterness can still be heard in the dead center of the album, but they are rare and sparse.

The biggest issue I have with Storm Corrosion's debut (the only one issue really, but it's one I simply can't ignore) is its structure and overall flow: it seems that the LP starts in one way, continues in another, and ends in another one again, without there being any sense of roundness or completeness. It's like if a few, mini albums were contained in one album. The songs don't communicate with one another, like an unfriendly neighborhood would do, where nobody says hi to anybody: they simply don't connect.

Besides this, Storm Corrosion is a brave collection of experiments on behalf of this ambitious project, which turned out to be surprisingly successful in my eyes, despite the skepticism I felt for it at first. The songs themselves are memorable, very well executed, and emotional, even though there is not much of a comprehensive structure. This is however a band people should keep an eye on, especially prog fans.

Review by VanVanVan
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars Whatever you think this album will be, it isn't. Upon hearing that this eponymous debut from Storm Corrosion is a collaboration between Opeth frontman Mikael Akerfeldt and Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson, you might be tempted to imagine that this will sound like some kind of combination of the two bands. It doesn't. It doesn't sound like anything PT or Opeth have ever done; it doesn't sound like Heritage and it doesn't even sound like Grace For Drowning, despite being the third part of the unofficial trilogy made up by those two albums and this one.

That said, in my opinion it's the best of them. This is the kind of album that takes the listener on a voyage, that you just want to put on a nice stereo system and close your eyes and let the music carry you away. It actually reminds me quite a bit of Talk Talk, not necessarily in how it actually sounds but just in how exquisitely it's put together. With the exception of one exceedingly minor blip (more on that later), every track feels perfectly composed and paced, with 10 minute songs that seem to pass in the blink of an eye and gorgeous soundscapes that feel like portals to other worlds. Opeth or Porcupine this may not be, but if you're willing to let this album speak for itself then I think you'll find it has a lot to say.

"Drag Ropes" starts off on an almost minimalist note, with orchestral, slowly alternating chords providing background for Mikael Akerfeldt's precisely delivered clean vocals. It isn't long before Steven Wilson adds his voice to the mix as well, and the music is elaborated upon for a while before Wilson begins a repeating sort of vocal mantra. This slowly fades out, and an instrumental section begins with gorgeous piano and orchestration. "Drag Ropes" is utterly and completely different than anything Wilson or Akerfeldt has done before, but it's also utterly beautiful and features some of the most powerful and moving music either of the two has ever recorded even if it is in a more atmospheric vein than the metal for which the two have been more known in recent times. "Drag Ropes" is an amazing opener and a clear demarcation separating Storm Corrosion from Opeth or Porcupine Tree.

The title track is quite beautiful as well, featuring an acoustic guitar part as well as some winds along with delicate vocals courtesy of Wilson. The overall effect reminds me quite strongly of, of all people, Nick Drake, with soft delivery and folky atmosphere reminding quite strongly of the late Mr. Drake's work. Listening to this track, you really get a feel for how excellent and subtle a vocalist Steven Wilson can be, a facet of his musicianship which has perhaps been overlooked in the past. Additionally, while this is miles and miles away from anything Opeth has ever done, one can definitely hear the Mikael Akerfeldt stamp on the guitar part, which brings a strange and ever so faint sense of familiarity to the track. Lest the listener become too comfortable, however, at about the six minute mark the track switches gears, morphing and devolving into an almost ambient piece, replete with low dronings and vaguely atnonal atmospheres. From this sonic miasma, however, a guitar part reappears, and as it retakes center stage Wilson's vocals reappear as well. They last only briefly, however, and the track ends with gorgeous, folky instrumental melodies that give way to a brief, almost abrasive soundscape before the track fades away completely.

"Hag" begins in a very minimalist vein as well, with some very spare guitar and keyboards creating a mysterious soundscape behind extremely delicate vocals from Mr. Wilson. The track takes on a heavier tone as it progresses, developing an almost industrial sound in its final minutes. Nonetheless, it is far more concerned with atmosphere than with instrumental gymnastics, and the ambiences it does create are spectacular, haunting and beautiful all in one. Wilson's vocals, of course, are perfect for this kind of music; they're ethereal and shimmering and they enhance the atmosphere perfectly without distracting from it.

"Happy" is anything but, coming off as more unsettling than anything. With ominous, almost creepy keyboard and guitar parts and the familiar, ghostly vocal stylings of Steven Wilson, "Happy" comes off equal parts horror movie soundtrack and ambient-folk song. Despite being the shortest song on the album, it's one of the best, exquisitely composed and executed and making use of one of the widest sonic palettes this side of Talk Talk. Excellent, beautiful, disturbing stuff.

"Lock Howl" follows in a similar vein, though it's a bit more melodic than "Happy," with a picked guitar part backed perfectly by orchestral sounds and keyboards. A fully instrumental track, parts of it sound like they could have come off of Grace For Drowning, and it's probably the album's most approachable number, though a bizarre, dissonant ambient section in the middle keeps it from being too easy a listen. Nonetheless, it's definitely the easiest to digest, and fans of Grace For Drowning should find it quite enjoyable, though in my opinion it comes off as a bit of a weak link (especially in the second half). It's not that there's even anything really wrong with it, it just doesn't seem as perfect as the rest of the album, which is a pretty darn nit-picky complaint.

"Ljudet Innan," on the other hand, is anything but easy to digest. It's also one of the album's strongest tracks, in my opinion, with beautifully spare orchestrated soundscapes and some truly otherworldly vocals from Mr. Akerfeldt. The real highlight of the track, though, is the beautifully restrained guitar part that glides in halfway through the track. It's jazzy but at the same time incredibly relaxed, providing a perfect focal point amid the gorgeous ambience of the rest of the music. When Wilson's vocals come in after this, the track ratchets up another level towards nirvana, and by the time the closing strains of the track fade out the listener is left with a palpable sense of peace, a testament to the powerful atmosphere this track is able to conjur up.

Overall, this is a nearly flawless album. While the (in my opinion) slight comparative weakness of "Lock Howl" keeps it from attaining perfect masterpiece status in my eyes, this is nonetheless a stunning album and one that contains some of the finest work Wilson or Akerfeldt have ever put forward. If you are expecting this to sound like Opeth or Porcupine Tree or even some combination of the two, look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a beautiful, otherworldly trip then this is the album for you. I suspect this one will end up on more than one end of the year top-list, and I'm certain that it will end up on mine.

4.5/5, rounded up

Review by Evolver
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams
4 stars I have been no big fanboy of eirther Steven Wilson or Mikael Akerfeldt. Occasionally, a Porcupine Tree album gets through to me, and I find that I like Opeth on the few occasions when Akerfeldt isn't growling. I actually love the "Heritage" album. But I had no high hopes for this album.

Was I surprised.

The album is low key, somewhat acoustic, and very enjoyable. Akerfeldt's guitar is light but complex, and Wilson's keyboards accompy them perfectly. In fact, much of the album has a folky feel to it, as if we were hearing Simon & Garfunkel's evil counterparts.

The opening track Drag Ropes is the best of the lot. In many ways it sounds like a continuation of the "Heritage" album. It is dark and lush, with vocals that sound a bit like Gentle Giant, but more like Neil Morse's imitation. But still great.

I find that I just cannot resist playing this album over and over.

Review by Zitro
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars A collaboration of two of the most celebrated men in modern progressive music that avoids being a safe album that simply blends their styles together. Instead, Storm Corrosion is a highly inventive and unique album, which is hard to accomplish in this new age of music where experimental music is thriving thanks to the internet. The album is highly minimalistic with scarse use of percussion. It has eerie overtones and a healthy mix of the pleasant and the abstract.

"Drag Ropes" is the 10 minute single released as a very effective video using shadow puppets. The first half of the track relies on symphonic elements where they mesh really well with the enchanting acoustic guitar playing from Mikael. The menacing piano and jazzy percussion build tension as the string instruments get more developed. An abrupt change to a creepy acapella with a highly memorable repeated line "and the truth will now be told on manifold" from Wilson is so brilliant and unique that I can only think of Mozart's Requiem as a possible influence. Heavy choir mellotron and an disturbing, angular bass guitar riff work perfectly with Wilson's repeated chant. This is followed by a very dense melancholic section with heavy use of strings and piano which also features a heart-wrenching electric guitar solo. Earlier themes are brought back as the protagonist who lost his pagan wife to religion burns down the church.

"Storm Corrosion" is another favorite of mine as I can imagine the protagonist sadly walking through the forest during a rainy night. Beautiful flute intro is followed by vulnerable acoustic guitars and crooning. The latter half of the song has an elevated ritualistic-sounding section that gets enveloped by a horrific wall of white noise, only to end with a melancholic sound. I can only imagine the protagonist joining the pagan group from the music video during a ritual and getting spotted by a group with hostile intentions.

"Hag" unfortunately is dragged down by descending lullaby over an extended period of time, hurting the emotional impact of the piece. Once a waltz-like beat is introduced after a brief piano&vocal section, the atmosphere gets dense and the music interesting, with haunting vocalizations and an aggressive scene with distorted percussion. The boring descending lullaby ends the piece. Honestly, the demo version expands the climax and leaves a stronger impression on me.

"Happy" is another track that I don't fully understand. It is a very simple, if haunting, acoustic track with silence in the middle. It ends with some effective dissonance.

"Lock Howl" is a much stronger instrumental piece and somewhat upbeat. The piece builds upon an acoustic guitar rhythm, developing into a quite hypnotic arrangement. A bizarre psychedelic turn hits hard and is one of the more interesting parts of the album.

"Ljudet Innan" begins with Mikael's falsetto which is something many of us listeners didn't expect he was capable of doing. The rest of the piece is mostly instrumental and minimalistic with a strong new age feel on the first half, and a jazzier approach on the second half. Very strong finish to the album.

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars The anticipation for this album started to build the minute we heard that Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt were going to make an record together. Over time we would get little comments from Steven about how this recording would be completely different from anything either of them had been a part of in the past music-wise. When they got together to record they talked about Scott Walker albums like "Tilt" and "The Drift" along with Electronic bands like KRAFTWERK and TANGERINE DREAM. They would watch a movie together before they went into the studio from Steven's collection and they were mostly odd and experimental European movies and horror movies. And this album really is like a movie for the mind. They decided right away that they wanted an earthy sound so lots of acoustic guitar, electric piano and mellotron, lots of mellotron. One of Akerfeldt's all-time favourite albums is COMUS' "First Utterance" and that Acid Folk vibe is strong here. Drums took a back seat even though they had one of the best drummers in the world in Gavin Harrison at their disposal. Mostly cymbals can be heard but certainly it's about keeping a beat and little more. Dave Stewart was brought in to arrange the strings on "Lock Howl" while Steven aranged them on "Drag Ropes". The LONDON SESSION ORCHESTRA performed them, even the often out of tune parts that Wilson insisted upon. Steven says doing this album was almost like "retreating back to an organic pagan minimalism."

There are only six tracks and things get started with "Drag Ropes" a haunting and dark piece with Akerfeldt on vocals. He sings in a reserved manner. A brief ray of light as it were 2 1/2 minutes in with some harmonies. Piano a minute later. A GENTLE GIANT-like vocal arrangement 5 minutes in then the mellotron storms in. The cymbals and fast paced vocals sound great but the "Damnation"-like guitar with strings that follow sound even better. Vocals are back before 8 1/2 minutes. "Storm Corrosion" was the one song I loved right from the first listen. Mellotron as acoustic guitar comes in. Reserved vocals (Wilson) join in. So beautiful. Some tasteful electric guitar before 3 minutes. The strings and vocal melodies are gorgeous. Drums and a fuller sound 5 1/2 minutes in. A haunting calm after 6 minutes. Then we get this disturbing and eerie intensity that builds until just after 8 minutes before it turns beautiful again.

"Hag" is bleak with sparse sounds and a dark mood as Wilson sings almost with spoken words. Mellotron and a beat as the guitar also joins in then piano. it kicks in hard before 4 1/2 minutes and check out Harrison ! It settles back a minute later with vocals. "Happy" opens with gentle guitar and reserved vocals (Wilson). It turns haunting when the vocals stop. Vocal melodies before 2 1/2 minutes then the vocals with acoustic guitar return. "Lock Howl" is haunting as sounds build until 3 minutes in then it kicks in with handclaps and mellotron. Groovy stuff. We get drums and piano too. A haunting calm 4 minutes in then it builds again. Great track ! "Ljudet Innan" means "Anciient Music" in Swedish. It opens with 1 1/2 minutes of high pitched vocals then the mellotron floods in. It turns so heavenly after 4 minutes. A change after 5 minutes as tasteful electric guitar comes in. Then reserved vocals before 6 1/2 minutes. Mellotron and guitar after 8 minutes when the vocals stop.

I think it's stretching it a bit to say they've created something new here musically but they have taken each of their different musical influences and created something a little different that has their DNA all over it. They've maybe opened a new musical portal that is surreal, dark, atmospheric, disturbing, haunting and yet beautiful. Akerfeldt mentioned in an interview that listening to this on 5.1 sound blew him away. Hearing things he didn't hear before. This is an amazing headphone album.

Review by AtomicCrimsonRush
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Expect the unexpected...

Storm Corrosion is the culmination of prog legends Mikael Akerfeldt on guitars and vocals, and of course Steven Wilson on keyboards and vocals. They are joined by Porcupine Tree's Gavin Harrison on drums, and most notably Ben Castle on woodwinds. The flute in particular really makes the album feel like a kind of avant folk journey. Most of the album is surprisingly ambient and serene, beautiful and dreamy. I expected at least some metal but Akerfeldt holds back and injects his blend of acoustics and soft vocals. A song like 'Storm Corrosion' perhaps would not belong on an Opeth, or Porcupine Tree, but here it is mesmirising and soaked in Mellotron as is most of the album. The album has a kind of pastoral psych feel and is acoustic to the max with acid folk nuances. It will take some time to get into for all these reasons, but I really thought it would have more to recommend it than just an organic minimalist acid folk approach. It is a totally unexpected gentle soundscape throughout and did not resonate with me.

There are some rather odd tracks here such as 'Drag Ropes' that even has some Gentle Giant harmonies a cappela style thrown in. The tracks are rather lengthy and complex, with 3 clocking around 10 minutes. The atmospheres are rather bleak at times such as on the 6 minute mark of the title track that is discordant. The ominous music is as dark as Wilson's latest solo "Grace For Drowning" or any number of Opeth albums. There is a sadness or melancholica to the album, though I am not sure of what the songs actually mean, nor does Akerfeldt apparently. I can guess they involve coping with loss or death, ghostly apparitions, or feeling empty due to tragic circumstances. None of it is uplifting but focusses on depression and the extreme end of disturbing emotions.

The feature in Issue 25, April 2012, Prog Magazine clarifies a few things. The album is described as "a sprawling, amorphous journey through fragile but foreboding soundscapes that takes in everything from elegiac acoustic folk and shimmering shadow shrouded psychedelia through to bursts of disorientating noise and scything swathes of diaphanous orchestral horror". Well after that outburst of poetic alliteration, the article settles down and we hear from the mouths of the protagonists themselves. Wilson says, "there's a lot of inspiration from ghost stories, and by that I mean quite classical, old ideas, like witchfinder generals and hauntings, and that's all in the music too." He goes on to state they were influenced by their muses Scott Walker, notably the grotesque "The Drift", Radiohead and Comus so little wonder this is disturbing and bleak. Akerfeldt states, "you really have to sit down and listen to it properly on your own" otherwise it "is going to pass like elevator muzak."

The music is designed to evoke an emotional response that a listener will personally elicit from their experience. 'Hag' is extemely quiet for most of it and sounds sad and ethereal in places. This is as quiet as I have heard from these two prog masters. The mellotron on this is very organic, swathes of ambience and a lonely piano accompany Wilson's high register soft delivery. This is one of the gentlest songs but still has ominous overtones due to the odd melody. I like the weird buzzing wasp synths at the end and distorted guitar with tortured manic percussion that really punches a hole in the silence. Harrison stated that, "I was thinking about a kind of Christian Vander vibe." It is a dark sound and grinds with some ghostly effects before it settles down with flute like the calm after a storm. The sound of canned laughter is derisive but effective too like voices in the head.

'Happy' follows, and I was hoping for some kind of rhythm to lock into after all the melancholy previously. It begins acoustically with Wilson's gentle longing vocals. It sounds anything but happy until we get to the more upbeat section at 2 and a half minutes in. The vocals are consistently soft, not a shred of growling here, and it tends to build into musical shapes that evoke melancholy feelings and ghostly weirdness abounds. This is extremely low key, with minimalism and gentle feather touches on instruments. The somnolent music feels like a half awake state, druggish and profoundly bleak.

'Lock Howl' continues the otherworldly atmosphere, and I love the acoustic rhythms on this in 6/3, definitely welcome after the last track. This has a cinematic feel and almost is like a soundtrack to some ghost story, purely beautiful but with dark overtones. The instrumental moves along lucidly with Mellotron and ominous bass, and the end feels like a classical music piece.

'Ljudet Innan', which is Swedish for 'ancient music', closes the album with a 10:20 mini epic, beginning with quiet atmospheres, and nice reverberating keyboard chimes. The very high register vocals are surprising, and it builds to shadowy dead silence. Gradually a sound emanates with spacey cosmic nuances and grows in volume, reminding me of the clandestine mysteries of "2001: A Space Odyssey". This is dreamscape ambience and is akin to Tangerine Dream in places. It breaks eventually into a gentle rhythm and gorgeous keyboard reverbs. Akerfeldt finally begins a delightful guitar solo but this almost sent me to sleep, it is so dreamy.

With these two colossal prog giants colliding I was expecting a masterful cataclysm of prog genius. I didn't get it. Instead we have a very ethereal gentle dark, at times downright depressing and disturbing, journey into a world that only Akerfeldt and Wilson could inhabit. This is almost lulling me to sleep, not that it is a bad album, but I was surprised at how melancholy it was and minimalist. I think this will surprise many listeners too, perhaps even disappoint. Don't expect a shred of metal, and don't expect the genius of Porcupine Tree, as it is not here. Instead this is a very personal journey, the band are not interested in their past glories at all, they are not interested in reproducing any of their previous work, or pleasing their huge fanbase; this is entirely a different beast. Not a dreadful mess but no masterpiece despite what you might have heard; I was slightly disappointed as nothing here jumps out to recommend, rather it is just a soft atmospheric bleak story that concerns, I later learnt, someone who lost his wife to a pagan religion so he burns down a church, of which I have little interest as I don't want to focus on such things. I will stick to Opeth and Porcupine Tree in future.

Review by Conor Fynes
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars 'Storm Corrosion' - Storm Corrosion (7/10)

I can't think of too many albums that have inspired such anticipation in me. I mean, Wintersun's "Time" had been pretty big on the excitement, but even then, it felt like a remote dream before it actually met a release date this past October. When the collaboration between Steven Wilson, Mikael Akerfeldt and Mike Portnoy was introduced years back, it was like a dream come true. Even when Portnoy ducked out, it was still an immensely exciting prospect to hear two of my musical heroes come together in an equal partnership. Now that it's out, it's been getting a pretty mixed reception, and there's no wondering why. Even for fans of Porcupine Tree and Opeth, Storm Corrosion's challenging take on prog is more parts ambient than rock. Although this project's self-titled debut ranks among the most unique things I've heard in 2012, not all of Wilson/Akerfeldt's musical experiments are successful. In any case, it's exciting to hear two of progressive rock's most iconic modern figures combining their distinctive sounds. The result doesn't match up to the sum of its parts as we may have hoped, but "Storm Corrosion" showcases both musicians treading into territory they're not entirely comfortable with, and that makes it an essential listen for fans of either.

From the beginning, Storm Corrosion makes good on their promise that this album will be unlike what either artist had done before. For one, there is almost no presence of a metal or even rock sound. To an extent, "Storm Corrosion" is a progressive rock album that extracts and discards much of the rock rhythms and distortion you might hear even on the classic prog records. Like Van der Graaf Generator, Storm Corrosion largely eschews use of the electric guitar, instead favouring use of keyboards. An atmospheric strings section and subtle acoustic guitar work also play significant roles in Storm Corrosion's sound. Also notable is the conscious scarcity of percussion throughout the album. Although Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison is listed here, there's none of his signature precision and technical flair. Instead, what definitive rhythms that are offered here are extremely minimalistic. Harrison gets a few seconds to spread his wings and assault the kit towards the end of "Hag", but for the most part, Storm Corrosion makes music that upholds texture and timbre above all else.

For those familiar with both Wilson and Akerfeldt's work, it shouldn't take much detective work to figure out who wrote particular ideas. Each musician has a very particular and oft- imitated style, and both sounds are showcased in equal proportion on "Storm Corrosion". Although the string arrangements, melodies and overarching song structures bear the signature of Wilson, Akerfeldt's immediately distinctive acoustic fingerpicking is fresh from the Opeth brewing barrel. Storm Corrosion passes me as a cross between jazz fusion and the dissonance of 20th century neoclassical music. The production and sonic scope of the record is par for Wilson. Like just about everything else he's touched over the past ten years, 'Storm Corrosion' enjoys a vast soundscape that favours higher-end stereos. Although most of the album sticks within a fairly ambient range, the atmosphere is haunting and the arrangement is surprisingly deep. Particularly on the opener 'Drag Ropes' and epic title track, a great part of the joy comes from the textures Wilson and Akerfeldt choose to present the compositions. Unfortunately, although the title track of 'Storm Corrosion' is as beautifully written as anything in Porcupine Tree's catalogue, most of these tracks feel as if they could have used some adhesive. Perhaps it's intrinsic to the style they chose, but some focus and added dynamic could have made the Storm Corrosion project more interesting. As it is, the album's bound to leave a holistic impression, but there are few ideas here that really stand out.

Although I had hoped for a more natural mix of their two styles, Storm Corrosion's style is fresh and even unique. This isn't the ultimate progressive masterpiece that I reckon fans (including myself) were looking forward to, but there's no disappointment here. "Storm Corrosion" is a memorable, haunting ambient journey, taking both Wilson and Akerfeldt down a darker path than either has been before. It's great to accompany these two visionaries as they explore fresh territory with their music, but the mellow, film score-esque style should alienate a fair portion of each musician's fanbase. Storm Corrosion presents more depth and challenge to the sound that the band's ambient frame would suggest, and if you're able to look past the disappointment of its context as an artistic combination of two of progressive music's greatest forces, "Storm Corrosion" makes for a pleasant, albeit heady listen.

Review by UMUR
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars "Storm Corrosion" is the self-titled debut full-length studio album by UK/Swedish progressive rock act Storm Corrosion. The album was released through Roadrunner Records in May 2012. Storm Corrosion is a project featuring Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree...among others) and Mikael Åkerfelt of Opeth. Two household names on today´s progressive rock and metal scene. They´ve long spoken of creating something together and apparently they found time in their incredibly busy scedules to get together to write and record this album. Well it´s been under way for a while, as the two musicians actually already starting writing material for the album in 2010.

It´s hard to know what to expect when two such prolific musicians and incredibly creative people put their heads together, but after listening to "Storm Corrosion", I think the pieces come together in a way, that leaves no doubt who are behind the project. There´s nothing remotely resembling metal on the album, but Mikael Åkerfelt´s presence and touch are still felt. The music is however closer in style to some of Steven Wilson´s more atmospheric and ambient projects, but with a folky acoustic guitar often popping up. There are few sections with percussion and even fewer with "real" drums (played by Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree). Mellotron and the above mentioned acoustic guitar are the prominent instruments on the album (and other analogue sounding keyboards). And of course vocals, which are predominantly delivered by Steven Wilson.

The sound production is warm, organic and detailed. As professional as you would expect when we´re dealing with these two guys.

The songwriting however is a bit patchy. Sometimes the different sections that are put together to form the tracks work well, but sometimes it does seem a bit forced. Like the two guys have been writing ideas on their own, and only put them together when they met up to record the album. I suspect I´m right at least some of the way. If you take into account under which circumstances the album was probably created, it´s still a really great and nicely atmospheric progressive rock album, definitely worth a listen now an again. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is fully deserved.

Review by Prog Leviathan
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars For fans of modern prog, a feature-length collaboration between Mikael Åkerfeldt and Steven Wilson seems like a dream come true. Each has been a mainstay of the metal/art/prog rock scene for more than a decade. Between them there are literally dozens of exemplary music to enjoy. As a fan, it's not so much a question as to whether or not it will be appealing, but rather: what the heck will the album sound like? Åkerfeldt and Wilson are very eclectic, especially in there more recent offerings, though each musician's reputation for creating dark pieces is probably a safe bet on the tone that Storm Corrosion will take.

And dark it is; and hauntingly beautiful, and cryptic, and subtle, restrained, and provocative. Storm Corrosion will turn off many listeners because of its torpid, structure less nature and fragile tones that seem to make no pretense towards hooks or memorability. Instead, Åkerfeldt and Wilson let the careful listener revel in emotional soundscapes that drift by melodically, usually acoustically, and always with more than a hint of menace.

The opening is a haunting blend of keyboards and vocal textures, telling the tale of a hangman bidding farewell to his victim. It's a challenging opener with a lot going on; it's also one of the few tracks that resemble a "normal" song, in the sense that it seems more present than the songs that follow. Here we're given many acoustic and electric guitar textures and counter rhythms, yes somewhat Crimson-esque, though distinctly more relaxed and sinister. The vocal interplay between Åkerfeldt and Wilson is also reminiscent of Gentle Giant, though again, much more evil than you may expect.

The title track is a gorgeous. Soft guitar strumming, flute tones, and Wilson's evocative singing. This was the first moment in the album that the lyrics really grabbed me. Check this out: "In his silence the storm corrodes. Passed on the second hand slips outwards. Born in the curve the song drips endless." Beautiful and strange and poetic. The song takes a serious shift halfway through, transforming into a hellish experimentation of dissonant chords. Normal listeners will probably turn off the album at this point... it just made me want to listen more.

"Hag" is a somber and threatening song carried by mellotron and bottom-heavy riffing. It sounds close to Opeth's recent releases (which is a very good thing), "Happy" follows up in much the same manner. We're given an upbeat and tension-filled instrumental with "Lock Howl," which builds nicely and makes a fitting climax to the album.

The closer, "Ljudet Innan" is a slow-paced, tender song that lets the listener drift off to subtle tones and chords that throbs to a meditative conclusion.

Overall, I enjoyed Storm Corrosion quite a bit. It took several listens to get there, and only with headphones and a quite space could I really hear what Åkerfeldt and Wilson are striving for here. It's not a knock-out, but it is a beautiful and perilous experiment that gives these two musicians a chance to show us something new to enjoy, though it is very much informed by they're individual tendency towards dark and emotional music.

Highly recommended for fans of theirs, but also for listeners interested in something soft and subtle and highly artistic, though also with an edge of nightmare. In the end, it's neither the song nor the playing that I walked away enjoying the most, but rather the experience.

Songwriting: 3 - Instrumental Performances: 3 - Lyrics/Vocals: 4 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 4

Review by TCat
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
4 stars What do you expect when two super-heroes of progressive rock get together? You can expect something completely different than what you first expected. At that is what you get with the band STORM CORROSION, headed by the combined talents of Mikael ÅKERFELDT from OPETH providing guitar work and Steve WILSON of PORCUPINE TREE, BLACKFIELD, NO-MAN, BASS COMMUNION, and many others, not to mention his amazing solo work, in charge of keyboards and arrangements. Both musicians with their combined work cover quite a variety of styles from Extreme Metal to Electronica and everything in between. However, in both of their careers, they have never ventured into this style of avant-folk which has jazz and symphonic leanings like this project does. Again, with both of their musical resumes, you can expect excellent musicianship and production, and that is what you get.

Upon hearing about this project involving this pairing, many fans were ecstatic. The two musicians have worked together before, but this is the first time they worked so up front on a full collaborative album. STORM CORROSION's debut, self-titled album is the only one released under this projects name to date (2019) and it was released in 2012, so whether there is another on the horizon is still to be seen. However, many fans were not expecting this sound, and since a big majority of those fans come from the metal communities, they were mostly turned off by it. That wasn't the purpose of this collaboration as the musicans were looking for a new outlet for a different style of music.

Those that didn't expect this style of music were disoriented by the more experimental sound, but fans of Wilson know that he often takes you down paths you never expect, and this is the reason why many of his projects don't always see the spillover from other projects, or the people that do usually get disappointed by the different avenues he takes, moving from ambient to dance music with ease. However, this wasn't all just figured out by Wilson because the aritsts have said this was a 50/50 effort, and neither one of them had any real idea how this would all sound when it was finished. Wilson has said that if you make music only to please other people, then you become an entertainer, not an aritst.

This album is mostly all performed by both Steven WILSON and Mikael ÅKERFELDT, except for drums (which are mostly quite sparse) from fellow PORCUPINE TREE percussionist Gavin Harrison, woodwinds from Ben CASTLE, and strings from the LONDON SESSION ORCHESTRA. The album is made up of 6 tracks and has a run time of over 47 minutes.

"Drag Ropes" (9:52) starts off the album with what you can expect. Mikael keeps his vocals clean and the music is fairly sparse, not what you would expect from the beginning. The harmonies and vocal loops are excellent and so is the musicianship, the excellent guitar work by Mikael really holds it all together while Wilson's use of electronics and keyboards add that mysterious edge to the entire track. All of this together with the minimal percussion and lovely strings turn this into a voyage of beauty and texture all aided by piano flourishes and guitar work. It all melds together wonderfully, their sometimes contrasting melodic vocal lines meshing together to create that underlying feeling of unease through it all. Both musicians share the thought that music doesn't have to be loud to be dark and evil, and this music proves that.

"Storm Corrosion" (10:12) begins even sparser than ever with echoing woodwinds which eventually get joined by acoustic guitar. Wilson's vocals are front and center this time, his soft singing bringing more texture to this otherwise ambient beginning. The music is pensive, even when the strings add in their layers, then a soft electric guitar comes in providing even more beauty to this lovely piece. Light percussion adds a bit of tension to the track, which intensifies a bit at the middle of the track, adding soft keys and a dark undertone from Wilson's electronics, and distorted dissonant guitar which remains soft, but very dark from Akerfeldt. Layers slowly build, reminding the listener of Bass Communion for a while, until the contrasting acoustic guitar comes in and the layers glitch out just before vocals begin again and we return to the main melody with strings and woodwinds joining in again, but all the while, remaining mostly minimal.

"Hag" (6:28) continues with the minimal and pensive sound, this time a bit less melodic at first until the hesitant vocals come in, but sounding even more ambient than the previous track. Then layers of synth and guitar come in building slightly in intensity. This track is even darker sounding than the last one, with an obvious minor mode. The pagen folk sound is what remains to the fore on this track, the melody changes a bit, yet it all stays soft and ambient while Wilson sings with only piano, but later, guitar and synth layers build again while a slight jazz edge comes into play. After 4 minutes, the music suddenly become heavy and dark while guitar and piano pump out heavy chords and percussion goes suddenly wild. After a minute, this all calms again and deep piano and woodwinds play together. The ambient and dark melody returns when the vocals come back returning us to the pensive feel of the beginning.

"Happy" (4:53) begins with simple soft guitar and unsettling harmony in the pensive vocals. At two minute, the ambient level is heightened as effects show through, then more soft guitar and far away harmonized singing. The track is soft, dark and delicate, feeling like any distraction will just tear it all apart, even when the soft electric guitar comes in. Some of Wilson's experimental electronic work bring it softly to an end. "Lock Howl" (6:09) starts with a soft drone, then a low pulsing bass is played upon by a soft guitar passage that builds with the addition of soft percussion. Intensity builds with the strings and synths adding layers. Sharp metallic tones play in the background, then the music suddenly goes quiet, and then suddenly erupts in a very dark synth-laden texture with fast percussive sounds, then at minutes, it all quiets down to dissonant synth drones. The churning lower sound returns and keys and guitar play the melody, percussion comes in again bringing it all back to life. This is a nice instrumental with more dark undertones and also lush textures throughout.

The last track is "Ljudet Innan" (10:20). Keys and vocals echo softly as Mikael sings in a higher, almost chanting register that we haven't heard from him much, soft and vulnerable. This ends in almost silence until layers of synths build slowly in volume. This is a taste of beautiful, melodic ambience that endures for a few minutes. Guitar chords chime and echo in the forefront after a while and spacey effects swirl around it all. A soft march-like beat comes from soft drumming while a repeating chord plays, then some nice solo guitar work from Mikael improvises over the ambient layers. At 6 minutes, more vocals come in, now Wilson sounding almost like Jon Anderson as the same minimal music continues in the back ground. More guitar work follows closing off this lovely and ambient piece and ending the album.

So, this wasn't really what most people were expecting, a very quiet and thoughtful album with only a few louder passages, otherwise, it is a very immersive experience that people were not expecting. I think the album is quite beautiful, and I love the avant folk, ambient feeling of it, that retains a feeling of unease underneath most of the tracks, yet just draws you in with its simplistic, yet sometimes complex layers of beauty, dissonance, and quietness. Both artists have done better, but yet this is still an excellent album, totally unexpected, yet beautifully dark and expressive. Definitely, this is an example of two amazing artists who weren't afraid to express themselves in ways that many of their fans weren't expecting, and if people could put behind any expectations or prejudices about their music, I think more people would be appreciative of it.

Review by VianaProghead
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Review Nº 559

"Storm Corrosion" is the eponymous debut studio album of Storm Corrosion and that was released in 2012. "Storm Corrosion" is the result of the musical collaboration between Mikael Akerfeldt, the front man of Opeth and Steven Wilson, the front man of Porcupine Tree.

Having worked one with each other in the past, Akerfeldt and Wilson decided to start working on collaboration, on an intermittent basis, in 2010. There were rumours of plans to include Mike Portnoy, the ex-Dream Theater's drummer, on this album. However, Wilson later said that only 15% or 20% of the album would have drums on it, which turned out to be performed by Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison. The album was completed in 2011, but held back for an 2012 release so that Wilson could concentrate on release and promote his second solo studio album "Grace For Drowning", and Akerfeldt could concentrate on Opeth's tenth studio album "Heritage". Both albums were released in 2011.

Wilson also said that on the album, Akerfeldt did most of the guitar work, while Wilson concentrated on the keyboard parts and arranging the music. He said it contains a lot of orchestral parts, and as mellow, strange and disturbing parts.

The line up on the album is Mikael Akerfeldt (vocals and guitars) and Steven Wilson (vocals and keyboards). The album has also the additional participation of Gavin Harrison (drums and percussion), Ben Castle (woodwind) and the orchestral performance of the London Session Orchestra conducted by Dave Stewart. "Storm Corrosion" has six tracks. All lyrics were written by Steven Wilson except "Ljudet Innan" which was written by Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt, and all the music was composed by Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt. The first track "Drag Ropes" begins with a string arrangement with Akerfeldt singing creating an atmosphere of suspense which evolves dark guitar flutes and disturbing lyrics. The track continues with dark passages leading into a vocal harmony backed by Mellotron. There are recognisable shades of Opeth and Porcupine Tree all the way through the track. The second track is the title track "Storm Corrosion". It begins with the sound of distant rain, flutes and an acoustic guitar. A second guitar, vocals and percussion give the track some momentum with a solo guitar over the top. We also can hear some violins before a scary noise that changed the mood of the song. The violins return in the end of the track. The third track "Hag" begins with the simplicity of two piano notes, one guitar note and a Mellotron. A dark noise in the back and the amplifiers create a scary atmosphere. The following piano break takes the song into a different direction, reintroducing the bass and the Mellotron and a frantic drum piece, provides a sort of undefined confusion and chaos. The fourth track "Happy" commences with an acoustic guitar and Wilson's vocals, another set of vocals add to the depth of the piece scary bits. It then changes the mood with a bass sound leading to an acoustic guitar with more Wilson's vocal lines. This is another scary track. The fifth track "Lock Howl" is the only track with some metal style. It's backed by Mellotron and a shaker played by Harrison. It flows nicely and in the mid there is a hand clapping part with woodwind and Mellotron allowing to a xylophone and a guitar doubling a melody with voicing. The sixth track "Ljudet Innan" starts with Akerfeldt vocals backed by a piano accompanying for the first minute followed by a Mellotron that creates a massive ethereal space of nothingness in Tangerine Dream or Pink Floyd styles. Next a repeating solo note joins to start the rhythm that flows over the piece. Some light drum percussion combined with classic guitar work by Akerfeldt continues all over the song. This single note runs the whole way afterwards to keep the timing and tension.

Conclusion: For those who are familiar with the works of Wilson and Akerfeldt, it shouldn't take too much time to figure out who wrote the ideas. Each musician has a very particular music style and both sounds in equal proportion on the album. The string arrangements, melodies and song structures have the immediately distinctive signature of both musicians. "Storm Corrosion" passes me as a cross between jthe azz/fusion and the dissonance of the 20th century neoclassical music. It also reminds me very strongly the music style of King Crimson. I had hoped for a more natural mix of their two musical styles. However, the style of "Storm Corrosion" is very fresh and even unique. This isn't the ultimate masterpiece that we expected, but there's no disappointment here. "Storm Corrosion" represents a memorable ambient journey, taking Wilson and Akerfeldt down a darker path than either has been before. It's great to accompany these two great visionaries' musicians as they explore new and fresh territories with their music. "Storm Corrosion" represents more depth and challenge to the sound that the band's ambient frame would suggest, and if you're able to look past the disappointment of its context as an artistic combination of two of the progressive music's greatest forces, "Storm Corrosion" makes for a pleasant, while heady listening. All in all, "Storm Corrosion" is a very pleasant journey.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Latest members reviews

4 stars 4.3 Stars. The beauty of a distant storm Storm Corrosion is the debut release where Seven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt contribute equally in one recording. Released over 10 years after the highly acclaimed Blackwater Park (the first time SW contributed to a Opeth album), its surprising how lon ... (read more)

Report this review (#1077641) | Posted by LakeGlade12 | Saturday, November 16, 2013 | Review Permanlink

4 stars A fascinating, beautiful, incredibly complex and simultaneously subtle album from two of modern day prog's Founding Fathers. I've had this one spinning for over a year now and still discover nuance and genius gems hidden in the multiple layers of style - you'll hear it all here - ambient, folk, avan ... (read more)

Report this review (#1061521) | Posted by Timdano | Thursday, October 17, 2013 | Review Permanlink

3 stars To tell you the truth, I expected much more of this album. Especially when I heard the first track "Drag Ropes", which is by far the best track of the album. After that, all the songs remain practically the same, with quiet playing, drumming nuances, some soft voices by Wilson, guitar figures, ... (read more)

Report this review (#1023225) | Posted by Memo_anathemo | Sunday, August 25, 2013 | Review Permanlink

5 stars It is quite strange, that innovative music as this, from such household names prog, is not even at the top 100 of year 2012. Transcendent, oscillating from minimalist to bizarre, from occultist and ominous to ambient and serene... Steve Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt have prepared mix of their e ... (read more)

Report this review (#911774) | Posted by stewe | Saturday, February 9, 2013 | Review Permanlink

4 stars And now for something completely different... Together, Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt have crafted something very special indeed, being the most organic sounding album any of the two have done. They've apparently shared the contribution with a 50-50 effort, with both partaking in the song ... (read more)

Report this review (#834166) | Posted by Quirky Turkey | Sunday, October 7, 2012 | Review Permanlink

3 stars Ok Steven nowadays is the most prolific composer in the progressive (or post progressive) panorama. Quantity is the worst enemy of quality? Not always. But often, expecially in collaboration with other artists it's impossible to do the best you can do, when in a year you come out with 3 or 4 differe ... (read more)

Report this review (#820775) | Posted by Bargilla62 | Friday, September 14, 2012 | Review Permanlink

4 stars If you like the introspective parts of Porcupine Tree or the more laid back Opeth records such as the last one, the chances are high that you might also like the debut release of the finally fruitful collaboration between Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt and Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson. ... (read more)

Report this review (#813569) | Posted by kluseba | Saturday, September 1, 2012 | Review Permanlink

3 stars This is an album that on first listen seemed to be quite a let-down,however for me it's now blossomed after repeated listening into something quite beautiful and enchanting. The material ranges from dark neo-classical impressionistic tone poems, through subtle ambient pulse driven pieces. All ... (read more)

Report this review (#808759) | Posted by Progfan1958 | Wednesday, August 22, 2012 | Review Permanlink

3 stars We all saw this project coming. We all know that Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt are basically a gay couple...musically of course. This obvious joining of 2 musical talents and egos has been in the process for a few years now and we all have made judgements about what it'll sound like and wh ... (read more)

Report this review (#781111) | Posted by arcane-beautiful | Monday, July 2, 2012 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Let me start by saying that I love Porcupine Tree, and they are easily one of my favorite bands. Steven Wilson, in my opinion, is a genius. However, I do not stand by everything he does. Frankly, I didn't really enjoy the last Porcupine Tree album, The Incident, or Signify, or their debut, ... (read more)

Report this review (#765997) | Posted by bb1319 | Thursday, June 7, 2012 | Review Permanlink

1 stars First off, what makes it Storm Corrosion? It's not stormy or corrosive. It's nothing much at all. There is a small sliver of "music" flickering here and there, notably in the first half of Lock Howl - which sounds like some kind of a trailer for The Wall by PF. Otherwise, much of the remainin ... (read more)

Report this review (#765151) | Posted by Argonaught | Tuesday, June 5, 2012 | Review Permanlink

4 stars I had some problems with Heritage and even some with the fantastic Grace for Drowning. I had low expectations for this album. What I can say now for sure is that, one should not decide on this album before spinning it 4 or 5 times, in different moods and even places if possible. Now the questi ... (read more)

Report this review (#759272) | Posted by talha | Sunday, May 27, 2012 | Review Permanlink

5 stars There are two types of prog (or any type of music) fans. There are those who like the same thing (here... one or more subgenres of classic 70's prog), over and over again, with little changes in this or that nuance... and there are listereners who always expect and need new music, original music, ... (read more)

Report this review (#758608) | Posted by aSimionescu | Friday, May 25, 2012 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Shake your 70's Dark influences, take two of the best musicians of the decade, and then you'll have a modern masterpiece. Maybe if you mixed Wilson&Akerdfelt, you wouldnt' expect an album like this. The two genius solved their restlessness doing a 50minute-song like a dark soundtrack. Not specifi ... (read more)

Report this review (#757423) | Posted by Popovych | Thursday, May 24, 2012 | Review Permanlink

5 stars This album is truly a portal to another world. The ethereal atmosphere is breathtaking, beautiful, and many times even frightening. Mikael's Guitar riffs, while sounding quite familiar to those in Opeth, are seamlessly assimilated into a totally new style, which is hauntingly romantic. I got the ... (read more)

Report this review (#757200) | Posted by PlaceoftheForgotten | Wednesday, May 23, 2012 | Review Permanlink

4 stars (8/10) So here it is at last, the long-awaited and much hyped collaboration between Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt, two of the biggest names in modern prog. This is the final part in a loose trilogy of albums along with Opeth's "Heritage" and Steven Wilson's excellent "Grace for Drowning". Al ... (read more)

Report this review (#756899) | Posted by ScorchedFirth | Tuesday, May 22, 2012 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Are you a fan of Opeth and/or Porcupine Tree? And do you expect music in the same vein from Storm Corrosion, the collaboration of Opeth's Mikael Äkerfeldt and PT's Steven Wilson? Please skip this album. You will be very disappointed. Also if you like Blackfield, No-Man or Steven Wilson solo, n ... (read more)

Report this review (#756892) | Posted by LakesideRitchie | Tuesday, May 22, 2012 | Review Permanlink

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