Archive
Storm Corrosion “Drag Ropes” (video)
From the self-titled debut album by Storm Corrosion featuring Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt and Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson hits record stores on May 8th, and their animated video for the epic 9+ minute “Drag Ropes” is here:
You can pre-order the physical CD or mp3 version NOW.
~Dan – np: Storm Corrosion – Storm Corrosion
STORM CORROSION from Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree) & Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)
STORM CORROSION, the hugely-anticipated new project from Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt and Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson, is releasing their debut album on May 7th. The self-titled album, which comprises six compositions, is available now for pre-order…
The first option includes a double LP set of the self-titled album with exclusive artwork, etched into 180g black virgin vinyl in gatefold jacket. You’ll also get a digital download of high quality FLAC files of the album and a tasty 24″ x 36″ fold-out poster of exclusive artwork.
They also have a DVD/Blu-ray version… things take a step up with this package. You get all the contents of the Collector’s Edition Double-LP Set (above), plus a digital download of the album the day BEFORE release, 5.1 audio mix of the album, two exclusive demo tracks and five instrumentals, and the full album on CD – all in a package containing over 2.5 hours of music!
The artwork…
You can click here to pre-order these packages now.
Click here to find Storm Corrosion on Facebook.
~Dan – np: John Zorn’s Moonchild trio + Marc Ribot – The Crucible
Opeth’s Heritage (goofy cover art)
Behold, the cheesy-as-hell-looking cover art for Opeth’s upcoming album Heritage (out 9/20/2011 on Roadrunner)…
I just checked, it’s not April 1st again. Does June 1st represent a similar joke day in Sweden? Seriously… their faces as fruit on the tree? Seriously, you guys. I think it’d actually be an OK album cover without the heads on the tree thing. With it, though, I classify this as a “death metal fail.”
And, I can’t make out which band member is in the lower right. Should he be fearful for his job?
~Dan – np: U2 – How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb 
Storm Corrosion (Steven Wilson & Mikael Akerfeldt)
Dec 2011 update: There’s an official FB page (other one now unlinked), and the album is expected on Roadrunner in April 2012. GO here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Storm-Corrosion/187831801312141
March 2012 update: The pre-order for the album is HERE.
For a while now, Porcupine Tree‘s Steven Wilson and Opeth‘s Mikael Akerfeldt have been talking about an official collaboration (outside of SW’s involvement in Opeth production, etc). Well, it now has a name…
STORM CORROSION
They have “churned out” about only 15 minutes of music so far, but the goal for the group is to do “something really, really special and really different” – whatever that means for these prog-metal gents.
Per Steven Wilson’s FB page, Storm Corrosion won’t occur until at least after September 2011 (when SW’s 2nd solo album comes out). Opeth also has a new one due in the Fall of 2011; so we shouldn’t expect any Storm Corrosion until 2012, most likely. Its naming is at least a good sign of things being “in the works.”
Mike Portnoy is also involved, but I think to a more limited extent compared to SW & MA… though, with Portnoy’s being ousted from Dream Theater and done on the road with Avenged Sevenfold – perhaps he’s more freed up.
For more news, I’d pay attention to these webpages:
http://swhq.co.uk/
http://opeth.com/
~Dan – np: Erik Friedlander plays Masada Book Two: Book of Angels, Volume 8 (Volac)
Sufjan’s The BQE
So… I’ve heard the new CD from Sufjan Stevens, called The BQE. (Thanks Asthmatic Kitty for the pre-release download.) Wow. No vocals, but very much a Sufjan album, though. The instrumentation borders on classic Sufjan instrumentals from Illinoise and Michigan (specifically the flute trills) mixed with more conservative chamber music (piano, strings, horns, tympani, et al). It also jumps into a very Enjoy Your Rabbit moment with “Movement IV – Traffic Shock.”
AK DOWNLOAD: Sufjan Stevens – Movement VI–Isorhythmic Night Dance with Interchanges (FREE MP3)
The BQE tracklist
- Prelude on the Esplanade (2:56)
- Introductory Fanfare for the Hooper Heroes (1:07)
- Movement I–In the Countenance of Kings (5:19)
- Movement II–Sleeping Invader (4:34)
- Interlude I–Dream Sequence in Subi Circumnavigation (3:33)
- Movement III–Linear Tableau with Intersecting Surprise (4:09)
- Movement IV–Traffic Shock (3:24)
- Movement V–Self-Organizing Emergent Patterns (3:45)
- Interlude II–Subi Power Waltz (0:28)
- Interlude III–Invisible Accidents (0:54)
- Movement VI–Isorhythmic Night Dance with Interchanges (3:17)
- Movement VII (Finale)–The Emperor of Centrifuge (3:51)
- Postlude–Critical Mass (2:59)
I think it fits very well within Sufjan’s oeuvre. A fan of his instrumental tunes interspersed within his State’s records should truly enjoy The BQE. The limited edition, which is on order for me, has presumably a lush packaging with a full-color booklet accompanying the vinyl. I can’t wait to crack it open…
It’s available for pre-order from Amazon and Asthmatic Kitty (and other eTailers):
Amazon CD/DVD ~ LINK
Amazon limited edition vinyl ~ LINK
AKitty CD/DVD ~ LINK
AKitty limited edition vinyl ~ LINK
~*~*~*~*~
And a complete side-note, Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt is planning releasing a Nick Drake-ish acoustic solo album (Blabbermouth link). Man, I love music. Seriously. Frank was right. It’s the best.
~Dan – np: Sufjan Stevens – The BQE
no free downloads or torrents here
O.S.I. – Blood CD
I got Blood in the mail today!!
Huzzah!
~Dan – np: O.S.I. – Blood
quick OSI update
Quick update…
As reported earlier, OSI’s third album, Blood, comes out May 19th in the U.S. The album tracklist and cover is posted over here (previous blog post). New today…
osiband.com has audio samples from the upcoming album.
The special edition 2nd disc has the following tracks:
- No Celebrations vocals/lyrics by Tim Bowness (from No-Man)
- Christian Brothers cover of the Elliott Smith song
- Terminal (endless) extended version of the regular CD track
~Dan
more OSI details
Well, the 3rd album from the Kevin Moore (Chroma Key) and Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) project O.S.I. (Office of Strategic Influence) now has a name, album art, a tracklist, and a release date. It features Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison on the drums, and Mikael Åkerfeldt (OPETH) on “Stockholm.”
01. The Escape Artist
02. Terminal
03. False Start
04. We Come Undone
05. Radiologue
06. Be The Hero
07. Microburst Alert
08. Stockholm
09. Blood
It’s out on April 27 in Europe and May 19 in the U.S. via InsideOut Music.
From Blabbermouth: The creative process which produced “Blood” lasted more than a year. In their now familiar long-distance collaboration, Matheos sent his ideas via e-mail to Moore, who honed them to his own taste before mailing the results back to Matheos. At the end of the day, some pieces were sent back and forth countless times, while others, such as the pulsating metal track “Be The Hero”, required very little exchange. “When Jim sent me his tracks, I had a vocal idea right away,” Moore says of the song. “I think it all came together in a couple of days. I love when Jim sends really heavy ideas, and he doesn’t mind me chopping them up. It was fun to play around with the times signatures by editing, and adding a lot of Minimoog effects and unison lines.”
Unrelated sidenote, Celldweller‘s upcoming long-awaited sophomore album is called Wish Upon a Blackstar. Out… sometime later this year?
~Dan – np: U2 – No Line on the Horizon
Opeth “Burden” video
I’m not psychic… I just knew that a video was impending for Opeth… well, as correctly guessed yesterday, I’m following up two rap posts in a row with a Swedish death metal post. Well, sort of… the latest video by Swedish death metal band OPETH is here… it’s called “Burden,” and it’s barely even regular metal (sigh):
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/video/view.aspx?songID=2362
I guess making a video for a 10-minute long brutal onslaught isn’t all that “commercially viable.” Alas, we got “Burden” instead.
~Dan – np: Miles Davis – In a Silent Way
update on OSI’s #3 album
As previously mentioned, O.S.I. (a band led by Kevin Moore from Chroma Key / Dream Theater and Jim Matheos from Fates Warning) is being worked on now. This just in from Mikael Åkerfeldt, lead “singer” / guitarist from OPETH, is that he’s contributing vocals to a song…
It’s a very moody song and completely unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I wrote the lyrics and the vocal lines for the piece that I simply decided to call “Stockholm“.
Cool… The album also features Gavin Harrison (from Porcupine Tree) on drums.
~Dan – np: Goddamn Electric Bill – Topics for Gossip
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
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