Storm Corrosion

Disclaimer: Several people give things score marks, i.e. 6/10, 3 and a half stars. I want to stay away from that in my reviews. Instead, I will tell you from my point of view what happened right and what happened wrong. You can agree or disagree, but I do suggest you partake in what I'm reviewing and form your own opinion. Enjoy :)



STORM CORROSION - STORM CORROSION
FIRST RELEASED May 7, 2012
LABEL: Roadrunner
GENRE: Progressive
SUBGENRES: Folk/Ambient/Psychedelic/Experimental/Orchestral
SINGLES: N/A
MEMBERS:
Mikael Akerfeldt - vocals, guitars
Steven Wilson - vocals, keyboards

Growing up, I was always fascinated with the film Fantasia. This is far and wide my favorite Disney film of all time. One could say that it is even the catalyst for my musical endeavors, aside from the fact that I am nowhere near as talented as classical composers or the orchestral/symphonic players that have transcribed and perform these masterpieces countless times. The animation always got me, too. The visual aspect of music is one frequently used to give it more depth and purpose. It is sometimes as if the truest sound -> color synesthesia could be found in the Toccata and Fugue portion in the beginning of the film. The senses of terror, wonder, calm, amazement, bewilderment; you can find all these in the first 100 measures of this piece. The classical composers truly had a gift and a vision that few musicians possess today.

But most of this type of music was written and performed one and up to two hundred years ago.

Fast forward to 1967, the year of Sgt. Pepper and Are You Experienced? (if you get the reference, we're friends). Steven Wilson is born in England. Fast forward to 1974, the year of Kiss and Rush's self-titled albums. Mikael Akerfeldt is born in Sweden. Around the mid 90's, both of these musicians begin to take their craft seriously. They already have fledgling bands that aren't touring at all (Porcupine Tree and Opeth, respectively), but their studio records are gaining them a good following. Both polarized in sound, Wilson with his ambient/progressive/psychedelic rock outings and Akerfeldt with his progressive/folk/extreme death metal outings, but both drawn to one another's styles through the grapevine. Through channels of communication, Wilson (already a producer) discovers that Akerfeldt admired his album The Sky Moves Sideways as well as his production talents. The partnership is forged, and Wilson enters the studio with Akerfeldt and company for Opeth's fifth and subsequently breakthrough album, Blackwater Park.

Before this record, Opeth's songs were mainly concept based death metal folk minstrels comprising of several lengthy numbers. It wasn't until their third record where they got a steady line up and cemented their sound. This record called My Arms, Your Hearse got them noticed in the metal community. Their fourth record Still Life caught Wilson's eye and got them tour guarantees for the first time in their career. With Wilson came clarity in production, direction, diversity and an astoundingly complex haunting darkness to Opeth's sound. This was revisited in their next two records Wilson also produced. Deliverance was a by the numbers Opeth record where Damnation was a shock to the gut. With no growling or screamed vocals and no overdriven guitars, Damnation brought back a 70's progressive rock style reminiscent of Procol Harum, Yes, Gabriel-era Genesis, Deep Purple, Soft Machine, Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd. Though the metal never died out in Opeth and the folk was always there, when Wilson and Akerfeldt went fully collaborative on a song (Death Whispered A Lullaby) there was something different there.

They worked together several more times. Akerfeldt guested on four songs with Porcupine Tree's album Deadwing, Wilson mixed Opeth's album Heritage, and there was frequent discussion of collaboration in an exclusive setting, at the time including Mike Portnoy (pre-Avenged Sevenfold/Dream Theater midlife crisis meltdown). As the years went by, Portnoy was excluded from the project and the writing began in early 2010. Opeth became less heavy and Porcupine Tree more heavy as the years went on. When the name was announced, it was said to be called Storm Corrosion. It was described by Akerfeldt and Wilson as twisted, beautiful and cool. The music was said to have only 15% drums and was largely instrumental (the drums were performed by the mighty Gavin Harrison). The media and fans were told not to expect metal. Yet, this album is stocked in the metal section anyway. Which brings me to my album review.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Made any other music before this. Due to the fact that both artists have delivered glorious pieces of music before this point, entire albums that have withstood time and space and will continue to for years, this six-song, less than 50 minute album has press and fans worldwide scratching their heads wondering what they're listening to. This has been described by several online reviewers as 'very expensive background music,' 'the most disappointing debut ever,' 'not worth any wait of any kind,' 'offensive to fans and artists,' 'do they think just because their names are on it they can get away with releasing garbage?,' 'mediocre,' 'bar lowering' and 'unimaginative.' This album has divided everyone. I know of people who can't make it past the first three minutes of the album's opener Drag Ropes. I know of people who, due to the reviews, refuse to even try. This is not a good sign for any future collaborations between these two. The album is musically inexplicable and meandering, often times confusing and every time challenging.

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: The fact that the album is musically inexplicable and meandering, often times confusing and every time challenging. The last time I heard a piece of music like this was from a classical composer. This is like a soundtrack to a film that only Steven and Mike have seen in their heads. This shows me colors upon listening. The entire spectrum per song, to be exact and honest. From the building violins and rounds in Drag Ropes, the distorted howling at the end of the title track, the thumping C bassline in Hag that leads to the drum breakdown, the dislocation in the middle of Happy, the clapping in Lock Howl and the crooning of Ljudet Innan. What they did right was make music that makes you feel uncomfortable. Makes you challenge your perceptions of what music is and really listen. Once you make it past that stage of discomfort (which for me lasted for weeks), you truly have a somewhat Fantasia-like masterpiece in your hands.


WHAT SONGS SHOULD I HEAR NOW:
The whole album. Don't stop it. Let it play. And try to let it play more than once. If you can make it through, I think you'll understand what I'm saying. If not, then it just wasn't your bag.

All in all, this album probably would've been best never released or released with some sort of explanatory medium. But as progressive thinkers tend to do, they figure if you don't get it then it's on you. Why should they have to explain themselves to us lower forms of intelligence? Hah. This album is indeed a self-indulgent affair, full of hubris and pompousness. I won't deny that from the several other reviewers who've said it. But what I will deny is that this was unimaginative and lazy. It was far from that. It was, and still for the most part is, over our heads. You know who else was considered self-indulgent, crazy, arrogant, pompous and over the heads of others when they made music? Classical composers.

Thanks for reading this novel. I will publish it some day. Enjoy the album if you can,

- Grant