WHEN BLACKWATER AND PROG KINGS UNITE: AKERFELDT + WILSON + PORTNOY

According to Metal Injection, the long-rumored Mikael Akerfeldt / Steven Wilson / Mike Portnoy collaboration is finally underway, sure to cause prog fanboys the world over to immediately begin fapping at their keyboards. According to an interview in Chordstruck Magazine, Wilson — who worked with Opeth on Blackwater Park — has finally begun writing material with Akerfeldt after years of speculation, and the duo reportedly has about 15 minutes of music put to paper.

The most interesting part of the interview is Mike Portnoy’s vocal concern that the amount of Internet hype already generated will make it impossible for this all-star trio to deliver anything that could possibly live up to expectations: “…people start discussing and discussing and discussing and dissecting and anticipating…[building] up such a level of hype and expectation in their head that it’s impossible to ever satisfy.” He’s not wrong and we’re certainly not helping the matter, but come on, how can any self respecting prog metal fan not get uber boner-fied about the matching of three of the genre’s all-time greats?

We wait with baited breath.

-VN