Portnoy and Akerfeldt 1

Portnoy and Akerfeldt Meet
www.progressivenation2008.com

[@JGambolputty69]

the meeting of the gods

[@EricMetalhead]

+Strelok's Stash God and a peasant

[@EricMetalhead]

***** Compared to Mike we all are, don't take it personally

[@EricMetalhead]

***** I wouldn't take a picture with a peasant and make it my profile pic would I?

[@harrisondocarmo7923]

+EricMetalhead What is the problem with a peasant?? Anyway you cant compare these guys...

[@ThrashMetal669]

That's the gayest shit I've ever heard

[@Red-Brick-Dream]

Mikael Akerfeldt: making scarves and bell-bottoms metal since 1992.

[@blppt]

Heck, Chuck Schuldiner made cat shirts "metal".

[@ephesians.6]

The most memorable meetings from two memorable people who can't remember the memory.

[@ThisMortalCoil64]

Two of the world's greatest musicians, right here.

[@strayorion2031]

Akerfeld is cheating steven?

[@TarunMusicTv]

Laughed really hard! 😂

[@CreeCore94]

Scarfs are now cool in my book.

[@mplusd]

it's strange how portnoy is wearing just a t-shirt and akerfeldt is like a jacket and muffler and drinking coffee..

[@RohannvanRensburg]

Man, Canada too. I mean some do but most don't.

[@t3hgir]

a muffler??

[@Goshoonkeys]

mikael is such a lady

[@EnvyMachinery]

Wow, ditto with Portnoy. My first time listening to Opeth was Blackwater Park because I'd heard a lot about them and everyone said that was their best album. At first I thought "yeah, this is good." But after I had it and had been listening to it for a while, the album really sunk in and I thought "this has to be one of the greatest records ever made." I've been a huge Opeth fan ever since.

[@vanchuvega3696]

Portnoy listen opeth because steven wilson

[@wrathchild269]

The EPICNESS in the room is too much to handle !!!

[@RickShred86]

Mike is wearing a BTBAM shirt. That rules.

[@Shubalup]

That comment, is the comment I have been searching for my entire life... Well my entire time knowing these two bands at least, lol. Both are outstanding groups. So diverse the both of them, thats the best part about them, easily two of my favorite bands.

[@RodHammett95]

Please PLEASE make a band together!

[@guuspalmero]

Please let them do what they're good at as individuals.

[@afterbabel]

...to think that i'm going to see both bands LIVE together for the very first time at the end of october! can't wait!

[@gabyandrade8201]

Los amo demasiado ❤️

[@yo-kt6ng]

Jaja sí son unos cracks

[@gui.sanches]

I've been wanting a project with these two guys for a long time

[@allmetaliswelcome]

two awesome musicians from two awesome bands

[@hankhill4353]

2 of my favorite bands =D

[@NerveEnd]

I was on that Finnish show they were talking about. For me it was amazing! They played a long set featuring some classic Opeth tunes! I think I also had a quick glimbse of Portnoy and LaBrie. Good times.

[@gnrcr]

These guys should do a project together.

[@dimigian]

Damn!I love Opeth and i also admire Portnoy as a drummer!Great vid.

[@Opranius]

Im a true opeth "fanboy", yep. :-) Classy Opeth-riffs are based on great because unique chords - often in normal 4/4, 3/4 bars - sure there are complex riffs in their music but they have less to do with DT songs like Eternal Night. Don't know... I can't see a strong similarity between the DT and pre-rock Opeth - even in their influenes. :)

[@gandalf8216]

DT almost comes from Power Metal roots, while Opeth has their roots in Mikaels love for old school prog acts like Camel and Caravan. They are in many ways eachothers negative.

[@blppt]

@@gandalf8216 DT sounds like Yes a lot of times. I don't really ever get that vibe from Opeth.

[@Cr8Tron]

Influence-wise, there's obviously a fair share of crossover going on. But looking back on it all, the main difference has always had to do with DT being a lot more liberal, and quick to incorporate *anything they can* into their music (which often included the reasons people make fun of prog and/or power metal). And then meanwhile, Mikael has always been quite a bit more conscientious and conservative, about whether certain influences might sound cheesy or outdated. I'd say, overall, that Mikael's the one who's had the better grasp, on realizing that just because you *can* do something doesn't always mean that you *should* do something. And I wouldn't necessarily imagine DT disagreeing with this assessment. Through the years though, DT just happened to carve out a fanbase that turned out to be oblivious to the cheesiness involved... (I, myself, *was* one of those fans in the late '90s, btw...so, I don't hesitate to say this.) With that said, I don't fault them for sticking with what works as a business for themselves, even if they're now able to have a clearer perspective than they used to. I don't mean to imply that they're being deceptive to their fans either, as I think their music offers all the members a technical workout that's challenging enough to keep it fun for them, even if they now know it's sometimes cheesy.

[@blppt]

@@Cr8Tron One thing I think, which is a bit out of their control, has been LaBrie's steady decline as a vocalist. He never had that much "diversity" as a vocalist to begin with, but as his range has left him with old age and constant touring, he's become really monotonous. Again, short of them kicking him out of the band, not much they can do.

[@Cr8Tron]

@@blppt LaBrie's vox style never helped, that's for sure!! During the '90s, the operatic metal thing became a bit twee quicker than a lot of musicians had time to realize. As for his decline; well...yeah, then there's that. To be honest, I wasn't even regarding that part of it all. I was just thinking critically about what you hear on all the actual *albums* up to Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (which was pretty much when I jumped off the DT bandwagon, and no longer had as much interest in *any* part of their discography). So, I wasn't even really aware of how bad his voice had gotten until over a decade later, when I just happened to be casually curious about what they've been up to. But, yeah, that sucks that they've had to deal with such inescapable problems. As a guitarist who's had a compromised career due to permanent nerve damage (from carpal tunnel syndrome), I can relate. What I'm being retrospectively critical of is mainly the way they failed to realize how silly the Broadway rock opera thing was becoming at the time. (Hello? Anyone remember Scenes from a Memory?) Although, to be fair, LaBrie's outdated operatic vox style definitely plays another big part in the cheesiness. And his breathiness gets borderline-creepy on some of the slow ballads. On the other hand, in his defense, some of DT's corniest lyrics he sang were actually written by Petrucci, if I remember correctly. (Whoever was responsible for the cringe-worthy lyrics in "Fatal Tragedy"/"Beyond This Life" would be the best example of what I mean by this, as I couldn't imagine them being any more literal/explicit, even if my life depended on it.) Alas, it was not always just the artistic choices they made. There were some musical things that occasionally were questionable too. "Metropolis--Part I" has some circusy atonal unison lines/unison hits the band plays together in the instrumental section, which sound more clinical than musical. There also would often seem to be some laziness on picking the better synth patches to use, which perhaps was a result of already using so much of their energy on having to practice all that shredding. And then there'd occasionally be the light new-agy crap like "Surrounded". Somehow that style (in a piece written by Kevin Moore) seems to have had an unfortunate influence on Petrucci's solo repertoire, with pieces like "The Happy Song" for example, which ruin the vibe of his other more adventurous compositions. All in all, the kaleidoscope approach (as commendable as it might be) doesn't quite work in DT's case, unlike how it *did* for Yes in their prime (i.e., the Eddy Offord era). The difference with Yes was that they would do it whole-heartedly, and embrace even the folkier genres like country music, and they'd incorporate way more traditional textures like harp, lap-steel, mandolin, hollow-body electrics, fingerstyle on nylons/steel-strings, etc. More of an honest effort at being eclectic basically. And Yes' lyrics were never explicit during that period, which helps make it clear that they weren't pandering to any lowest common denominators. Sorry for the rant, lol!! 🤦‍♂️

[@spingadus]

The amount of drum sessions Portnoy has hosted is enough for me to call a "slow Tuesday".

[@harmony0404]

my two the most beloved sweet Aries...

[@toolfan92]

two gods on stage...respect. \m/

[@HighendDT]

this is sooo cool!

[@managainstcatfish]

No- I'm a HUGE fan of Opeth but your point is totally valid. That's a great song (Windowpane) but a lousy opener, & frankly- I think they are a 'listening' band, not a 'watching' band. Have you ever listened to "Still Life"? Fantastic (& underrated) album.

[@EnvyMachinery]

I could not possibly agree more.

[@Superterrestrial]

Your powers of observation are stunning...

[@Nighthawkwill7]

I think it was put on hold for the time being. Dream Theater is currently on the Progressive Nation Tour and Opeth is touring as well, While Porcupine Tree have been working on their latest album. I think one of them mentioned that once all of this is out of the way, They can get together and put their collective musical wizardry to work^^

[@toolfan92]

Starbucks just got free advertising from one of the greatest musicians in death metal.

[@gonzaloaguirrecontreras]

vaya!.. veo a dos genios!!

[@Tim21189]

Akerfeldt is the most suave, “European” prog/metal guy. And Portnoy is pure NYC. Combine their forces, and there’s no stopping them.

[@MrLazy912]

@DunkleFlugel He said 'pitch black', which simply means 'very dark', or 'devoid of light'.

[@berkaniridouane6754]

2 Legend Her

[@anneandretta]

I love both guys and it's awesome to see them in the same video. But... It feels to me like somebody told them "Sit on those chairs and chat like you're old friends "... Roadrunner Records should at least have chosen a more cozy place to make it more convincing... If you watch the whole session, you will notice that they spend most of the time with their legs crossed in opposite directions... It's clear that they are not exactly "feeling at home" with each other...

[@GotWhatYouNeed]

@EtherealSunrise I think you're right but the thing about Petrucci and Mikael is that their guitar playing styles are in fact quite different. Both guitarists are among my all time favourites and I really think that they both can deliver mind blowing solos and riffs, without comparing them in who's the "best". I see Petrucci more as a forefather of progressive metal (and god :-P) where as Mike has developed a whole new sound, a darker & more melancholic thing. Either way, they're both awsome!

[@rip_lokum]

man, I love that scarf...

[@yourgay110]

Mikael likes STARBUCKKKKSSS!!! *growling*

[@jordanr68]

y he doesn't come off like that in concert but he's definitely flamboyant throughout this interview in its entirety.

[@zeppelin8]

When I saw Mikael drinking a Starbuck, I immediately thought of that scene in the Metalocalypse pilot where Nathan says "WE ARE HERE TO MAKE COFFEE METAL!" I guess he succeeded!

[@Thundercleese26]

Awesome! Portnoy wearing a between the buried and me shirt! haha

[@EnragedSephiroth]

Shame Portnoy isn't with DT anymore. :( This was a fleeting moment of what could have been.

[@eclecto]

fucking awsome, portnoy and akerfeldt together as a side proyect could be really sick! sick till death. I'm dying to see already the next clips. Luv mike's shirt.

[@miniatureface]

i very much agree

[@MrBogeytime]

a couple of the coolest guys ever. IS THAT A BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME SHIRT?? fuckin metal.

[@NicklasNylander87]

these guys should have a podcast talking about records

[@benoz11]

Hahaha it's like a casual coffee meeting.

[@LordSummerIsle73]

Mikaels style goes from, jeans t shirt with a cool jacket, to a mum watching her kids play football

[@SanskarWagley]

That would be awesome...

[@Thundercleese26]

i have the same exact scarf as Mikael!

[@Angelfish1234]

Eighth. Fuck yeah road trip!!! I'll be seeing them in Cleveland. Gona be fucking amazing.

[@Elivener]

Mikael here looks like hipster)

[@Fargus990]

This room is a special room, counterbalanced with lame objects to cancel out the epicness of the two Mikes within the room. Any other room would have immediately imploded from the sheer epicness. Placing Mikael Akerfeldt and Mike Portnoy in the same room is like dividing by zero.

[@divided_eye]

@EtherealSunrise honestly i cant even decide between the two. petrucci is my favorite guitar player personally (even compared to vai, satch, martone, srv, etc).... but akerfeldt is a G!

[@RLuteran]

@EtherealSunrise well put

[@RustInPeace9]

gotta love the BTBAM t-shirt that Portnoy is rockin'

[@gzazz]

The Finnish gig at which MIke Portnoy saw the band. He didn't like the lighting and he thought the crowd hated them.

[@speakthewordfool]

yessssss agreed

[@Botschli1812]

image these two guys would produce an album. that would be the best record ever made. mikael with his extremely beautiful voice and mike portnoy´s drums. and both of them have a sense for melodies and song writing. i would love to hear a record from "Opeth Theater" or "Dream Opeth"

[@brianharding5618]

Opetharium

[@Judas_Betrayalband]

@@brianharding5618 dreamwater park

[@Ghost__Reveries]

Gods!

[@PimpMasterT]

yup, hence the twelve steps starting from six degrees xD

[@theradu123]

cool story bro

[@AdamRedmond88]

third? Anyways looking forward to the Detroit show!

[@eclecto]

i want that btbam shirt portnoy's wearing!

[@Gearllermo]

hell yeah Mike Portnoy is wearing a Between The Buried And Me t-shirt, I din't saw that until now lol Progressive Nation is the best fuckin' tour anyone has made!!!!!!!!

[@jabottom]

These men are GODS!

[@GorillaCrod]

a btbam shirt, thats amazing, but a scarf and a coffee in hand= godly

[@maidendtpos]

i believe mikael, mike, and steven wilson of Porcupine Tree are planning some sort of side project actually

[@PimpMasterT]

2 geniuses

[@DeeDeeBaxter]

Oh Roadrunner I'm very sad you closed your London office :-( Here's my attempt at Benighted. I butchered it so next attempt this week

[@passionateintrovert]

I'm sure the second they hear the death growls is the reason they think that.

[@ayreonaut]

@gnrcr they were going to (with Steven Wilson) but Mikael said that there was no room for a drummer in the project.

[@Tkot2326]

@EtherealSunrise Yeah, they both have completely different styles of playing too. I mean, they can both shred, no doubt about it, but when it comes down to their slower, more mellower solos (which I always find more interesting anyways), Petrucci seems to live higher on the neck than Akerfeldt, and Akerfeldt seems to like dissonance and syncopation a bit more than Petrucci. These are just my impressions though, I haven't by any means done a serious comparison between the two, haha.

[@flyingV1043]

You can kind of think whatever you like. Shouldn't be a problem for you though, thinking lowly of yourself.

[@ibanez33150]

two gods unite.

[@parkerbob99]

THE SCARF! :D

[@Practice9Perfection]

2 giants of music in the same screen?

[@henriquefmq]

is it me or their tense :P

[@slashNpage77]

seriously, i'm surprised the camera man made it out alive. he must have had to keep his eyes closed the whole time

[@l1quidsnak3]

i just noticed that portnoy wearings a btbam shirt

[@maynrdjkeenan]

Mikael is wearing a scarf. How badass is that?

[@OhLookBirdies]

I'm a guy, and I'm not even gay, and I find his voice sexy.

[@premier86]

Does anybody know, what is that cap Portnoy wears, it is kind of cool cap?

[@Faraway120]

which mike are you referring to, specify

[@brandon5pennies]

i have that btbam shirt portnoys wearing! haha

[@nickmorrow2613]

Wow I didn’t know Mikael Akerfeldt was 4’6”…

[@007nikster2]

You could hear a pin drop.

[@kaannkldr]

best couple

[@MrSander13]

he does, at 1:05 he hides it with his hands rofl

[@alkleiza1995]

michael akerfeldt is the dave grohl of metal.

[@artemangasgmail]

malaka :)

[@eliceus]

1:03 Watch Mike subconsciously giving Aker the finger for acting like an ass after such a compliment about Dt playing the Damnation record during their shows’ intermission. Mike is so into Opeth and Aker is so arrogant and doesn’t care. By then, Aker just knew he was beyond prog metal.

[@darkhero101010]

does Mike has a BTBAM shirt?

[@patorocker5]

he is not a stoner i don't remeber but i think that since first Dt album is clean and i n very album have a song about AA

[@Woqx]

hey i found one point in which portnoy actually beats buddy double bass ^^

[@CristianTejadaU]

@asikere anything more your majesty??

[@ETM9000]

haha... he's drinking a starbucks latte.

[@linegenrou]

Mikael owns all