Steven Wilson (ex-Porcupine Tree) recently guested on Scars & Guitars to discuss his forthcoming album, The Future Bites, his current stance on guitars, working with Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt and metal artists in general, and more.

On working with Opeth and co-producing Blackwater Park (2001), Deliverance (2002), and Damnation (2003):

"At the time, I think myself and Mike were in a very similar situation to each other, but coming from different directions. He was coming from a background as a death metal performer but wanting to broaden his creativity; at the same time, I was coming from psychedelic and progressive music, but becoming more interested in the possibilities of the heavy, heavier sound. So it's interesting how we both kind of met at a similar... we were almost like passing trains that were coming from different directions but arrived at a similar point."

"For me, working with Opeth was a way to give them a perhaps more of a sophisticated production, more layers in the sound, more subtlety in the sound, and also to be able to learn a little bit more about the world of extreme brutal metal music, which I then took away and incorporated into my band at the time Porcupine Tree. So it was a very mutually beneficial experience I'm still very pleased and proud to be a part of for sure."

On metal bands approaching him about working together following the Opeth collaborations:

"They did and I said no to all of them because none of them were as good as Opeth. I think that's part of the problem that when you were with Opeth, you're kind of spoiled in a way, just the sophistication and the musicality that Mikael has is really quite exceptional."

Check out the interview here.