The album has been remastered by Steven Wilson and the 2017 master has features noticeably less compression and limiting in order to provide a more dynamic listening experience.

Deadwing was the band's eighth studio album and the second in a run of three releases that for many represent the pinnacle of the band's artistic achievements. Following the breakthrough of In Absentia, Deadwing continued the band’s commercial and critical ascent and was PT's top selling record at the time.

Based on a screenplay written by Steven Wilson and director Mike Bennion, around half of the songs were started with a view to being part of the score to that film, but when the film failed to move into the production stage, Wilson instead made them the foundation for Deadwing, with additional material written in collaboration with the other band members. The album features the classic singles: Shallow and Lazarus, the latter of which Wilson still performs live with his current band. Other popular songs from the album include Open Car and Arriving Somewhere But Not Here.

The album features guest appearances from Adrian Belew (King Crimson), who plays guitar solos on the title track and Halo, and Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth), who adds vocal harmonies and a guitar solo to Arriving Somewhere But Not Here.