(Here we present Wil Cifer’s review of a new album by Texas-based Portrayal of Guilt, which will be released on April 24th by Run For Cover.)
If you had to ask me what band would be the future of heavy music, I would say Portrayal of Guilt. They are not hampered by being tied to any sub-genre. They are forward-thinking, rather than being bolted to the nostalgia of an era, no aspirations to recreate ’90s Tampa or Bergen. Their album We Are Always Alone stands as a masterpiece that this band’s work is measured against. After releasing that album, they pushed themselves to sonic extremes, and …Beginning of the End finds them pushing themselves into a more experimental direction, while making music that might resonate the most with larger, more mainstream metal audiences without compromising who they are.
L-R: Alex Stanfield (Bass), Matt King (Vocals/Guitar), James Beveridge (Drums) – photo By Craig Murray
One of their trademarks is finding themselves at various genre crossroads. Grindcore being one of the more frequent ones, and hardcore is another more notable sonic flavor they have painted their compositions with. This new album finds them opening their arsenal to include a greater range of sounds, and while tightening the songwriting, they have retained their unsettling, confrontational style. Sometimes the riffs carry an oppressive sludge-like weight, at others they churn out the kind of hardcore that makes kids have karate spasms in the pit.
Beefy basslines are one of this album’s staples. “Heaven’s Gate” is an example of this, and it anchors the song amid the volatile chaos. Ambience still haunts the corners of the song, creating dynamics rather than just bashing your ears out. One of the best things about this band is how they display that one can create abrasive and unhinged fury, while still creating music with hooks that draw us in for repeat listens. The vocals bark with purpose. The songs have something to say. The album is well broken up with the more experimental forays into things falling outside the bounds of metal, giving the listener room to breathe. “Ecstasy’ even goes as far as drawing from a weird brand of ’90s alternative while not forsaking the rough edges.
Even in the moment where the gnashing of teeth is not the primary focus, they come across as being at their heaviest by delving further into darkness. The vocals brood with self-loathing to create a contrast to the more resonant death-metal growls of a song like “Death From Above”. Dissonant. sludged out, clanging around, as they jerk you in an angular path through their house of horrors.
The opening riff to “Total Black” might be the most pleasing to more mainstream metal. The song grooves in its own way, even when the riff drops out to create space. “Object of Pain” feels like the kind of barroom despair of an alcoholic muttering the final words before going into the bathroom to blow his brains out. This is a real and tangible darkness, not any corpse-painted tomfoolery. The album comes to an explosive close with “The Last Judgement”. They give the vocals room, so they are not just an afterthought. Fans of the band will find this to be the next logical step of growth for the band, while it provides an excellent entry point to show what these guys are about. That opens up on the verse, so give the vocals room to be more than an afterthought.
If this comes across as being too experimental, then your ears are just boring. They have raised the bar for themselves, as even the most recent albums by Neurosis and Converge did not take this many chances. This demands repeat listens to take it all in.
https://portrayalofguilt.bandcamp.com/album/beginning-of-the-end
https://www.facebook.com/portrayalofguilt