Rocker (feedbot)
Platinum Member
Trying to pigeonhole Portrayal Of Guilt’s sound has always been a fruitless task. The Austin threepiece have been releasing their own brand of twisted darkness for nearly a decade now, effortlessly fusing influences as broad as black metal, death metal and noise rock to create their own avant-garde, nihilistic noise. On LP number four, ‘…The Beginning Of The End’, they broaden their palette even further, incorporating elements of early nu-metal, trip-hop and 90s industrial into their idiosyncratic sound. What’s impressive is how seamlessly they blend these elements into their existing identity, both bursting with new ideas whilst remaining distinctively Portrayal of Guilt in sound and feel.
Opening with the spooky licks and tight grooves of all-too-short instrumental ‘Backstabber’, the album launches proper with the pulsating, twisted ‘Human Terror’. The filthiest bass tone you’ll hear this year paves way for a twirling, hypnotic nu-metalesque guitar riff before Matt King’s ferocious snarl takes centre stage. Bolstered further by a hip-hop flavoured groove courtesy of powerhouse sticksman James Beveridge, ‘Human Terror’ is disarmingly catchy, and sets the murky, unnerving tone for what lies ahead.
‘Heaven’s Gate’, finds the band in more familiar Portrayal Of Guilt territory (if there is such a thing), with a lo-fi, claustrophobic feel to the barrage of guitar and frantic blast beats. Similarly, ‘Under Siege’ is an all out assault on the senses, as caustic and raw as Portrayal Of Guilt get, with an undercurrent of industrial elements creeping in. The dirt ridden bass tone returns on the dancy ‘Ecstasy’, a creepy and unnervingly catchy little number that sounds like a death metal spin on the 90s trip-hop inspired output of Beck.
Elsewhere, the band dial up the evil and nasty even further. ‘God Will Never Hear Me’ is one of the bleakest pieces of music the band have recorded. A waking nightmare set to music, a discordant riff rings out over a threatening pulsating bass, bringing to mind ‘The Fragile’ era Nine Inch Nails with its swirling malevolent riffs and threatening vocal passages. Similarly the threatening aura of ‘Object Of Pain’, carves a similar path that Crippling Alcoholism did last year on ‘Camgirl’, as post-punk inspired riffs, industrial noise and sinister vocals are propelled along on by an addictive laidback beat and air of unease.
King gets to flex his guitar chops and vocal prowess even further on the choppy and savage ‘Total Black’, whilst ‘Chamber of Misery Pt. IV’ finds the band embracing the hip-hop influences further with a guest spot from Slim Guerilla. Closing the record is the brutal, Primitive Man-recalling oppression of ‘The Last Judgement’; a colossal, pummelling track that ends with King’s most visceral and blood curdling scream echoing out over the album’s final moments.
With ‘…The Beginning Of The End’, Portrayal of Guilt have created their most accessible, diverse and darkest set of songs to date. A band that have always carved their own path, by embracing more melodic, but no less dark, elements into their sound the Austin trio have managed to paint a more nuanced picture with varying shades of black. Bleak yet catchy, oppressive yet danceable, varied yet cohesive ‘…The Beginning Of The End’ is Portrayal Of Guilt’s most sophisticated and immersive album to date, and one of the most rewarding listens you’ll hear this year.
ADAM FIRTH
Opening with the spooky licks and tight grooves of all-too-short instrumental ‘Backstabber’, the album launches proper with the pulsating, twisted ‘Human Terror’. The filthiest bass tone you’ll hear this year paves way for a twirling, hypnotic nu-metalesque guitar riff before Matt King’s ferocious snarl takes centre stage. Bolstered further by a hip-hop flavoured groove courtesy of powerhouse sticksman James Beveridge, ‘Human Terror’ is disarmingly catchy, and sets the murky, unnerving tone for what lies ahead.
‘Heaven’s Gate’, finds the band in more familiar Portrayal Of Guilt territory (if there is such a thing), with a lo-fi, claustrophobic feel to the barrage of guitar and frantic blast beats. Similarly, ‘Under Siege’ is an all out assault on the senses, as caustic and raw as Portrayal Of Guilt get, with an undercurrent of industrial elements creeping in. The dirt ridden bass tone returns on the dancy ‘Ecstasy’, a creepy and unnervingly catchy little number that sounds like a death metal spin on the 90s trip-hop inspired output of Beck.
Elsewhere, the band dial up the evil and nasty even further. ‘God Will Never Hear Me’ is one of the bleakest pieces of music the band have recorded. A waking nightmare set to music, a discordant riff rings out over a threatening pulsating bass, bringing to mind ‘The Fragile’ era Nine Inch Nails with its swirling malevolent riffs and threatening vocal passages. Similarly the threatening aura of ‘Object Of Pain’, carves a similar path that Crippling Alcoholism did last year on ‘Camgirl’, as post-punk inspired riffs, industrial noise and sinister vocals are propelled along on by an addictive laidback beat and air of unease.
King gets to flex his guitar chops and vocal prowess even further on the choppy and savage ‘Total Black’, whilst ‘Chamber of Misery Pt. IV’ finds the band embracing the hip-hop influences further with a guest spot from Slim Guerilla. Closing the record is the brutal, Primitive Man-recalling oppression of ‘The Last Judgement’; a colossal, pummelling track that ends with King’s most visceral and blood curdling scream echoing out over the album’s final moments.
With ‘…The Beginning Of The End’, Portrayal of Guilt have created their most accessible, diverse and darkest set of songs to date. A band that have always carved their own path, by embracing more melodic, but no less dark, elements into their sound the Austin trio have managed to paint a more nuanced picture with varying shades of black. Bleak yet catchy, oppressive yet danceable, varied yet cohesive ‘…The Beginning Of The End’ is Portrayal Of Guilt’s most sophisticated and immersive album to date, and one of the most rewarding listens you’ll hear this year.
ADAM FIRTH