Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 04:38 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Heavy Metal
Country: Sweden
Label: Metal Blade Records
Year: 2021
While the Heavy Metal universe is still arguing whether the new Iron Maiden album is a masterpiece or a golden mediocre same old song situation, the exact same day Portrait released their 5th studio album. Probably this is the only reason why I haven’t seen any rich feedback from social media or music Press for the Swedes latest effort. Because Portrait once again delivered a great album. At One With None features 8 compositions where Portrait trying to explore their sound without forgetting their origins and their influences, still developing their style and approaching. Following up 2017′s acclaimed Burn The World, the new album At One With None, was recorded at JFK Studios in Kristianstad, Sweden with Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Hatesphere) handling the mixing. Portrait fans will immediately recognize all the ingredients of their favorite band that made them love them. The Judas Priest guitars and the Mercyful Fate solos and high pitched vocal lines are brought with a fresh view, as the Swedes are not simply rehashing old ideas and treading where they have before. Of course you won’t find any experimentalism or progressive elements as they keep following the same motif in their song writing. Yet the final result is tempting, charming and full of tension. 2011’s Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae remains their finest effort and the jewel on their crown, but the new album is really brilliant too. After all it establishes for the fifth time that the band (that let me remind you that is already 15 years on the road) have the potential to become a big name for Heavy Metal. But will or can they do that? I really don’t know but the band knows that they aren’t anymore the small Swedish band in High Roller roster and as they have Metal Blade support they must try to achieve it. What I know is that we need bands like Portrait that know how important is to keep the flame of the underground alive even they end up playing in arenas or in a small town’s local bar for a dozen of boozers…I believe that their following album will be crucial whether they will become a bigger name or not. Until that day comes we can enjoy a great album like At One With None and some of its highlight moments like “Curtains (The Dumb Supper)”, “Phantom Fathomer”, “A Murder of Crows” and “The Gallow’s Crossing”.
