Portrait-Crossroads

Published: Absolute Underground#58 June/July 2014 

PORTRAIT is a classic metal band that formed in Sweden in 2006. They've had a good reception since they started, with a reputation for hard work and great live shows all over Europe. There's been a few line-up changes but they have managed two full length releases and three EPs. After a few more changes and a tonne of festival dates playing with hundreds of other bands for thousands of people the next album was ready to go. This one is titled "Crossroads" and the band says it's their most important work to date.
After two minutes of classical guitar intro the second song starts off galloping. Vocals have a great Diamond/Halford feel to them. Mix in some solid twin guitar and you got some wicked 1983 going on. #4"In Time" had a wicked lead harmonics over rythym riff that gives the song a kick. #5"Black Easter" has a kickin bass line that really makes you want to headbang. Good and high tempo with great guitar interplay. There is some pretty solid guitar play and song-writing on display in the next few songs. There's just enough mix of riffs and hooks to make these two songs catchy yet still interesting to listen too. They left the mellow song for the end in #9 "Lily". Well the whole song isn't mellow but it's nine minutes long so it has a lot of room to move between the ballady beginning and the epic charging middle and back to a mellow ending
If you're a fan of metal from the early to mid-eighties I think you'll be into this. It has a feel of whitewitch or maybe a little first wave dickinson. The song writing and structure feel like they were written and recorded in an old studio, there was a lot of thought put into making sure this wasn't just another throwback sounding album. I can't really reccomend just one song to show you what the album is all about. They all fit the mold but all in different ways. So get out your patched denim vest and bang your head.


Michael F. Carnage

http://www.portraitmetal.com/