Before you get all excited, this is not the demented Aussies with a new album, this is the Swedish version of Portal on their second album and is some 13 years since their debut in 2001. This band has Matthias Fiebig and Emil Koverot from the Blodsrit, the former also plays in Paganizer as well. There is very little surprise for the listener on this release which is solidly like Amon Amarth in virtually every aspect the moment “In The Steps Of Forgotten Gods” kicks the album off. The riffing and tone is very similar as is the general heaviness due to the continuous double kick deployed practically throughout the album, which can only be a good thing. The bands epic guitar hook laden material is infectious, equal to their Viking compatriots on all battle fronts. As with any act that uses another’s style as their template something different needs adding to the fold or it will be ditched as a total copycat and thankfully Portal bring in some diverse elements such as clean vocals which make an appearance towards the end of the opener and sound perfect for the style.
Anyone who likes Amon Amarth is going to love this, so long as they’re not narrow minded enough to discard any allies to the scene as traitors to the Viking death metal foundation. Clean vocals emerge earlier on “On Far Trail” and despite being a little clumsy in delivery they do work and add depth and consistency to the band’s songs, maybe even more grandiose and epic. I did like “The Wild And The Furious” which bursts into life like a roaring hoard with vocals bellowing like chants of war and very like latter day Amon Amarth, though the speed is ramped up substantially on this tune, though the double bass courses through the song like molten metal casting weapons for bloody combat. The balancing of barked vocals with a clean style is excellent when the song drops into a softer semi-acoustic piece and is extremely like Thyrfing and to some degree Wolfchant as well. This momentum is retained on “In Chase For The Sun” which is very catchy, a real head banger of a tune after the furious start is diluted back slightly. The vocals have a great feeling to them, poignant but rousing and backed again by clean vocals. The speed is swift on the breaks giving the most ardent head banger plenty of exercise on those neck muscles.
A Viking death metal style album is not complete without its own version of a ballad and “The Celebration Of My Fall” is just that song, which you’d probably have guessed at judging by its title. The song starts slow, majestically raising its fist aloft in salute. The songs heaviness progressively increases as expected, generating that stirring uplifting feeling often residing in this style. This is a thoroughly enjoyable album with the album closing on “Kamp” and the outro piece “Curse Of The Fifth Crown” where a straight laced accessible riff starts the former. The spoken vocals add another dimension but generally this is right out of the Amon Amarth school of death metal. If you like Amon Amarth and bands of that ilk and are not bothered by the similarity like me, then this is a cracking listen until the next Amon Amarth album arrives.
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
https://www.facebook.com/portalswe
Leave a Reply