A to Z 2k18: P is for Portal

Band:  Portal
Song:  Revault Of Volts
Album:  Ion (2018)
Genre:  Death Metal

As you may remember if you were reading when I posted Avatar, I'm a huge fan of bands with a theme.  The theme of Portal is to be incredible mysterious, with insanely complicated music.

I believe to date the identities of the members of Portal remains a mystery.  While it's known that the band has gone through some shifts in members (thanks to this nifty wiki graph), they've managed to keep the general information on the band fairly light.

I love them though, I feel like the whole thing is a borderline ironic passion project like what my band is, only they're way better than we are.

The whole mystery around them is really attractive to me though.  This album is so much better mixed than earlier stuff had been too, so you can hear what all the many layers of instruments are doing rather well.  The old stuff was hella muddy, but this stuff is really surprisingly clear.  Well, for what it is at least.

There's so much I feel like I get out of this music though, and I was super pumped to learn they were releasing a new album (this one) this year.  I've given it a couple listens and it's basically exactly what I was hoping and dreaming for.

Needs a music video on par with Curtain or Glumurphonel though, it is missing that.

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New Release: Portal Ω Phreqs

Band:  Portal
Song:  Phreqs
Album:  Ion (2018)
Genre:  Death Metal

The Metal gods have decided to bless of yesterday on Thanksgiving by giving us a hot new single from Portal, experimental Extreme Metal band from Australia.

Portal was a band my dad and brother showed me a while ago because the singer is an interesting dude.  He wears like, a clock or a wizard hat whenever they play live, and as such fall right into my favorite category of band.  Bands with a gimmick.

Now I'll be the first to admit that bands like this are not for everybody.  They function much more heavily in the noise category than most other metal bands, but I don't really mind that.

This new track for their album Ion (to be released on January 28th) sounds a little different than their usual style.  It's still chaotic though, just in a slightly different way.  I love how it sounds, I can't wait to see what the rest of the album turns into.

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Portal Ω Curtain

Band:  Portal Ω
Genre:  Death Metal, Extreme Metal

I  posted this song a while ago, but I just couldn't resist popping my favorite clock headed band in my top 10 list.

This song is a nightmare of noise.  I wouldn't say that automatically qualifies it for top 10 status though, so you've gotta go deeper.

The music itself just sounds oppressively evil in a way that's hard to explain.  The video lends to it, sure, but it's more than that.  The deep sounds that it has, the growling, the minor key, it all lends to a song that's just crushingly depressing in a wonderful way.

Please enjoy Portal.

Portal - Curtain

You may remember these guys from the Week of Evil.  The guys with the clock headed singer?  Yeah.  Them.

This is one of the weirder music videos I've seen, and definitely one of the darker ones.

Even if you didn't like the band the first time around, please watch this.  If you enjoy older horror film styles, then this is something that would be right up your alley.

Gotta love Australia, right?

Portal - Glumurphonel

Portal.  Such an interesting group really.  I will start by letting you see the singer.

"Look at this clock on my head" - The Curator.

Any band that hires a clock headed man to lead a band of executioners is ok in my book, that's for sure.

So Portal is a band that is really heavy on endless riffs in a lot of songs.  The lead guitarist, going by the interesting name of "Horror Illogium" has said in the past that Portal's intent is "To capture a cinematic horror scope."  Basically, this guys further prove the point that anything from Australia is both badass and terrifying.  I mean, can you show me a borderline grind band that plays in suits?  I don't think so.  (Fleshgod Apocalypse doesn't count because they're Symphonic Death)

Here's a bonus, it's a live video.  The main difference is that in the studio mix it starts a lot more like a dark ambient song.  The more I listen to it, the more I think I need to obtain a physical copy of an album.

I don't think Glumurphonel is a real word, but that just fits what my brother said before, "Any band that has to make up words to sound scarier is probably a little evil."

Also that's a totally legit quote for anybody who was wondering.