PORTRAIT
PORTRAIT “The Host”
By Theron Moore
Swedish metal masters PORTRAIT drop their new record, ‘The Host,’ June 21 via Metal Blade Records. Their sixth album is being described as somewhat of a concept record which can either be magnificent and epic or a complete trainwreck. Founding guitarist Christian Lindell describes the new offering as, “an occult tale of sword andsorcery…The story takes place in seventeenth century Sweden and revolves around an unnamed protagonist who, because of his experiences with the injustice and hypocrisy of this world, decides to seek truth and strength through its ‘Adversary.’” Alright, I’m in, you got me. The question now becomes, did the band pull it off?
Before we dive into the meat of the record, let’s address the elephant in theroom. Yep, there’s going to be KING DIAMOND comparisons aplenty but guess what? It’s ALL PORTRAIT, every song has their signature sound and style stamped all over it. The music, the vocals, the lyrics, ‘The Host’ is all killer no filler. I dig this style of music when it’s played well, the right way, and PORTRAIT are masters at doing this. ‘The Host’ is a great record.
Tracks two through four bring the speed and thunder while track five, “One Last Kiss,” slows it down but keeps the heaviness factor alive and well, adding to it a sense of atmosphere and depth making it one of the better tunes on this record. It’s something of an interlude to emphasize the storytelling taking place, but nails it, 100%.
“Sound The Horn,” might be the most frenzied and chaotic song on ‘The Host,’ being part speed, thrash, and power metal. The interplay of all three styles amplifies the intensity of the lyrics, providing the perfect segue into “Dweller Of The Threshold,” cranking up the urgency and magnitude even more.
I can’t say enough good things about PORTRAIT’s ‘The Host.’ It’s European power metal at its finest. As far as concept records go, this might be one of the best of the lastdecade or two. Stream it, buy it, love it, ‘The Host’ will make my best of ’24 end of yeartop ten list for sure.
4/5 Stars