Portrayal of Guilt – Christfucker (Recommendation)

Welcome to the second release in one year by Portrayal of Guilt. The last release We are always alone saw the band evolving their extreme sound found on their debut Let Pain be your Guide.

“The sixth Circle“serves as a good hint of the direction Christfucker will take. Things are a bit more sorted this time, at least at the beginning, but the more the song progresses the more it dissolves into chaos. Other songs that follow this paradigm are “Sadist” (featuring some inhuman sounds by Jenna Rose) or “Fall from Grace” (with Jeremy Bolm in a supporting role).

“Bed of Ashes” is another song that sticks out to me. “Bed of Ashes” is a noisy, bass-driven song that one would expect on a Full of Hell or the Body record. A heavy breather that chokes you at the same time.

The closing couple “…where the Suffering never ends” and “Possession” put an end to this album, summing up, what has been awesome about this album: straightforward aggression and a dark and bleak atmosphere that closes its grip one last time.

„Seamless“ was a word I used in the review of their last album and here lies the big difference to the new album Christfucker. We are always alone felt like a long fever-dream, while Christfucker feels like an aural nightmare in several episodes. It is hard to describe, but here the songs are more straight forward and separated from each other. But don’t be afraid they are still pretty far away from being accessible or anything you could hum along to.

This album cements the position Portrayal of Guilt have at the moment: They are among the most atmospheric, extreme and innovative hardcore bands out there. It will surely be a sight to see, which direction this band will take next.