PORTAL
Vexovoid

"Seepia" is the debut album by PORTAL originally released in 2003. A vision of utter horror, 'Seepia' is perhaps one of the most unique and intimidating albums ever conceived. Depraved, artsy and morally-impaired, through a twisted mindfuck of oppressive histrionics and the class of classic avant-garde cinema, Portal portrays theatrical musical dementia through a death metal lens.

The latest work of death metal psychosis from Australia... PORTAL's "Swarth" is the death metal release that invokes the end of the world and is Portal's most surreal, disturbing, and irregular offering to date. The approach to Portal's style of death metal has always tread the fine line between sheer madness and the intricately artful. Cinematic in scope, like a death metal interpretation of The Cabinet Of Dr. Cagliari or the death metal soundtrack to an ancient silent arthouse flick gone terribly awry, Portal have pretty much transcended the interpretation of what death metal should portray, and simply inverted and twisted it to no end. Even moreso on "Swarth".

"Outre" sees Portal take their adhering style of surreal demented bizarre death metal (although Portal really transcend such a term these days, especially in this day in age where most bands that pass as "death metal" present a feeble display, far from what true horrifying death metal should encompass) and take it to a much more disturbing paradigm, than was found on the band's monumental "Seepia" observation.
Overall, such an album as "Outre" will only alienate Portal even more from the so-called death metal scene of today. Were most musicians like to play it safe and typical in such a genre, where things become easy to comprehend, Portal merely transcend all boundaries and go much beyond into a realm where no other band in the genre dare step foot in (on a musical and lyrical sense).

The debut album Seepia was documented in 2003 and displayed a destructive aural assault as rusty and antique as the artwork portrays, a bastardisation of Beherit & Immolation in recognition.

4-panel digipack with 8-page booklet.