Album Review: Portrayal of Guilt - Christfucker
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Straight out of Austin, Texas and an operational band since only 2017, the sensitively-named Christfucker is Portrayal of Guilt’s third full-length studio album and their second of 2021 – with album number 2, We Are Always Alone, hitting the shelves back in January. Couple that with the August release of a split extended play with Chat Pile and you’ve got yourselves one of heavy music’s hardest working trios.
Demonstrating that Black Metal is an attitude rather than a style and with no corpse paint anywhere to be seen, Portrayal of Guilt’s latest is perhaps one of the most dark and bleak albums you’ll hear this year. And, while the central pillar of Christfucker is Black Metal, the band incorporate all manner of other stylistic aspects, all of which go into creating a disconcerting and down-right unsettling listening experience.
The intro is merely a dissonant buzz and unearthly voices, yet it sets the scene for The Sixth Circle’s massive driving riff and gritty feel. It’s only as the track comes to it conclusion, as the howling guitars fade, that the Black Metal staple blast beat appears. Elsewhere, it’s only really Dirge that conforms to the accepted Black Metal template and it does so in the rawest fashion possible.
At times, Christfucker feels like an exploration of the possibilities of Black Metal itself. Sadist’s industrial feel invites Jenna Rose of Anatomy to lend the track her Banshee wails; whereas Bed of Ash is slow and atmospheric and lives by an incessant bass pulse. The track ...Where the Suffering Never Ends could well be Portrayal of Guilt channelling their inner Blut Aus Nord - circa MoRT
Where the album is at its strongest is when Portrayal of Guilt take the Black Metal formula and blend it with other styles. Master/ Slave begins as gritty and grimy as anyone could wish before unfolding soundscapes based on the juxtaposition of melee and calm; Possession is haunted and edgy and plays with the post-hardcore genre before bringing down an enormous riff to end the record. The Crucifixion has a distinctly Mars Volta opening before going dark and frightening.
All of the ideas of Christfucker seem to be encapsulated in the track Fall From Grace. It merges the blast beat with the eerie and ominous, while at the same time utilising odd, almost upbeat, drum patterns that suggest jazz or even the imminent appearance of Willy Wonka. Touché Amoré vocalist Jeremy Bolm guests on this track, his contribution being a world away from his usual day job.
The sound across the whole of the album is immense, especially for a three-piece, Alex Stanfield and James Beveridge – bass and drum, respectively – holding it all together as Matt King weaves six-string spells and provides the raw vocals.
There used to be the accusation that Americans could not do Black Metal. Well, that has been well-and-truly scorched back at the start of the 2010’s and bands like Deafheaven, Wolves in the Throne Room and Cobalt. Portrayal of Guilt are up there now and Christfucker is another example of their mastery of the craft and proof positive that you don’t necessarily need corpse paint and inverted crossed to channel the blackness.
