Portrait - Phantom Fathomer

When it comes to modern heavy metal, there are few bands operating at the same level as PORTRAIT. For a decade and a half, the Swedish unit has been forging their own path, and in the process, infusing life into a longstanding, well-established genre and taking it in new directions.

Following up 2017's acclaimed "Burn The World", they return with the mighty "At One With None", which was recorded at JFK Studios in Kristianstad, Sweden with Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, HATESPHERE) handling the mixing. While PORTRAIT fans will immediately recognize it as the work of their heroes, they are not simply rehashing old ideas and treading where they have before. "One simple 'rule' that I have had personally is that no song written for this album and onwards should be similar to any song that we have already written and released. We have been doing this for 15 years now, and I am proud to say that I think we have managed to find our own identity and sound, which can't really be said about that many bands today. This is our greatest achievement, and the goal is to keep exploring and developing our own sound, without repeating ourselves." The results of working with this philosophy are undeniable, making for an essential addition to the Portrait canon.

That the band holds itself to an undeniably high standard shines through at every turn, pushing themselves and refusing to let go until a song is perfect. "We take it very seriously and it is always a challenge to change arrangements or remove song parts which you have been satisfied with for months, suddenly realizing that they are not good enough. A part of you always wants to say 'This song is finished now, it will work out, let's move on with the next, and sometimes it's hard to accept anything else. No part, riff or melody is good enough if it 'works out, it needs to add something or else it must be scratched." Having started writing for the record in the first half of 2019, they ended up with 11 tracks, which they considered too much given their average song length, and the next job was to decide which would make it onto the album, never an easy task for a band that has sweated over everything they have written, finalizing this once the record was tracked in October of 2020.

Lyrically, all of the songs deal with spirituality in different forms. "I have a gnostic outlook on this world and existence, which naturally colors the lyrics," explains Lindell. "Some lyrics are 'philosophical' while others describe experiences of the unseen in different ways." The title track is about questioning that which is accepted as 'truth' on all levels of existence, and asking why things are as they seem. "On another level, the title and lyrics speak of the divine spark of all rebellious spirits, who are 'one with no-one' in this world and strive to transcend all limits in order to become at one with none, as in nought, before and beyond all."

PORTRAIT line-up:

Per Lengstedt - vocals

Christian Lindell - guitars

Fredrik Petersson - bass

Anders Persson - drums

Today's tune "Phantom Fathomer", which deals with the herd mentality and people's blind trust in authorities, in particular, the lyrics having an almost sarcastic twist to them, which is not something the band has really done before. Video credits: Girl - Eelin Oinonen, Villain - Micke P Wilson / skrackfabriken.se Director of photography - Stefan Johansson / photobystefan.se. Enjoy!



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