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Track Listing: Beast of Fire Infinite Descension Darkness Forever The Nightcomers The Passion Der Todesking

Power metal to the fullest with a retro vibe that will take you back to the early days of Mercyful Fate, that's probably the easiest way to describe Portrait's sound. Though fully well known in Europe, "Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae" will probably be their first introduction to metalheads in the U.S. The album jumps right in with a phenomenal lead guitar solo and drums played at a crushing speed that gives way to Per Karlsson's King-Diamond-esque falsetto vocals. Though I would say that Per's screams are a little more abrasive than the mighty King's.

"The Wilderness Beyond" is a haunting instrumental interlude that blends acoustic and electric guitar together with nice harmonies that gives the track plenty of atmosphere before "Bloodbath" kicks in at full speed. Per takes on the persona of King Diamond once again as Christian Lindell and Richard Lagergren show off their talents on guitar. These guys know how to deliver some incredible solos; which almost if not completely upstages the rest of the rhythm section. Though it's hard to deny Anders Persson does have some major skills on the drums as well.

The main problem I have with this album is repetition, one track bleeds right into the next without anything really distinguishing one from the other. There is plenty of aggression with searing guitar and headbanging rhythm but there's nothing really unique here that will grab your attention unfortunately. If you're looking for some straightforward heavy metal that you can crank in the background then Portrait is the band for you!