The bottomless expanse of the eternally damned is an awfully vast zone of activity for one band to claim. But this Austin threepiece tells no lies with the title of their fourth full-length. Devil Music is singular enough to cut through the howling wail of various tortured souls and tingle the singed tip of Satan’s tuning fork. Quite conspicuously, the album splits in two halves – a fully metal A-side and a B-side consisting of chamber-style arrangements of the same material (even atop French horns, bandleader Matt King’s cat-vomit vocal stylings remain gorgeously at center). In the hands of another, more easily categorized metal/hardcore act, this conceit would probably play like a cheeky novelty. But swirling strings and thudding guitars compare more than they contrast, brilliantly revealing that the band’s “normal” music – a prowling, rhythmic churn that moves like sludge metal but strikes with blackened ferocity – is actually pretty avant. Portrayal of Guilt started as a fairly traditional chaotic screamo band six years ago, and though they’re probably sick of reviews reminding listeners, you’ll marvel at how scrubbed of obvious influences they’ve become. Well, non-demonic influences.
This article appears in April 28 • 2023.