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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Portrait - Crossroads + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Jun-08-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2014 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........08 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Portrait Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Crossroads Label : Metal Blade ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Swedish heavy metal band Portrait was, along ║ │
│║ with In Solitude, one of the pioneers of the ║ │
│║ Mercyful Fate worship trend that quite a few ║ │
│║ bands from that country (as well as a couple ║ │
│║ from other countries) have been undertaking. ║ │
│║ Despite its popularity, I haven't particularly ║ │
│║ liked a whole lot I've heard from this scene; ║ │
│║ not that most of it is actively bad, just ║ │
│║ mediocre or decent, with too many problems ║ │
│║ holding bands back. Even Portrait themselves, ║ │
│║ whose 2011 effort is highly lauded in many ║ │
│║ circles, didn't used to do much for me. Crimen ║ │
│║ Laesae Majestatis Divinae (CLMD) felt a bit ║ │
│║ confused too my ears, over-the-top in all the ║ │
│║ wrong places and with songwriting that didn't ║ │
│║ always seem fully developed. Again, I didn't ║ │
│║ hate it or anything, just thought it was merely ║ │
│║ decent and didn't really reach the band's ║ │
│║ potential. 2014's Crossroads completely blows ║ │
│║ that album and every other album from the scene ║ │
│║ out of the water, embodying everything I wanted ║ │
│║ CLMD to be and much much more, exceeding my ║ │
│║ highest expectations of the band. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The atmosphere and overall sound are pretty ║ │
│║ similar to that of the previous effort, but ║ │
│║ everything just fits together so much better. ║ │
│║ Vocalist Per Lengstedt, who even on the last ║ │
│║ release I thought was awesome, is even more ║ │
│║ awesome, with a bit more of a refined sound but ║ │
│║ still wild and aggressive as hell, with chaotic ║ │
│║ shrieks and unholy multi-tracking that just ║ │
│║ melts your face off. ("WE WERE NOT, ║ │
│║ ALOOOOOONEEEE!!!") The riff structures ║ │
│║ complement him much better as well, I feel, with ║ │
│║ a better flow to most songs and mind-blowing ║ │
│║ harmonies that are just perfect. In most of the ║ │
│║ songs, every note seems specially crafted for ║ │
│║ that particular moment, something I've said of ║ │
│║ Arch era Fates Warning and Slauter Xstroyes, ║ │
│║ which is the highest of praise for me. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Crossroads doesn't have that uber-progressive, ║ │
│║ constantly changing riff progression that those ║ │
│║ two bands possess, but that's not to their ║ │
│║ detriment in any way; that's not what they're ║ │
│║ going for here at all. The fact that every riff ║ │
│║ and vocal melody just seems perfectly in place ║ │
│║ is a testament to the band's seamless ║ │
│║ songwriting here. The level of maturity between ║ │
│║ 2011's CLMD and this year's Crossroads is ║ │
│║ insane; in 3 short years, the band has gone from ║ │
│║ decent to top-tier classic. Even the acoustic ║ │
│║ intro feels just right, and I usually skip ║ │
│║ instrumentals. It's hard to pick specific ║ │
│║ highlights here, as the whole album is just of ║ │
│║ the highest quality, but "We Were Not Alone" ║ │
│║ (which I couldn't help but quote earlier) is a ║ │
│║ personal favorite, as the dark, vast atmosphere ║ │
│║ just sucks you in and doesn't let go. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ "Lily" is also worth mentioning as it's a bit ║ │
│║ different from the other songs on the album, a ║ │
│║ multi-part epic with a bone-chilling, murky and ║ │
│║ decrepit acoustic intro that fucking rules, ║ │
│║ followed by a monstrous galloping guitar riff ║ │
│║ and a lead that harmonizes perfectly, as usual ║ │
│║ for this record. Unfortunately, the vocal lines ║ │
│║ seem a little out of sync with the guitars when ║ │
│║ they come in, the only time on the album that ║ │
│║ happens, and something I noticed frequently in ║ │
│║ CLMD, but the riff is sweet enough that it ║ │
│║ doesn't really matter much. Once it switches to ║ │
│║ the next riff/vocal melody, this problem is ║ │
│║ gone, and the song becomes of insane quality ║ │
│║ once again, with multi-tracking out the ass and ║ │
│║ epic riff after epic riff. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ A nearly flawless end to a nearly perfect album, ║ │
│║ really, and I can say with confidence that ║ │
│║ despite us only being five months or so into the ║ │
│║ year, this could easily be the best album of ║ │
│║ 2014, as you don't here an album of this caliber ║ │
│║ very often. With 2013 having the glorious Virgin ║ │
│║ Sails (Satan's Host) and this year producing the ║ │
│║ classic Crossroads, metal is looking to be the ║ │
│║ best it's been since the late 80s, I can't wait ║ │
│║ to see what album will blow me away next. If ║ │
│║ you're a fan of heavy metal, the Swedish MF- ║ │
│║ worship scene, or Portrait, get this album ║ │
│║ immediately, you absolutely will not be ║ │
│║ disappointed. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Liberation [01:44] │
│ 02 - At The Ghost Gate [06:52] │
│ 03 - We Were Not Alone [05:01] │
│ 04 - In Time [04:59] │
│ 05 - Black Easter [05:38] │
│ 06 - Ageless Rites [04:57] │
│ 07 - Our Roads Must Never Cross [04:36] │
│ 08 - Lily [09:05] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [42:52 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
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