Portrait Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divina

Portrait Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divina

(Metal Blade Records)

By: Chris Davison

OK, so having recently also reviewed the excellent In Solitude and their The World. The Flesh. The Devil. opus, it somehow seems quite apt that I should have the Portrait album to review. Portrait, also hailing from Sweden, also wear their love for all things King Diamond and Mercyful Fate proudly on their sleeves. That's resolutely ok with me, for I am also a massive fan of the one and only King (and his idiosyncratic vocals, not to mention his pioneering work combining face paint and full bushy moustaches).

Perhaps even more than even In Solitude, Portrait have that perfect approximation of the classic Mercyful Fate sound. Everything, and I mean everything, about Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divina sounds carved from the same rock that produced the famous Danish outfit. In particular, the guitar work of Lindell and Lagergren are heavily reminiscent of the brilliant guitar work of Messrs. Shermann and Denner at the height of their powers. Whether it be on the tasteful hammer horror acoustic instrumental of “The Wilderness Beyond,” or the Evil-on-steroids romp of “Bloodbath,” the intersection of their fruity, over the top traditional duelling guitar lines provides a thoroughly intoxicating listen.

Palvarinne provides a likewise sterling job of providing those authentic denim-und-leather bass lines, while Anders Persson provides perhaps the biggest departure, with a drum sound that verges on the modern in terms of technicality and precision, and in that regard, moving again with the King Diamond comparisons, is much more of Mikkey Dee percussionist than a Kim Ruzz figure. Per Karlsson may not be King Diamond, but by all that is unholy, he makes up for it in effort and application. With a casual listen, it's entirely possible to mistake him for the make-up clad doyern of all this is unwholesome, but a more concentrated effort will discern that aside from the requisite falsetto register, there are some differences in terms of phrasing and delivery. As a quick and dirty comparison, it's still a closer fit to King Diamond than either Dan Fondelius (Count Raven) or Steve Hennessy (Sheavy) are for Ozzy Osbourne.

All the components for the sound are here. From a warm sounding production job that brilliantly manages to evoke the thrill of listening to Don't Break The Oath on vinyl, to the duelling solo work and soaring vocals to the song structures that tend to favour the gothic and melodramatic over the rather meat and potatoes approach favoured by their traditional metal baiting peers.

In summary then, Portrait have produced the best Mercyful Fate album since the mighty Don't Break The Oath. Essential.

Portrait MySpace