PORTRAIT · The Host | BLACK 2LP

Black double vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

Background information about 'The Host'

Portrait returns with their most ambitious and haunting offering yet on "The Host" – a double album that showcases the Swedish heavy metal masters at their absolute peak. This isn't just another metal record; it's a sonic journey through darkness and light that will leave you breathless. From the ritualistic opening of "Hoc Est Corpus Meum" to the epic finale "The Passions of Sophia", every track pulses with an intensity that's both theatrical and genuinely spine-tingling.

The band's signature blend of classic heavy metal with occult atmospheres reaches new heights here, with Per Lengstedt's vocals soaring over crushing riffs that would make the gods of metal weep. Tracks like "The Blood Covenant" and "Sword of Reason (The Steel Of Revenge)" deliver that perfect balance of melody and menace that Portrait has mastered over the years. The production is absolutely pristine, allowing every guitar harmony and thunderous drum hit to cut through with crystal clarity.

For fans of:
King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, In Solitude, Candlemass, Ghost

Track listing

LP 1:
A1. Hoc Est Corpus Meum (Intro)
A2. The Blood Covenant
A3. The Sacrament
A4. Oneiric Visions
A5. One Last Kiss
B1. Treachery
B2. Sound the Horn
B3. Dweller of the Threshold
B4. Die In My Heart

LP 2:
C1. Voice of the Outsider
C2. From the Urn
C3. The Men Of Renown
C4. Sword of Reason (The Steel Of Revenge)
D1. The Passions of Sophia

Manufacturer: Metal Blade Records GmbH, Friedrichstr. 38, 73033 Göppingen, Germany, Contact: www.metalblade.com