Austin’s Portrayal Of Guilt has always offered a healthy dose of black metal and screamo into their music. Their eviscerate tones and intense sounds are enough to rattle the boarders of Texas. While their live sets are something that could scare away the casual listener, their new album We Are Always Alone delivers a mix of immense heaviness and isolationist emotions that go hard and stay that way from beginning to end.

[bandcamp width=350 height=470 album=3796137889 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false]

The harsh sounds of opening track “The Second Coming” lets you know all that you need to summarize this album. The darkness in the riffs and vocals that sear from the opening riffs is almost ear bleeding before the band meets that with a more melodic tone, chopping up the sound into a more diverse tone. Things are a bit more toned down on the second song “Anesthetized.” The band has no issues delivering the metallic sounds and immense darkness when they need to. More spaced out here, the song has a bleak nature that makes it so evasive and intriguing.

The spread of sounds here is mesmerizing. The way the band choses to open “It’s Already Over” will draw you in, the sheer intensity of “They Want Us All to Suffer” is on another level and “My Immolation” shows a growth from the band as they stray between the lines of black metal and traditional post hardcore with ease. But of the nine tracks the favorite comes with “A Tempting Pain.” The heaviness baked in is a new level of darkness while the bridge between the verse and the chorus is hypnotic in its melody that stays heavy and murky. This is the version of the band we love. When they just keep things real and heavy from open to close.

We Are Always Alone is available on various formats from Closed Casket Activities. It can be heard on all streaming sites or purchased from all digital outlets as well. 

Image Credits: Photo Courtesy of PR.