PORTRAYAL OF GUILT
Blasphemy, sado-masochism and jump-scares? All in day’s work for these filthy US extremists
PORTRAYAL OF GUILT singer and guitarist Matt King insists the title of his band’s latest album, Christfucker, was never meant to be offensive. “We just needed a title that was psychotic enough to go with the album sound,” he says with a smirk, knowing full well that it’s bound to piss some people off.
‘Psychotic’ is an appropriate description. Christfucker is an aural assault drenched in filth, dissonance and violent loudness. Originating in the realms of screamo, the Austin, Texas trio – completed by drummer James Beveridge and bassist Alex Stanfield – have expanded their horizons to take in extreme metal. The resulting sonic vileness sounds like the stuff nightmares are made of – and it does so by design.
“We wanted the album to sound like it came from hell,” Matt says of the band’s approach of creating music in the vein of slasher flicks. “Imagine watching a horror movie and all of a sudden, there’s a jump scare or the volume gets really loud and unbearable. That’s what we’re trying to do with the music.” His lyrics about human sacrifice and sado-masochism vividly illustrate these gory scenes: ‘Steel to my bones like a hammer to a nail / A euphoric pain / Torture me the right way’, he screeches in The Crucifixion.
Christfucker comes out only 10 months after the release of the trio’s second full-length, We Are Always Alone, just by virtue of trying to make the best of the pandemic situation. Their stylistic development simply happened along the way.
“We go with whatever we’re feeling, which is why all our albums sound different”,
Matt explains. “Hopefully, we have a core that’ll always sound a specific way – like when you listen to Converge, you know it’s them.”
Portrayal Of Guilt have even bigger ambitions: They want to push their extreme sound into the mainstream, without making compromises. “I remember when I was about eight and Korn, which is pretty much my favourite band, had the biggest album of that time”, Matt reminisces. “Seeing that happen, I know it can happen again.”
CHRISTFUCKER IS OUT NOW VIA RUN FOR COVER