Portal

Australian death metal outfit Portal have reissued their 2006 cassette demo, Lurker at the Threshold, on picture disc seven-inch vinyl. And thank god they did, otherwise this gem probably would have gone unnoticed. Consisting of two tracks, the release showcases Portal as the masters of weird, unconventional sounds thrown forth with utter chaos. Touches of black metal and grind add tons of variety, while its raw production evokes even more of a demonic atmosphere. "13 Globes" is insane and creepy, taking on a more blackened-death, apocalyptic vibe. "Omnipotent Crawling Chaos," however, brings on some blasting grind madness mixed with sludgy doom. Although Portal aren't a typical death metal band, they do know how to make weird sound truly awesome, and Lurker at the Threshold is no exception.