Portrait

One of numerous Swedish bands seeking to revisit the pre-commercial strains of early-'80s heavy metal, Kristianstad's Portrait were born of a particularly strong passion for the works of Denmark's Mercyful Fate -- one of the most eccentric and unique bands in heavy metal history -- and their legendary lead singer King Diamond. In fact, the group's moniker derives from the latter's first post-Mercyful Fate solo album, Fatal Portrait, and so did the music heard on Portrait's earliest demos and eponymous 2008 debut album, highlighted by the piercing falsettos employed by singer Phillip Svennefelt. However, his dismissal from the group just a few months later left guitarists Christian Lindell and Richard Lagergren, bassist Erik Jansson (who replaced original member David Stranderud the following year), and drummer Anders Persson to soldier on with new frontman Per Karlsson and a much less distinctive, New Wave of British Heavy Metal-inspired formula, as displayed by 2010's "The Murder of All Things Righteous" single. In 2011, the metal classicists released Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae, and after hitting the European festival circuit, found themselves working on new material again the following year. The resulting album, Crossroads, arrived in 2014. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia