Portal (Canada)
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Suggest New Bands and Artists
Forum Description: Suggest, create polls, and classify new bands you would like included on Prog Archives
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=69302
Printed Date: February 22 2025 at 13:25
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Portal (Canada)
Posted By: ProgRobUK
Subject: Portal (Canada)
Date Posted: July 17 2010 at 07:48
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I am amazed that this band is not on ProgArchives. This recommendation is for the band from Edmonton, Canada. They are not the same as the Portal who are currently on ProgArchives who are an Australian band and nor are they the same as the Portal that hails from the USA created out of the band Cynic.
Firstly, their discography: 2001 - A Taste of Things to Come - no longer available as a physical disc, it is still available as a download 2003 - The Vast Expanse Diminishing - full length album on their own label, Resonance Industries 2005 - Element - an EP on the band's own label, Resonance Industries 2009 - Blood Red Tape - full length album on Resonance Industries The latter album has received excellent reviews. Sample music, including several full-length tracks, from "A Taste of Things..." and "Blood Red Tape" are on: http://www.garageband.com/artist/portal - http://www.garageband.com/artist/portal . I suggest a listen to "We Kuffar", "Your Kettle" or "Insurgent Few (Live)" as great examples of their music - each of these tracks being in excess of nine minutes long - prog or what?! There are samples of almost every track on the band's own website: http://www.portalband.com/ - http://www.portalband.com/ and of CD Baby at: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Portal - http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Portal . Musically, they fall into the progressive metal genre, in my view. There is an excellent explanation as to why they should fall under the ProgArchives umbrella can be found at http://www.associatepublisher.com/e/p/po/portal_%28band%29.htm - http://www.associatepublisher.com/e/p/po/portal_(band).htm . In summary, though, the music is complex rhythms using unusual time signatures, deep and complex lyrics based on matters of social conscience. They write a mix of long and medium length tracks. CDBaby says that people who like Porcupine Tree, Nine Inch Nails and Tool will be likely to like this band. Blood Red Tape is an astoundingly good album and this band fully deserve a place in these hallowed halls. Any views? Rob |
Replies:
Posted By: Rivertree
Date Posted: July 17 2010 at 08:37
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Portal (Can) have been recommended several times in the meanwhile ... and I for one support that especially due to this excellent 'Blood Red Tape' album. Portal were rejected by both the prog metal and heavy prog teams though. I respect this decision ... for me it's not a problem because I'm free to listen to this album as often as possible ... 
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Rivertree" rel="nofollow">  |
Posted By: Second Life Syndrome
Date Posted: November 04 2013 at 17:44
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They were rejected again recently...these guys can't catch a break. ------------- theprogmind.com |
Posted By: yam yam
Date Posted: November 05 2013 at 04:13
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Rejected in Heavy Prog this time rather than Metal - I guess Blood Red Tape is one of those albums that kinda straddles the two subs. Sure sounds pretty proggy to me though...I'm surprised it was such a resounding rejection in both Metal and Heavy: http://progfreak.com/Portal-103332.html?path=pa/recent" rel="nofollow - http://progfreak.com/Portal-103332.html?path=pa/recent Edit:
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48929" rel="nofollow - This thread discusses a 'PORTAL' (ex- http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1073" rel="nofollow - Cynic first time around) from the USA who were proposed but never actually considered for inclusion as a separate artist it seems, and the thread (from May 2008) is now locked...but the 10-track demo from 1995 that was talked about in it was officially released in 2012 a few years after Cynic had re-formed...and it ain't bad either...! The album has been added to Cynic's discography in the Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo section, but PORTAL was a new musical concept entirely, and really might indeed qualify for inclusion as a separate project, I feel...Anyone searching on here for the album might have trouble finding it where it is at the moment.  For anyone interested, here is the album (tracks in order):   |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: November 05 2013 at 07:48
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the 10-track demo would not qualify them for inclusion as it is a "demo" after all
Three of the original Cynics were on that as I remember and it was re-released in 2012 as "the Portal Tapes" under Cynic's name so everything is reasonable IMO - the only thing we might need end up doing is replacing the entry with the 2012 release under Cynic's name.
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Posted By: yam yam
Date Posted: November 05 2013 at 09:32
Yeah, that's how it's entered on the site already: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=37113" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=37113 . Portal was indeed three original members of Cynic (Paul Masvidal, Sean Reinert and Jason Gobel) with two fresh recruits (Chris Kringel and Aruna Abrams). Portal's sound was quite a departure from what we were used to from Cynic though, and though the project sadly ended without a full release, the 'demo' is not too far
off from what we would have gotten had an album been forthcoming back in 1995 - the production is top notch, and there are 10
full tracks. At least it was eventually given an official release, and including it in Cynic's own discography is better than not at all, I guess.
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aapatsos wrote:Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: November 05 2013 at 11:54
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^ great thanks, missed that (see typing fast from work) this is in agreement with what other sites have Re Portal (the band) the alternative base outweighs the (limited) progressive elements, this has now been rejected by the Heavy Prog team (twice, apparently) and the Metal team. |