| | Full Review | Ratings (310) |
Give your Rating |
| 0.0 | runnit | January 31st 18 |
The is up there with the best of Portal.
5 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | Brandon Scott EMERITUS | January 20th 18 |
This album is so antithetical. They've finally removed all the murk that was shrouding their rsound, and yet I found this easily the most challenging Portal record to sit through. I feel like rmy mind was constantly struggling to keep up with all their technical aerobics. Ultimately though, rthe struggle made it so much more of a rewarding listen.
3 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | Jacob818Hollows | January 25th 18 |
In the past, I've felt like Portal's murk shrouded their ridiculously bizarre instrumentation; it was easy to lump Portal in with other atmospheric-leaning death metal groups like Gorguts, Abyssal, Grave Upheaval, or Aevangelist. With "Ion", it lays the bare bones out and shows in extreme proportions how ridiculous this stuff is.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | thurs | April 6th 18 |
*horrific, agonizing descent into a terrifying lovecraftian universe intensifies*
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | cjbizzlebizzle | March 30th 18 |
Dreary and chaotic technical/avant-garde death metal that is sure to transport those that listen to it to Portal's own version of hell. Once the music fully kicks in Portal abuse your eardrums with a mix of incredibly complex, dissonant guitars, ominous ghastly vocals and a drummer who seems as if he is playing with his own life on the line. At about 37 minutes, the album feels appropriately paced with few places to breath in between the hectic uptempo barrages of noise. Portal repeat a few fleeting ideas here and there but for the most part the album comes off as mostly unstructured and live performances will only feel more powerful than the recorded version of ION. Portal deserve praise for creating such a disturbing and dark atmosphere with music that is incredibly technical and really unlike most metal out there.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | meenwolf131 | February 20th 18 |
such a phenomenal abrasive horrifying avant-garde soundscape / deliver dense punchy textured atmosphere, dynamic chord progression with hellish vocals / envelop me such a surreal deconstructed space
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.0 good | Gene Gol-Jonsson CONTRIBUTOR | October 10th 23 |
look, Portal are exhausting. and you either love how exhausting they are or you hate it
Bump |
| 3.5 great | Erwann S. STAFF | October 3rd 23 |
ION is Portal somewhat diving into more melodic and immediate territories (it's all relative eh), thanks to a "cleaner" production compared to Vexovoid (it really is all relative eh).
Bump |
| 3.0 good | BRAman22 | February 19th 18 |
Too discordant for its own good. Some good instrumentation hidden behind needlessly muddy production.
Bump |
| 3.0 good | TheManMachine | February 14th 18 |
Thrashy and terrifying and extraordinary enough to tolerate the burnt-to-a-crisp trebly production, which don't exactly alleviate their penchant for erratic farragoes -- they make Krallice sound like groovemaster softies. Frontcreature's constant gasp-grunt bizarrely baleful but not the most dynamic of vox; sections of all-encompassing intensity outnumbered by strained slogs camouflaged in commotion; welcome brevity yet feels kinda brusque. Maybe-fave is "Spores": most clear-cut, most cacophonous, second quickest.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Risodo | January 28th 18 |
Not to evil and obscure as Seepia, but it doesn't dissapoints. High points to the drum work and the incredible atmosphere that drags you down, in a good way. As i use to say, this is like the soundtrack of satan himself.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | Panzerchrist | January 25th 18 |
Everybody complained about how hazed their production was in the past so the members of Portal manage a mix that almost looks cleanly by comparison. Of course, the album is also their most challenging album to date, maybe intentionally to compensate for that. Several listens in and I'm finally starting to discern all the dissonant yet compelling layers, and I'm sure several more will be equally as rewarding.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | qt | June 20th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | FunJan | March 28th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | MvdW | September 7th 22 |
| 3.5 great | ARDCWE | December 1st 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Lvxfra | October 22nd 21 |
| 4.5 superb | Jerrad | August 25th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | amdbl | August 13th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Ryus | June 1st 21 |
| 3.5 great | Brabiz | March 1st 21 |
| 5.0 classic | Rabbat | February 17th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Mandy | December 26th 20 |
| 3.5 great | Korpcun | December 15th 20 |
| 3.5 great | remi | October 19th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Avar616 | September 24th 20 |
| 3.5 great | Lykurg | September 14th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | MAB | July 24th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | rid | July 24th 20 |
| 4.5 superb | ulcer | April 20th 20 |
| 3.5 great | KBP37 | April 12th 20 |
| 3.0 good | Corney | March 25th 20 |
| 4.5 superb | Suyan | February 24th 20 |
| 3.5 great | Jim1 | January 7th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | jfish226 | November 25th 19 |
| 3.5 great | FakeOne | September 24th 19 |
| 2.0 poor | Macck | September 15th 19 |
| 3.5 great | Elros | September 5th 19 |
| 2.5 average | JOK | June 28th 19 |
| 3.5 great | lorr | February 11th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | bbgames | January 27th 19 |
| 1.5 very poor | gschwen | January 16th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Bulgaro | December 27th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | kx8 | December 15th 18 |
| 3.0 good | doofy | December 13th 18 |
| 3.5 great | em17ah | December 13th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | junyi15 | December 11th 18 |
| 3.0 good | Sam C. | December 6th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Coast | November 4th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | chayka | October 15th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Loveloth | September 23rd 18 |
| 4.5 superb | Jrpuri2 | September 18th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | YuckFou | September 11th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | GhostK | September 5th 18 |
| 3.0 good | bbm | September 3rd 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Faraudo | August 21st 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | CGayda | June 29th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | cwebb0 | June 20th 18 |
| 3.0 good | gilly | April 30th 18 |
| 3.0 good | 2ool | April 28th 18 |
| 3.5 great | Thibs | March 21st 18 |
| 3.5 great | Basara | March 16th 18 |
| 1.0 awful | Lalka | February 26th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | Henry | February 23rd 18 |
| 4.5 superb | shivboy | February 22nd 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | jdubbs11 | February 21st 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Xenoflux | February 17th 18 |
| 3.0 good | JS19 | February 15th 18 |
| 2.5 average | Wizard | February 15th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Rail | February 12th 18 |
| 3.5 great | EJinHD | February 11th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Sapee | February 9th 18 |
| 2.5 average | gnimas | February 8th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Veldin | February 8th 18 |
| 3.0 good | jmh886 | February 7th 18 |
| 1.5 very poor | Nifkin | February 7th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Prole | February 7th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | elch21 | February 6th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | John C. | February 6th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | YakNips | February 4th 18 |
| 3.5 great | clavier EMERITUS | February 3rd 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | hsb | January 31st 18 |
| 2.0 poor | Trey STAFF | January 31st 18 |
| 4.5 superb | P0laris | January 30th 18 |
| 5.0 classic | Piglet | January 30th 18 |
| 2.0 poor | Marci | January 30th 18 |
| 2.5 average | trilo | January 29th 18 |
| 3.5 great | adr | January 28th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Phate72 | January 28th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | bmelt CONTRIBUTOR | January 27th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Nacen | January 26th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | Hawks | January 26th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Thor | January 26th 18 |
| 3.5 great | Jeejee | January 21st 18 |
| 3.0 good | Trebor. EMERITUS | January 20th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Wolfe | January 20th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | Pon EMERITUS | January 20th 18 |
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