Music and Horror are two genres that seem to fit together like Cake and Icing, or darker still, Axes and Serial Killers. While Horror has its own backing brigade of Jump Scares, Terrifying Sounds, and Eerie Atmospheres, it is further enhanced by signature screams, terrifying growls, and deathly howls. As such, Music often fits the mold to build tension, and sometimes even draw inspiration from the content itself. “Portal” is such an inspiration.

Combining efforts from The Death of Zenith and Toronto-based Genre Fluid Solo Artist, and Metal-monger Sam Astaroth, see the release of this track off the upcoming Indie Horror Movie soundtrack for “Overnight”.

The song itself is about overcoming pain and suffering, with lyrics like “this pain resides in you and only you can see, the other side through this misery,” – a line all too deep and relatable for many of us facing our own pain and horror.

The influential melodies that seem to be pulled from the essence of bands like Nine Inch Nails and Slipknot are prominent, with an intro that fits the tone and sound common with NIN content such as with “Head Like A Hole”. As the song progresses, we get the harsh screams and low growls that Sam has become known for, bringing new levels of fear and anxiety to an already atmospheric track.

Fueled by the heavy riffs that take notes from Slipknot’s introduction to “Duality”, this track swarms like a cloud of Locusts, burying into you with whispered, dragging vocals that pierce the mind and soul. Sam truly unleashes the cavalry of his vocal prowess on this track, managing everything from growls to rapping that mesh flawlessly from start to finish. The vocal range displayed in this song aids in developing the eeriness of striking lyrics such as “Do you feel the sorrow around me? Of all the pain that haunts me” and “a portal now opens the secrets of your mind space” as if to delve into darker, unexplored territory.

This is the level of intensity we’ve been hoping to see from Sam since the split of Astaroth Incarnate, following his vocal covers and ascending to a new high on this track. The devotion and emotional commitment to creating ferociously passionate lyrics and music is a trait well associated with Sam, and I’m excited to see what comes next.

You can listen to the track for free above, or purchase it over on Bandcamp, where you can check out more about Sam and his upcoming projects!