CoC : Process of Guilt - Portraits of Regret : Review

Process of Guilt - _Portraits of Regret_
by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 5)

Here's one of those really good demos that every once in a (long) while seem to come out of nowhere -- or in this case, out of my own country, Portugal. Process of Guilt are decidedly a doom band, but not in a very conventional way at all. This half-hour long demo CD carries a certain hint of _Brave Murder Day_ era Katatonia, even if -- oddly enough -- it doesn't sound much like that album. Rather, it is the mood that seems to bear some similarity to _Brave Murder Day_, which in my books is a good sign. Sound-wise, they also remind me vaguely of a less technological, less black-oriented Void of Silence. Some spoken word passages, well done and varied artificial vocal distortion, clever use of discrete samples and sound manipulation, interesting guitar touches... a lot of different attributes play their part in making _Portraits of Regret_ stand apart from the crowd. Atomspheric, bleak and with a strong emotional thread running through it, _Portraits of Regret_ shows an intelligent approach to doom metal, and one I would be very interested to see realized on a full-length disc. There's still a few bits and pieces that Process of Guilt need to improve, mainly on the more aggressive passages (get a thicker guitar sound and either a human drummer or a stronger artificial drum sound), but overall this is among the best demos I've heard in a very long while.

(article published 31/3/2003)

ALBUMS
12/12/2006	P Azevedo	8.5	Process of Guilt - Renounce

DEMOS
5/24/2005	P Azevedo	4.5	Process of Guilt - Demising Grace

GIGS
4/22/2007	P Azevedo	Katatonia / Process of Guilt	Conquering the Distance