Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist Review

Posted by Paul Schofield on 07.21.2009

"To be Portugal. The Man, you gotta beat Portugal. The Man. Woooo!"

“Oh God, not another one!” I thought, as I scanned the list of albums to review, having already been turned off by more than a few metal bands. The thing with thrash metal bands is that you can imagine straight away what they will sound like, and most of the time you’d be right. So finding an album called The Satanic Satanist didn’t fill me with expectations. Lo and behold, I was not only pleasantly surprised, I was completely blown away.

Portugal. The Man is the name of the band, and fortunately they are not a thrash/death/lace/whatever metal band, despite the album title. For anyone wondering how experimental indie can be, they should investigate here, just for the sheer range of songs on offer. It’s almost like how TV On The Radio can make an album where no song sounds the same. Made of members of former band Anatomy Of A Ghost, who weren’t bad either, they hail from Alaska but are based in Oregon. Can’t blame them for that, ever seen 30 Days Of Night? Apparently, the band name comes from David Bowie, and his “bigger than life” feel. True story #1 – I went to the same school that David Bowie went to, the school that told him he’d never succeed at music. Whoops. To cover all their bases with me, they told me I’d never succeed at anything. But anyway. They wanted the band to have a bigger than life feel, but didn’t want to name it after one of their members. I have a name for my member, but I won’t be disclosing it here. Yet. But a country is a group of people, much like a band, and The Man states that it’s just one person. Got that? Yeah me neither. Thanks Wikipedia.

Let’s get crackalatin. Thanks Urban Dictionary. Portugal. The Man’s influences are varied, but the strongest one I notice would be The Beatles. Well, if you’re going to be influenced by anyone, it should be them. There are other sounds in there too, naturally, but the sense of exploration that came with The Beatles’ later albums is evident here. Normally this is the part where I say that they don’t even come close, and how could anyone, but this is an album that makes it work, and that includes the funky album cover too.

The Satanic Satanist – Track list.



1. "People Say"
2. "Work All Day"
3. "Lovers in Love"
4. "The Sun"
5. "The Home"
6. "The Woods"
7. "Guns and Dogs"
8. "Do You"
9. "Everyone Is Golden"
10. "Let You Down"
11. "Mornings"

Everyone knows how important first songs are on an album. It’s like reading the first page of a book. If you like it, you’ll keep going. If not, you won’t bother. The first song, “People Say,” is a real page turner. It’s got a classic, Beatles feel to it, but its modern enough to not be passed off as pastiche. John Gourley even sounds like Paul McCartney, but again not so much to be a clone. The chorus is nothing short of glorious, Gourley’s voice given more power with backing vocals to take the song to great heights. It’s really impressive, a classic opening track.



“Work All Day” isn’t as straightforwardly brilliant as the opener, but it’s very strong still, sounding a little like Port O’Brien (who are also good, by the way). Musically it’s remarkably tight yet simple, and again a strong chorus makes the song that much better. “Lovers In Love” continues to deviate, now sounding like Mars Volta gone indie, with it’s gnarly percussion and hazy guitars. It’s peculiar, in a good way. Too many bands find a sound and stick to it. Portugal. The Man want to find many sounds, and their ambition is well thought out. “The Sun” switches to gentle, elegant indie, and it soars. With songs this good, there are no airs of pomposity or arrogance, which is nice to see/hear. It’s another strong track, and the album is shaping up nicely indeed. Unlike Jessica Simpson.



Sorry to those expecting a Jessica Simpson video. “The Home” is brooding, dark and magnificent. It’s like a Zeppelin track, the guitar riffs are chunky, and the vocals (and backing vocals) are sublime. It’s so good, it deserves a video to itself.



We’re only halfway through, and it’s been a stonker of a half already. Fortunately it shows no signs of slowing down. While the first half was more experimental, the second is more indie focused, and it’s none the worse for it. “The Woods” is a slower head-nodder, but it doesn’t fail to deliver. Unlike Royal Mail. It’s not as strong as the other songs, but it still impresses, which is the true sign that you’re on to something special. Speaking of something special, the next track “Guns And Dogs” really is. It builds very nicely, then subsides like a wave rolling back down the beach. It’s remarkable how Portugal. The Man have complete control over each song, no note is wasted, overplayed or underplayed. “Do You” turns to sunkissed indie/rock, but with a menacing riff underneath that keeps you on your toes, as if threatening to explode at any minute. It never does, although you wonder how it would sound if it did. Probably as good as anything else on this album. “Everyone Is Golden” is as golden as the name suggests, yet it has a bittersweet taste to it, thanks to the repeated “Nobody will love you” lyric at the song’s end. These guys really know how to write a chorus, and when to use backing vocals, and it has a hidden highlight throughout this album.

The end is nearly in sight, thought you won’t want it to be. “Let You Down” is heartbreaking, just Gourley’s voice and a piano, and is a change of pace that makes you wonder if there’s anything they can’t do. The final song “Mornings” is another belter, a fitting finale. It’s not as joyous as the opening track, but there is a feeling of grandeur that cannot be ignored, a feeling that is ever present in every song. It’s because of this that it’s hard to find fault with anything on this album. Every aspect is honed and polished, like the hidden gem this truly is.

The 411: It’s not often that albums have a certain feel to them. Bon Iver had it. Arcade Fire had it. Now Portugal. The Man has it too. From start to finish, every track has something to offer, and subtly demands your attention. There is great ambition on show here, and the potential has been realized. If this album was by a world famous band, it would get the recognition it truly deserves, so if this doesn’t get Portugal. The Man on the map, nothing will. Totally deserving of your time.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]