Fresh from Finland

Portugal. the Man started their European tour in June and it has long since come to an end, and a lot sure has happened since then. The new album “The Satanic Satanist” had got it’s spontaneous(read unexpected) Internet debut a month before schedule, but since then it’s been available on more legitimate grounds in the stores as well. Portugal. the Man have now played their fist shows in Scandinavia as well as Portugal.

Mira and Portugal. the Man

I had the chance to meet the group at the end of June, just after their new record had been leaked and within 24 hours of Michael Jacksons death.

Although the conversation seemed to steer toward the leaking of the record, rather than what was actually leaked, but despite the whereabouts of the content, it does deserve praise on its own. The Satanic Satanist proved to be my favorite summer 2009 release, even though I was earlier sure that the new The Mars Volta would be “the One”. As for the Texans, the Alaskan Portugal. the Mans new release isn’t as experimental as the previous release, not to say that the progressive dimensions are lost on us. The acoustic guitars from years past are also very present and bring a very tangible element to the tracks. The album in its entirety is well-presented whole experience, and The Satanic Satanist sounds like the breakthrough is not far off.

Portugal. the Man - 26.6 Klubi, Tampere

The new album was new in many ways in production as well. Singer-guitarist John Baldwin Gourley says, that they didn’t plan as much in advance, even though they went through most same accustomed stages in production. The focus was on the songs and they were edited like never before. A small sense of panic also motivated the band, since it was the first time the band got to work with such a big-time producer, Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. etc.). The lyrical feel to the album is in many ways like the previous ones – that is like a conception album, no wait, I meant concept album. The Satanic Satanist tells the story of years 86-93 in Alaska. “The songs actually mention the years 87-93, because that just sounded better”, laughs John.

As The Satanic Satanist leaked on line, John addressed the event with a blog post about the downloading of albums on the Internet. The long debate revolved around the sense of communion and the appreciation of all the work the band had put in to the making of the album. Face to face, John also pointed out that same sense of community, that if you download an album and like it, you should aim to support the artist in some way, if not actually by purchasing the record. On line, on message boards, fans were pointing fingers at each other and accusing themselves for downloading their album, which was in no way the reaction John had hoped. He admits to downloading albums as well, and even encouraged fans to spread the word and the album.

Portugal. the Man - 26.6 Klubi, Tampere

“I see the Internet as more an opportunity than a threat. Illegal downloading grows our fan base and brings more fans to our shows, especially in Europe. I was surprised by the amount of people at our show last night in Helsinki. Without the Internet, how would they know about shows? At a show in Italy, we actually played for eight people”, John states. He also reveals that he himself follows some music blogs. Base player Zachary Scott Carothers elaborated on seeing the potential of Twitter and found praising words for the Last.fm – websites.

Even the show in Tampere had appealed to a good amount of people, although most were satisfied with watching the show seated. Their live show was a lot unlike the new album, and only a few new songs were actually heard. The band said that they were not prepared for the interest in the new songs and had adapted by practicing new songs while sound checking.

Despite playing older materials, the show delivered, even as my expectations were very high. The progressive elements brought me back to The Mars Voltas shows, every now and then. With playful jams, reggaes from New Orleans, and even ballads, the group delivered a great experience on many levels. As they played Colors and 1989, I couldn’t help but get overwhelmed by goose bumps and cold chills. They closed their set with Chicago and then stayed to dance out the night at Klubis, Morrisey – afterparty. The next day, the group gathered their stuff and headed for the UK. Zach promised to sing Michael Jackson at the karaoke, on the ship to Sweden.

The Satanic Satanist is available in store and it is definitely worth a pick-up, if only for its unique artwork.

Portugal. the Man - The Satanic Satanist

The album was also available as a limited edition “The Majesti Majesty” titled raw version. The group promised to return in October – November to Europe, when the tour will include many European countries as well as one show in Finland. At this moment, the tour is still lacking details, but we will wait and see.

http://www.portugaltheman.net/
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