Portal is an independent progressive metal band from Edmonton, Canada that originally took form in the Summer of 2000 as a studio project of lead singer and frontman Kenton Thomas. The group records under the Resonance Industries label, an independent record company and studio owned an operated by Thomas and members of the group.
The name Portal did not come into use for the project until writing was almost complete for the debut EP, A Taste of Things to Come... It was the last in a long series of temporary labels for the project, each of which lasted but a few days until a random word generator landed on "Portal".
The name Portal has slowly evolved in purpose and meaning to be a metaphor for the artistic and political gateways the band seeks to open.
Portal integrates the rhythmic elements and instrumentation characterized by various genres of music, including progressive rock, metal, trip hop, ambient, IDM, and various ethnic forms of musical expression. This includes baritone and seven string guitars, five string electric bass, a plethora of culturally diverse percussion instruments such as djembes, taiko drums, timbales and congas, orchestral instruments including strings and piano, and various synthesizer and sampler modules.
Since its inception, Portal's principle musical aim has been to create artistically challenging rhythms and progressions for the benefit of its members, while presenting them in a fashion that will appeal to listeners of any level of musical education or experience. A prime example of this effort is the opening track of Portal's most recent release, Element. The aptly titled Severance explores a very unorthodox 13/8 time signature, but maintains a seamless groove despite its inherent complexity. Many other such examples can be found throughout Portal's work, and few songs, in fact, retain a 4/4 or 6/8 time signature throughout their duration, if at all.