 |
 |
Betrayal was formed by Marcus Colon, guitars; (ex-Martyr), Chris Ackermann, vocals, and Jeff Lain, bass. They play a dark, gothic form of thrash metal. Betrayal put out two discs, before breaking up in 1994. After the break-up drummer Jeff Mason joined Deliverance, as did Marcus Colon for a short while.
Marcus Colon resurrected the Betrayal name in 1999 and put out music that is nothing like the speed metal/thrash of the band's past. Marcus is the only member of the newly reformed Betrayal and is pursuing a totally different style of music. Despite the fact that he says he has "not sold out the Betrayal name" in interviews, it is obvious he is trying to use the name to sell his new music direction.
Betrayal - Renaissance by Death (Wonderland) 1991
1. "Renaissance by
Death" [instrumental] (1:40)
2. "The Invitation" (4:26)
3. "Fallen Deceived" (3:49)
4. "More Faith Than Me" (3:43)
5. "Escape the Alter" (9:03)
6. "Assassins in the Midst" (4:54)
7. "Mortal Flesh" (6:10)
8. "Stroll Thru A Wicked Age" (6:43)
9. "Prophets of Baal" (4:06)
10. "Plead the Blood" (5:15)
I looked forward to this disc coming out after having been of fan of Martyr for so many years. "Renaissance by Death" didn't disappoint. The music is a mixture of progressive thrash, dark gothic overtones, somber acoustic passages and even some hints of early death metal. Vocalist Chris Ackerman has a smooth, almost hardcore punk shouting style, that gave the music a cool twist. This is a rather dark sounding disc. The instrumental opening, which I am sure was played by Lurch from the Adams Family, is a harpsichord and acoustic guitar intro that leads into the speed assault of "The Invitation." Much of the lyrics on this disc deal with the trappings of the occult. "Escape the Alter," is an epic song that tells the story of a girl dying on a Satanic alter, realizing a bit too late her mistake. There are some other topics as well; "More Faith Than Me" deals with hypocrisy outside the walls of Christianity. My favorite tracks are: "More Faith Than Me," "Prophets of Baal," and the remake of Martyr's "Plead the Blood."
The song "Fallen Deceived" had previously been recorded by Martyr on their 1989 "Frantic" demo.
Betrayal also released a cassette single off this album called "Fear Be Gone & Fallen Deceived" (industrial re-mix) that I also have.
Betrayal - The Passing (Wonderland) 1993
1. "Renouncement"
(3:37)
2. "The Usurper" (4:16)
3. "Carnival of Madness" (5:35)
4. "Ichagod" (3:55)
5. "Forest of Horrors" (4:31)
6. "Race of Hypocrisy" (3:35)
7. "As I turned Away" (4:20)
8. "Whisper of Chaos" (4:19)
9. "Strength of the Innocent" (4:55)
10. "Retaliatory Strike" (2:55)
11. "Frantic" (3:45)
"The Passing" is darker, faster, heavier and more technical than "Renaissance by Death." The title of the closing song ("Frantic") would probably best describe the thrash on this disc. New guitarist Bob McCue ups the musical proficiency of the band. His guitar solos are fast, furious and well executed. Once again vocalist Chris Ackerman's punky shout gives the band a sort of crossover vibe, though the music isn't the punk-riddled thrash of band's like D.R.I. or The Crucified. The lyrics are intelligent and interesting as well, with topics dealing with the occult, politics, abortion, and Christianity. Chris Scott (Precious Death) and Jimmy Brown (Deliverance) both appear as guest vocalists.
My copy was signed by Bob McCue at the Up From the Ashes III gig in Calfornia, August 2010. Bob is a personal friend of Ultimatum bassist Rob Whitlock and came to see Ultimatum perform. An interesting fact, Bob played on the audition demo that Rob Whitlock recorded when he was auditioning for Ultimatum back in 2002.