It's a shame to be reviewing this record now, as in the last fortnight Betrayed have announced their decision to split due to members 'comprising their integrity'. With only two prior EPs released (which include songs featured on Substance), this album will prove to be the only real way of determining just how good this band was.
Opener 'Think Twice' is typically angry, with a fast pace and some brilliant punk drumming along in the background. It's songs like this that show off vocalist Aram Arslanian's talents, and how well suited his unique tones are to this genre. As well as keeping the anger, Betrayed have experimented with some more sombre ideas, and these have faired well. 'A Light in the Dark' could almost be classed as a ballad, although not strictly in the most conventional of senses (after all, this is still hardcore). It works well as a song, and it's good to see that the band hasn't stuck to the formula of making every song follow the same structure and sound.
The re-recorded tracks sound brilliant. Benefiting from better production and more time in the studio, 'Consequence' and 'Bring it to Life' sound more polished, while still retaining the anger and emotion that went into the originals. There's still a definite '80s feel here, and tracks like 'Crossroads' and 'Time Will Tell' could easily be placed on the soundtrack to an early '90s skate video. The record closes on one of its strongest songs, 'I'm not afraid'. Exploring self-confidence and how to better yourself, it's also one of the more lyrically sound pieces here, straying away from the politically obvious lyrics of songs like 'Time will tell'.
Substance is a great little piece of hardcore punk, and it's unfortunate the band won't be around to record a follow-up. In a genre saturated with bands sounding exactly like one another, Betrayed a diamond in the rough compared to the majority of their straight-edge hardcore counterparts. Hopefully we'll see some of these musicians go on to start new projects and carry on producing great music, but for the time being 'Substance' is a necessary listen for anyone who considers themselves remotely 'punk'.
Andrew
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