Album Review: First Blood - 'Silence Is Betrayal'

When First Blood first came on the scene they were hailed as a hardcore supergroup of sorts, mainly due to the fact that the line-up consisted of former members from bands such as Terror, Sworn Vengeance and Embrace The End. The fact that their debut album 'Killafornia' was pretty damn good helped to cement the band's popularity. Now back with their follow up 'Silence Is Betrayal,' the band have continued their brand of straight edge, politically conscious theme, with what is essentially 'Killafornia' part two, but far less creative.

The first actual song, which is the third track Preamble, shows that the band have taken a more metal approach to their writing style and in turn have lost some of the old school hardcore feel found on their debut. One of the better tracks is Enemy, which almost sounds like it was inspired by Slipknot, has an aggression that floods in the opening moments and carries throughout the whole song, even during the breakdowns and group chants.

The album is littered with various political quote samples, possibly too many considering the already short length of the record. The band are at their strengths when they are at their angriest, Detach, is another example of one of the best moments as it blends blast beats with short, stabbing chants, as well as a very effective sample of a plane landing to end its breakdowns.

The album ends with its longest song, Armageddon II, which explains why the other songs are so short, because length is not this groups friend, especially when they insist on the standard, speed then breakdown formula, which by this point will leave few with any patience for this record.

Clocking in at just over half an hour, 'Silence Is Betrayal,' is a straight up hardcore album that will not satisfy old hardcore fans, but will be more than adequate for the younger generations that are not aware of the records that came before it.

1. Intro

2. Silence

3. Preamble

4. Enemy

5. Resist

6. Truth

7. Detach

8. Enslaved

9. Confront

10. Fear

11. Occupation

12. Fascism

13. Lies

14. Messenger

15. Survive

16. Armageddon II