Album Review: The Seduction - 'Betrayed'

23 May 2008 | 5:54 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

Vastly improved second effort from these local lads…

For those of you that caught my

review of The Seduction’s Melbourne demo, you’ll probably

remember that I wasn’t exactly kind when it came to my description

of the four-track release. Well times have certainly changed because The Seduction’s debut full length Betrayed showcases eleven tracks

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of solid and enjoyable song writing. 


My biggest gripe with The Seduction’s

earlier work was its lack of cohesion, however the maturation of the

band’s arrangements and playing has resulted in a more focused collection

of songs, one that should see The Seduction climb further up

the ranks of the Australian hardcore food chain. 


The opening blast of “Parasite

VS Host” shows that discordant guitar work doesn’t need erratic

time signatures to work, as the straight forward drum tempos give the

song a real kick that might not be as powerful if the listener was pre-occupied

with trying to understand what the fuck was going on, as opposed to

just enjoying the tune. 


While the Norma Jean influence

is undeniable “The Devil’s Children…” is still an impressive

song with its rock n roll swagger and sleazy breakdown, while “Corpus

Christi” takes a more mosh friendly route. The one thing that stands

out at this stage of the record is Craigos’ vocal performance.

My disappointment with The Seduction’s demo was the reliance

on deep growls, however Betrayed shows a healthy vocal diversity,

which gives the songs more of a natural feel. 


The title track’s furious punk

assault carries on through “Drowned”, another up tempo tune which

is no doubt going to cause some serious damage in the live setting,

while the droning, almost entirely instrumental “Nice To Know You”

slows things right down. “Dead End” sees The Seduction return

to their up-beat best and “The Kids No One Wanted” delivers a positive

message courtesy of Craig’s penmanship, while “Bleakest Streets” is a short, sharp kick to the

balls. To finish things off we’ve got the dense “The Lone Wolf”

and the soulful “Death Of A Cowboy”, the latter being a genuine

slice of the blues.


Betrayed is a massive step forward for The Seduction and I have no doubt their upcoming shows with The Devil Wears Prada will garner a positive response. Watch this space.


  1. Parasite VS Host
  2. The Devil’s Children

    Have The Devil’s Work

  3. Corpus Christi
  4. Betrayed
  5. Drowned
  6. Nice To Know You
  7. Dead End
  8. The Kids That No One