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.
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.
Have The Devil’s Work