Betraeus - Towards The Sun
In 2011 metal is not the hot property it once was, with many fans opting to follow the waves and waves of new hardcore bands, emerging metal has fallen by the wayside somewhat. Despite this there are still plenty of bands defending the faith, one such band is Manchester prog metal maestros Betraeus. Despite it still being early days for the band they have already found a home at one of the country's best independent labels in the form of Siege of Armida Records and already played successful stints at the likes of Download and Bloodstock.
The band's "Towards The Sun EP" starts with the song of the same name and it is a mind melting metal prog jam that would have the likes of Opeth quaking in their boots. Lasting a lengthy nine minutes plus it could be hard to make this sound interesting but the band manage it with ease. Furious riffs and cookie monsters vocals pummel you before a delicate acoustic interlude lulls you into a false sense of security until reaching a climax that sounds so epic it's like something the armies of Mordor would listen to in order to get pumped when about to go wage war in middle earth.
The EP is accompanied by the more direct 'Frustrate Recluse' that while being a head bangers dream propelled by a churning riff and pouncing drums still showcases Betraeus's stunning musical prowess. There's also 'Blossom Into The Void' a stunning stripped back ballad with the presence of clean vocals that shows the band's versatility especially in singer Christian Sykes varied and passionate vocals. "Towards The Sun" is rounded off with two live tracks, 'Obsolete' and 'Locust' recorded at this year's Bloodstock Festival. Both are absolute ragers that prove that Betraeus can really shed live and have no problem pushing their complex metal wares in the live environment as well as on record.
While many may be going straight edge and hitting the gym rather than growing their hair and nailing beers "Towards The Sun" proves that Betraeus are very much worth keeping an eye on for all you metal heads. Complex enough for those that like to dissect their music and figure things out with a calculator but still full of punishing riffs for people to smash each other up in the mosh pit. It may not be the most popular genre at this time but Betraeus's brand of prog metal is already putting many of their peers to shame and "Towards The Sun" is an EP that many other bands could only wish they'd written.