REVIEW: BETRAYER F.T.M. – No Life Till Fury

 

BETRAYER F.T.M. – No Life Till Fury (2010)

Violent Records

This is the second new band that I listen to from Colombia, the other one being REVENGE, and I think that this South American country has already shown that it can give us some very good speed/thrash metal bands. Anyway, let me get into the music of the band.

Betrayer F.T.M., hailing from Cali, Colombia, formed in 2005 and belong to that wave of South American underground bands that kept the spirit of classic thrash alive well into the new millennium. «No Life Till Fury» is their first full-length album, following the «Bestial Torment Rage» EP from 2007. Originally released in 2010 by «Violent Records» as catalog number «VME003», the album contains nine tracks and runs for just over half an hour. A later digital edition appeared in 2013 through Born of Chaos Records, which explains the different date you may encounter on some streaming platforms.

Musically, they move into the speed/thrash path, with plenty of punk aggression and some traditional heavy-metal touches thrown into the mix. Their sound has nothing modern about it and brings strongly an ’80s atmosphere. Even the production follows this direction, being dynamic, clear and sufficiently open to give all the instruments their proper space. The album never sounds overproduced or artificially polished, and that works perfectly with the band's underground character.

As for the influences, well, I think early METALLICA is above all, while you can also find traces of bands such as TOXIK, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and even BLACK SABBATH. The guitar work occasionally moves into traditional heavy-metal territory, while the bass is surprisingly prominent in the overall sound rather than being buried underneath the guitars. The solos in particular add another dimension to the otherwise straightforward thrashing attack.

«No Life Till Fury» is also a very direct album. At roughly 32 minutes, it doesn't waste time with unnecessary arrangements or extended compositions. The band themselves have explained that they did not try to make the record fit a particular running time; it simply ended up being as long as they felt it needed to be. And this is probably the right approach for this kind of music. Nine songs, plenty of speed and aggression, and then you're back to the beginning looking for another spin.

There is also a small detail that adds some character to the record: “La Orden Del Chaos” is sung in Spanish, standing apart from the predominantly English-language material. The lyrics throughout the album deal with rebellion, anger, aggression and the whole confrontational attitude that comes naturally with this style of thrash metal. The shouted vocal interjections and rowdy delivery give several songs an almost live-performance feeling.

On «No Life Till Fury» you might not listen to something particularly original, but honestly, that isn't the point. All the songs are played with such passion and enthusiasm that the whole listening experience remains thoroughly enjoyable. This is music made by people who clearly love the classic era of metal and aren't interested in reinventing the wheel. The album's aggressive, anthemic character, combined with its raw production and old-school attitude, makes it easy to return to.

Even the cover artwork fits the band's approach perfectly. Its grotesque and disturbing imagery immediately establishes the violent and confrontational identity of the record before you have even pressed play. It is certainly not an album that tries to be pretty or sophisticated—and neither does the music.

The only thing that I would like from BETRAYER F.T.M. on their upcoming releases is to add some more variety into their sound. There are moments when the formula becomes a little predictable, particularly because the band relies so heavily on the same old-school thrash attack throughout the record. A little more variation in tempo, songwriting and arrangements could have made an already enjoyable album even stronger.

So, the conclusion is simple: if you like 80s speed/thrash metal, especially the rawer underground side of the genre, then there is a very good chance you might like *No Life Till Fury* too. It may not offer anything revolutionary, but it delivers exactly what it promises—fast, aggressive and passionate Colombian thrash metal with a strong old-school feeling. And sometimes, that's more than enough.

Nick Parastatidis