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"I'm an amazing song-writer. Nobody can fuck with my riffs," says Betrayed guitarist Todd Jones. Whether or not his tongue is planted firmly in his check, Jones is right. His riffs rock supremely. If there's any band that can incite a circle pit or inspire the kids to raise their fists and mosh till they can't mosh no more, it's certainly Betrayed. If there's any band that plays hardcore from the heart, it's definitely Betrayed. Betrayed are newly signed to Equal Vision and are armed with a brand new album, the fittingly titled Substance. There's nothing processed, homogenized, overthought, or stale about Substance. It's got a pulse, a vibe, and a heart.
Jones effectively sums his new album up, saying, "One of the lines from the title track is 'We search for substance,' and it basically that means we're not just some band looking to play the role. We don't mimic anything. We just go for it and do our own thing." The "own thing" he speaks of is a fast 'n aggressive, yet melodic and catchy brand of hardcore that recalls pioneers '80s era HxCx pioneers like Minor Threat and Dag Nasty. Betrayed put their own unique spin on the sound, and they play with all heart, all the time. Their previous releases include a self-titled record on Bridge 9 Records.
Formed in September 2004, Betrayed were an idea sprouted from the minds of Jones and vocalist Aram TK that was subsequently put into action. Friendship was definitely the catalyst for the band's conception. "We've always wanted to do a band together and thought that now was the right time to do it," Jones says of his and Aram's decision to form Betrayed. The duo recruited drummer Todd Preboski and bassist Greg Bacon for the rhythm section, because they were good friends and amazing musicians with experience playing classic sounding hardcore. Preboski and Aram cut their teeth in Champion, while Bacon and Jones did time in Carry On. While the band enjoys an admitted long distance relationship, with Preboski in Seattle, Aram in Vancouver, and Jones and Bacon in Southern California, they remain a focused, cohesive unit. Even though the members are located in the Pacific Northwest and So Cal, respectively, Betrayed keep things in check and make it work. You need listen to Substance only once to hear evidence of the band's tight, well-oiled musical machine.
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