A creditable first effort.
Betrayfull Sins is the debut album from these aggressive European metal merchants that have taken their name from a derivative of the word “variation” as they succeed in incorporating symphonic, melodic and classical elements into their muscular sound. The band can trace its roots back to the mid-90’s with various musical collaborations amongst some of the five members before they all came together in the latter part of 2009. Vocalist Magnus Thomson veers from post-punk snarl (‘Disbelievers’ and the title track) to alt-rock drawl (‘Stonecold’, ‘Tear You Apart’), vying for the listeners’ attention with the buzz saw sharp riffs of guitarist Enrique Justiniano.
Equally integral to the quintet’s sound are the keyboards of Martin Winslow, often subtle and understated but effective in providing some memorable melodic passages, most notably on the stand-out ‘Painted Signs’ that shifts from metallic aggression to widdly neo-prog during the mid-section breakdown. As implied by angst ridden titles such as ‘Breed Your Misery’ and ‘Hidden Agenda’ the impression left by VariaH’s lyrical musings is very much one of dirge-like and tortured as opposed to optimistic and hopeful.
In what can all too often appear to be a parade of identikit bands VariaH seem determined not to find themselves stuck in any kind of Euro-metal parody. The end result is very much a hybrid of ideas and styles, posing the question as to where they will primarily draw their fan base from. Nevertheless this is a creditable first effort.
Dean Pedley
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