Artist: Betzefer
Label: AFM Records
Released: 2011
Length: 39.09
Rating: 4/5
This Israeli four-piece, one of the first bands to hit the stage on the opening day of Metalcamp in 2005, left plenty of jaws on the floor. Back then they were practically a brand-new band, formed in 1998 when four high schoolers got together for the sole purpose of playing a single high school party. By 2005 they had recorded 3 EPs that never made it out of their home country, and that year they signed with Roadrunner for two years and released their debut, Down Low. They caused a real stir on home turf, and soon they were an unforgettable attraction at many festivals around Europe. You could feel the influence of giants like Slayer (in the song Down Low they even mention that Reign In Blood is the best album of all time), Sepultura and Pantera.
The second album was already conceived back in 2008, but its release got pushed back several times a year for one reason or another. Once the band signed with AFM Records and producer Warren Riker, who handles the sound of sludge metallers Down, got his hands on them, the album finally started taking shape. They called it Freedom To The Slave Makers and sent it out into the world this February.
So, what does it have to say?
The whole thing runs under 40 minutes, with 10 songs and a great cover. Since the digital age has brought all the upsides (for the people) and downsides (mostly for musicians), the foursome decided to release the entire album for free on Facebook and MySpace too. The album is great, but it’s not what that phenomenal debut promised…
You can hear the influence of newer bands loud and clear, here and there some needless breakdown pops up, and at times the vocals are screamier and less aggressive, at least compared to the 2005 album, when Avital really sounded like his idol Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Superjoint Ritual, Down).
Freedom To The Slave Makers kicks off aggressively with Best Seller, which is as angry as you’d expect from a band of Betzefer’s caliber, but the album sure won’t be a “best seller”. The song that follows, Backstage Blues, sounds pretty off-key, while by the 3rd track, Feels So Right, things click back into place. Compared again to the debut Down Low, Diamond Director is the closest thing to what we were already used to from these guys, while the band members themselves swear by the 5th track, Nothing But Opinions, which is also the first single from the release. The construction of Doomsday is interesting: the second half of the word (the “day” part) was recorded at one of their gigs, where the crowd really came through. Stylistically, the song flows into the next one, titled Emtpy Magazine. Perfect Lie is where you can spot producer Warren’s influence, since it sounds like a mix of sludge giants Crowbar and Down, and for more fast-paced action there are the closing tracks Song For The Alcoholic and the hardcore finisher Heavensent.
Whether the 6-year wait for this album was worth it, judge for yourself, but above all make sure you get their first record, Down Low, which easily earns a 5 out of 5, a score the new release sadly can’t get…
Line-up
Avital Tamir – vocals
Matan Cohen – guitar
Rotem Inbar – bass
Roey Berman – drums
Production
Warren Riker
Track list
01. Best Seller
02. Backstage Blues
03. Feels So Right
04. Diamond Director
05. Nothing But Opinions
06. Doomsday
07. Empty Magazine
08. Perfect Lie
09. Song For The Alcoholic
10. Heavensent
