J-Man
Unmasking the Betrayer's debut EP is an "in-your-face assault" if I've ever heard one. With a death metal sound that isn't allergic to modern metalcore and highly-technical riffing, Unmasking the Betrayer have created a highly enjoyable, if brief, debut EP. Although there are literally hundreds of acts who play the same style as Unmasking the Betrayer, they've exhibited a hopeful amount of promise and an impressive amount of talent with this self-titled effort. Fans of technical death metal with frequent metalcore leanings will certainly get a kick out of this, though it isn't anything we haven't heard before. A band with this much energy and technical capabilities is bound to gain positive recognition from me, and that's precisely what Unmasking the Betrayer have done here.
The music on Unmasking the Betrayer is technical death metal with frequent metalcore (and even occasionally grindcore) tendencies. I'm reminded of bands like Within the Ruins, Suffocation, and new-era Cephalic Carnage (Lucid Interval or Misled by Certainty). Although many bands play a technical death metal/metalcore hybrid, Unmasking the Betrayer have managed to craft some truly excellent music here. A song like "Behind My Back" is stellar material, and most of the EP is almost up to that level of quality. The playing time is only 18 minutes, so this is a short and to-the-point EP. The band has provided it for free, legal download, so fans of the genre that UTB occupy have no reason not to at least give it a try. One thing that really surprised me about Unmasking the Betrayer was the high level of technical proficiency, especially in the drum department. Those complex double-bass fills are that of a very experienced metal drummer - it's surprising to hear such a tight, almost mechanical, sounding band on only their debut EP. The production is also surprisingly excellent.
The internet has made it possible for promising bands like Unmasking the Betrayer to be recognized, and I encourage all fans of technical death metal/metalcore to give these talented young lads a couple of spins. This isn't anything terribly unique or outstanding, but it's a great starting point for this skillful young Greek act. 3 stars are well-deserved here. I have a feeling that their first full-length (or next EP) will be a standout release in the genre.