Depending on your age range the prospect of listening to ‘Warped Tour‘-friendly deathcore will elicit a fairly predictable response. Tween girls with plugs and neon highlights will likely swoon at the synth-laced poppy choruses that appear with metered frequency here. Younger bros in tank tops and flat brims will revel at the chance to throw down in the pit to the djent sharpened pummel. Meanwhile, those who already had pubes during nu metal’s rise will likely tune out within the the first few notes.
Betraying The Martyrs showcase a lot of hot button genres on “Phantom“, but youth is their chief export. The problem with youth is that for all the energy and excitement, there’s also a tendency to make mistakes. The production on this outing is a glaring victim of that. The processing and digital elements are so prevalent you almost expect to hear the click of a mouse. The songwriting is impassioned, yet overtly busy. The clean choruses perpetually sway towards pop-punk/screamo sentimentality and the songs pile on far too many ideas.
Too often it feels like the band are attempting to paint some blackened symphonic deathcore masterpiece without a set canvas. There’s also a gimmicky attempt at cashing in with a cover of “Let It Go” from Disney‘s “Frozen” that may get them some cheap views, but certainly doesn’t do their integrity any favors.
The haunting instrumental “L’abysse Des Anges” that cleanses the palette after that syrupy sweet take suggests there is some talent lurking here. But mostly the group are lost in a recycling plant of djent, deathcore, tech metal and (modern) ‘screamo’ stereotypes. When they do something out of character, such as a ripping solo or the choral outro in “Walk Away“, it winds up feeling throwaway.
Songs like “Phantom (Fly Away)” and “Jigsaw” deliver textbook deathcore bludgeoning with the requisite bass dives and breakdowns. But they also practice the rote balancing act of sappy melodic choruses and omnipresent keyboard driven atmosphere. Sure it’s heavy enough, but little surprise is to be found as each song cannibalizes from the next. There’s a few moments of intrigue where the band gel and lock into a memorable groove, but they seem unaware of it and quickly move on.
Aside from the grace concocted by the ethereal—and at times black metal sounding—keys, Betraying The Martyrs all too often emulate their peers. There’s skill when it comes to their playing, but less so when it comes to the songwriting. In the end, “Phantom” is entirely competent, but fails to leave a signature mark. In a market already crowded with similar products, they choose to taste the same instead of stand out.
