Betzefer is one of those bands that I've had a love/hate relationship with over the last handful of years. When I first heard their debut album, "Down Low," around 4-5 years ago, I fell in love. It was a great slab of groove metal, and it wasn't until I researched more about the band that I found out that they were actually from Israel, which I found to be pretty amazing.
So, fueled by my love for their debut album and interested to see which road the band would follow, I had to wait until 2011 (over 5 years after their previous album had been released) to get their next one, "Freedom To The Slave Maker," which title inspired something very promising. However, I was extremely disappointed with that one, as I found that the band had changed heavy grooves and extreme metal vocals for an alternative metal approach, something that didn't fit their vibe or their tone well at all.
So, with that in mind, we approach "The Devil Went Down To The Hold Land" with a practical wariness, yet hopefulness that the band has righted the ship that is Betzefer...
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1.) "Tropical"
Typical minute-long, sound effect-fueled album opener. Pass.
2.) "The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land"
The album starts off with a driving drum beat, and immediately jumps into a hard rock-fueled vibe. This isn't quite the groove metal album opener that I was hoping for, but it's actually quite interesting. Vocalist Avital Tamir has found the correct niche for his voice, settling for a Bobaflex-sounding shout instead of the Page Hamilton-inspired squeal he went for on the last album. This song is a nice heavy rocker, and I am absolutely okay with that. A good way to start things.
3.) "Killing The Fuss"
"Killing The Fuss" pretty much picks up where "TDWDthHL" ended, carrying the same hard rock vibe, but adds a bit of the groove metal crunch that their first album relished in. All-in-all, it's a much better track than anything that was on the last album, and it really picks up near the end. It really bridges the gap between heavy rock and groove metal, and we finally get to hear Avital Tamir scream a little bit. Guitarist Matan Cohen really provides a lot of great riffs for this track, and even gets a few Jerry Cantrell-sounding moments throughout the song. I didn't really get a taste of the entire lyric sheet, but it seems like this track addresses a lot of the people like myself, who'd rather micromanage the band and tell them to direct their sound, which I respect.
4.) "Cash"
Now THIS is what I'm talking about. Starting off with a thrashy intro, Cohen really brings things down into a heavy groove, helped out with a really strong bottom section (bassist Rotem Inbar and drummer Roey Berman are just as responsible for this strong groove sound). This song legitimately sounds like something that I would have expected as a continuation of "Down Low": this song is nothing but heavy ass grooves. I love it. If I wasn't excited for this album as a whole, I am now. Cohen really shines in his grooves and solos, and I'm happy as hell to hear Tamir screaming his head off again.
5.) "Yuppie Six Feet Underground"
This track sound like something straight off of "Down Low." It starts off with a heavy bottom-heavy groove, and a blood-curdling scream from Tamir before heading into a slow-moving groove sound. A pretty good track, and at this point, I'm really enjoying the route this album is going down. Drummer Berman has some pretty awesome drum fills throughout the track, and Cohen gets to showcase some more Jerry Cantrell, Alice In Chains-like solo skills.
6.) "Copkiller"
A downright killer riff by Cohen gets this song off on a great start, and before long, the band is balls deep into the heaviest groove that they may have ever written. Within a minute into the song, I'm all ready to declare it my favorite song they've ever written. It's that solid and that fucking heavy. I love it. I don't know what else to say, it's just a great song, albeit short (barely over 3 minutes).
7.) "Sledgehammer"
"Sledgehammer" starts out with the makings of a rock anthem, and then quickly delves back into the heavy groove that has defined this album thus far. A really strong rhythm section carries the driving pace on this track, and then there's a sludgy-sounding Alice In Chains-inspired midsection that's just awesome.
8.) "The Medic"
This one definitely gets off to a slower-paced, sludgy sound, which I'm beginning to find a lot on this album. However, it really works, and it doesn't sound out of place, as it's still groovy as all get-out and carries the pace that the previous tracks have established while also throwing in a few more "rock" moments. This song really reminds me of something that the band Seemless would have written, as it's more bluesy-rock inspired than the others so far.
9.) "Milk"
Another rock-driven intro starts this one out with a garage-sounding bang. This track is definitely a good companion piece to the previous song, "The Medic," but features more "Freedom to the Slave Maker"-type vocals as opposed to screams. Cohen really gets to tap into his bluesy guitar solo side for this one, sounding similar in tone to an artist like Slash throughout. At around the final minute, there's some really cool Phil Anselmo-ish whispered vocals that are both creepy and effective.
10.) "Suicide Hotline Pt. 1"
Wow, this song is really a mixed bag of everything. The verses sound like something off of "Freedom To The Slave Maker," yet is immediately followed by a heavy double bass portion (good work, Berman) that features Tamir's most extreme screams yet (he really hit some highs AND some lows I didn't know he was capable of). If you're interested in hearing some of Betzefer's diversity and technical prowess, I would definitely check this one out. Great song.
11.) "Suicide Hotline Pt. 2"
This one starts off with a drum roll from Berman, and gets straight back to business. Drummer Berman and bassist Inbar really help drive this one home, establishing a killer bottom-sounding groove throughout the entire song. This one features another killer breakdown with some gang vocals and quite a few Alice In Chains-sounding moments. Another really good song.
12.) "Cannibal"
Heavy. That's the only word I can use to describe this track. It's the most death metal-like song Betzefer have ever recorded, and Tamir is channeling his inner Cannibal Corpse on this one. It's really surprising at how well the band can pull off the heavy driving death sound, considering I've never heard this side of them before, and they were on the brink of going alt rock on their last album. Another surprisingly great track that really pushes the boundaries on what Betzefer, as a band, is capable of. Apparently, they're capable of quite a bit.
13.) "I Hate"
The band is back to its grooviness again on this track, but Tamir has some more interesting vocals on this one. I've been pleasantly surprised by what he's capable of on this album, considering I thought he had lost his voice on the last album. This track is really Tamir's moment to shine, as the title of the track is inspired by Tamir screaming how much he hates everyone and everything... ofttimes throughout the song, he says it just forthright. Don't let that think that the other band members don't get their moments, though, as the last half of the song is just a straight groove rhythm-fest.
14.) "Can You Hear Me Now"
I'm always a stickler about the final track of an album, and no difference here. I'm expecting greatness after what I've heard, and... Betzefer doesn't disappoint. This song features some of the biggest hooks and grooves of the entire album, and the entire band is in top form. The band finishes it up on the perfect crescendo of aggression and hatred, and then lets the creepy sound effects carry you to the finish line. Another great outing by Betzefer.
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After the disappointment that was "Freedom To The Slave Maker," I wasn't sure what to expect from Betzefer. If I had another dull album from them, I might have been done: it only takes two crap albums from a band for me to lose interest, but thankfully, Betzefer did not.
What Betzefer have put out is a perfect mixture (in my eyes) between their first album "Down Low" and "Freedom To The Slave Maker." They took the heavy grooves and aggression from "Down Low," added some of the rock sensibilities of "Freedom To The Slave Maker," and then continued adding their own technical prowess and songwriting expertise that comes from experience and have crafted one of my favorite albums of the year.
Pretty much every track (besides the opening "Tropical") is a winner. I especially like the tracks "Copkiller," "Can You Hear Me Now," "Suicide Hotline Pt. 1," "Cannibal," and "Cash."
After thinking that Avital Tamir was done and had thrown his voice (like so many great metal vocalists beforehand), he surprises me and puts on a better performance than he did on the last two albums combined.
Guitarist Matan Cohen not only has grooves spilling out of his pockets, but he also kept things interesting by adding in some interesting solos and embracing his inner-Jerry Cantrell, which really showcases itself many times throughout the album.
Bassist Rotem Inbar doesn't get a lot of moments on the album to particularly showcase his skills, but he's more than responsible for bringing in the bottom-end groove that the album has in spades. Another person attributed for that is drummer Roey Berman, who is just incredible throughout the entire album; not only in his ability to write a groove piece, but also in his ability to perfectly fill from one segment to the other.
All in all, just a great groove metal album, and a splendid album in its own right. If you like metal than makes you want to tap your foot, shake your rump, or even dance, this might be a good one for you. Even if you just like metal, check it out.
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