Treachery

More horror-drenched than any Hollywood scream flick could possibly imagine, Treachery's self-titled debut excretes primeval ferocity and calculated skill, suturing together blasts of musical extremity and vicious attitude. Treachery are the collective confrontational expression of artists Hecate, Abelcain and Slutmachine. Hardcore electronics and ambient noise twisted up with harsh black metal make the short record an unsettling statement. Ominous synths and penetrating beats lay down a dark foundation but visceral snarls and screeches (expelled by Hecate/Rachael Kozak) dominate the soundscape, accented by sometimes brutal, sometimes haunting guitars. As the record moves forward, the guitars become a stronger factor, reining in the otherworldly threat with more familiar melodic progressions. Treachery are abrasive but also seductive, a complex musical spell until it comes to an abrupt, brutal stop. And this refusal of any kind of resolution may be the record's most disturbing achievement.