Betrayer

Forbidden Personality, recorded in March 1990, is the first demo from Betrayer. This is another solid dose of thrash metal from Poland. Unlike their next demo, this one has a raw, lo-fi sound that really suits the style. The songwriting is fairly basic, primitive thrash that sounds like it could have come out four or five years earlier. While the vocals are harsh and deathlike and the material gets aggressive at times, there’s also a sense of melody coming through in the lead guitar solos, which adds some depth. You can hear a clear influence from early Nuclear Assault and The Legacy-era Testament, especially on "Slaytanic Air-Force", though the band's ambition seems to exceed their ability at this point. "Soothsay Death" and "My Justice" come closest to a death/thrash feeling, thanks to the chromatic tremolo passages.

The playing is tight enough overall, and even the occasional looseness suits the vibe of the demo. It's actually kind of refreshing to hear a thrash demo from 1990 that has nothing to do with the sound most bands were chasing at the time. Instead, Betrayer looked back a few years and channeled something closer to mid-'80s thrash. Forbidden Personality may not be as chaotic or vicious as some of the other tapes coming out of the Polish underground, but Betrayer did a good job capturing the feel of early thrash. This is definitely worth a listen if you want something that sounds like a lost gem from 1985.

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