Melbourne-based noise/metal/hardcore act The Seduction have only been around on the scene for the last couple of years, and to date have only released a four-track EP (2007’s Melbourne Demo).

But if you dig a little deeper into their history, it soon becomes apparent that the four members that make up the band are anything but newcomers, with The Seduction made up of former members of well known acts such as In Name And Blood (vocalist Craig Wainwright) and The Jonestown Syndicate (bassist/vocalist Joey Jones), along with musicians that have been playing in the Melbourne hardcore scene for some time (guitarist Shane Sterry and drummer Daniel Nanthathammiko). So with a wealth of experience behind them, I was expecting big things from The Seduction on their debut full-length effort Betrayed, and I’m glad to say they have well and truly delivered.

Unlike their previous outfits, The Seduction draw their influences more from the likes of Norma Jean, Every Time I Die and He Is Legend (who also inspired the band’s name). The album’s opening track “Parasite VS. Host” demonstrates the band’s ability to deliver complete havoc in the song writing sense, all the while maintaining a sense of melody throughout. A destructive rock and roll vibe is evident in the catchy “The Devil’s Children Have The Devil’s Work,” “Dead End” and the fantastic “The Kids That No One Wanted,” with the riffs providing the majority of the hooks.

Meanwhile, on tracks such as “Corpus Christi,” the title track “Betrayed” and “The Bleakest Streets,” the group turn up the intensity; all the mentioned songs wreaking havoc with their constant time changes and blunt impact.

The best tracks, however, are the ones where the band (and Wainwright in particular) stretch out a little more and lend a somewhat sombre/progressive edge to their sound, as evident in “Drowned,” “The Lone Wolf” and the closing instrumental “Death Of A Cowboy.”

Melbourne Demo was pretty much an ordinary effort that failed to live up to expectations. But in the short space of 12 months The Seduction have returned with Betrayed, and totally reinvented themselves as an act worthy of the praise that will undoubtedly be bestowed upon them by newcomers to their latest effort.

www.myspace.com/theseductionnoise