Sydney five-piece Betray The Pack might be the new kids on the block, but that doesn’t mean that they plan on laying low and avoiding attention. Instead, the group have used their debut moment to absolutely let the wild rumpus begin with the snarling track ‘Oathbreaker’.
Consisting of razor-sharp riffs, bone-shaking beats, and a venomous vocal line, ‘Oathbreaker’ is four minutes and change of pure, unstepped-on sonic anxiety. Like the cursed house from a nightmare, it boasts unexpected bangs, the background radiation of impending doom, and nowhere safe to hide. This was all by design. Betray The Pack set out to bottle their rage and anger in an attempt to distill music worth their time.
“‘Oathbreaker’ was born out of a pretty rough situation in my life,” vocalist Harrison tells BLUNT of the single. “It felt like the only way to get pent-up emotion out. Without going into too much triggering detail, I believed I was doing what was right. It resulted in me getting kicked out of my housing and university degree. The song narrates the crumbling relationship between myself and my ex, the lyrics definitely sway between disappointment and downright hate.”
Almost like exposure therapy in a world that can’t loosen its grips on performative positivity, ‘Oathbreaker’ is abrasive yet somehow satisfying to the senses – like diving into ice cold water. Inviting things like anger and hate into the studio sessions on purpose, for the sake of exhuming a worthwhile story, Betray The Pack learned a thing or two about the nature of these things. “I think the creative experience for me personally taught me a lot about how important it is to have an outlet for your emotions, creative or otherwise,” Harrison continues. “Anyone listening to ‘Oathbreaker’ can learn that even if you do what you believe is right in a situation, you may get betrayed or even spoken about as a villain. Whatever the case, it’s fine to be fucking angry about it. Just don’t turn on yourself.”
Now officially on the record, Betray The Pack are squaring up as they deal their next blow, and with around three EPs worth of material ready to release off the rip, you can be sure it will be relentless. “We want to stand for everyone downtrodden,” the band say of their mission statement. “We are an angry band and we will continue to make music that won’t shy away from heavy topics. Fueled by hate and the need for revenge is our motto, making something out of trauma and pain.”
