Album Review: Black Betty

Lineup: Jonas Fairely (vox, drums) and Ana Serena (vox, guitar)

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Unfortunately, in this zine, we rarely venture far from the comfort zone of indie and pop rock bands in our reviews and recommendations. But, the fans of heavy-handed guitar bands who have surprisingly stumbled upon these pages might find solace in the Canadian co-ed retro-metal duo, Black Betty. The fashionably distracted guitarist Ana Serena and lead vocalist/drummer Jonas Fairely pictured on the inset of the self-titled debut released on Rick Bennett’s (Starchild vocalist and guitarist) Georgia-based label, Twin Earth Records, look like they’re striking poses for an interchangeable clothing boutique advertisement. But, they’re no bullshit.

Bennett’s Waycross, Georgia trio, Starchild, was featured in the third issue of Montag. “It seemed unlikely that there would ever return the long-haired, heavy-handed jam bands that capitalized on 1970s metal, disappearing when early 90s hard rock and alternative were tossed aside for the next rock epochs. But, bands like Starchild, Malefactor, Valkyrie and Black Betty carry that torch through the club scene. Rather than speed, crunch and slick production polish that define recent heavy metal, the bands on Twin Earth Records have more in common with the earthy, moody and ambient classic metal and hard rock bands of the 1970s-slower tempo, heavier bass lines, lingering lead guitar, hypnotic echoing vocals and spiritual lyrics.”

Trippy, titanium-rich Black Betty has created a nearly perfect reconstruction of 70s hard rock, at its forefront of which is Fairely’s accent-tinted hollow wailing suggests a controlled, bluesy and soulful ode to Zepplin and Sabbath (Sunshine, Hearts of Fire). And, at times, lyrics of metaphysics and personal spiritual struggle hint obvious influence in early Bowie like the spaceship-navigated homecoming on the album’s first track, Astral Messiah. Momentarily, when the tempo speeds up (House of Chains), Serena’s bust-you-in-the-mouth style and Fairely’s crash-heavy drumming share kinship with early 90s hard alt-rock. By itself, Black Betty have produced a worthy debut, but as a revivalist band, Black Betty lack a distinctive identity that might be a truer novelty had most bands on the Twin Earth label not chosen similar and sometimes identical sources of inspiration.

(Until the better quality video shoots for Black Betty are posted, entertain yourselves with fellow Twin Earth records band, Starchild’s video for The Futurist)