October 12, 2005 | | 2

A Perfect Murder, Strength Through Vengeance

After the departure of a lead singer, guitarist and bassist, most bands probably would have disbanded. The remaining two members of A Perfect Murder thought otherwise and made the decision to recruit new blood and carry on under the same moniker. Listening to this latest offering from the band, I sometimes wish that they had indeed broken up, or at least continued on under a different name.

The original identity of the band is gone. Cease to Suffer and Unbroken are a couple of the albums that continually seem to be in my current listening rotation. The sound on those albums is based on hardcore with some metal and rock infused in it, making them both enjoyable records to blast late into the night. Strength Through Vengeance brings an entirely different sound to the table. There are a few recognizable riffs from past releases, but for the most part this is a completely different band. Losing 3/5ths of the original lineup will do that to any crew. The band’s current sound and style is decidedly metal with hardcore and thrash elements thrown in. Musically the album is pretty strong. It has some nice riffs and a few breakdowns to bob your head to.

Vocally, however, is where the new band differs greatly from its previous incarnation. I am not sure whether the new lead singer is blessed/cursed with the natural vocal ability and sound that somewhat mimics Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Superjoint Ritual) or if it’s a blatant attempt to sound so similar. Either way it’s pretty uncanny in some instances on this album. As a huge Pantera fan, I may be biased, but I’m sure I hear too many similarities between this latest release from A Perfect Murder and the later Pantera releases.

Overall, the album is not a complete waste, but as a fan of the previous releases from A Perfect Murder, the new sound just doesn’t do it for me. Had I not been a fan before the line-up change, I would say that this album was decent enough to stand on its own.

Favorite Tracks:
Body and Blood
Slay the Masses

Additional Notes:
n/a