The early to mid-2000’s was prime time for hardcore and
metalcore bands alike to gain the attention of record labels looking to capitalize
on the movement. One of the bigger labels of the time, Victory Records, had a
strong stable of stalwarts during this period and sought to add to their
growing roster by adding Canada’s A Perfect Murder.
Much as any era in the metal continuity, be it thrash, death
or glam, you will inevitably have a number of bands that simple copy the
formula of what’s currently popular and try to emulate the sound as best as
possible. This was no different during the Core era, where it seemed out of the
dozens of new albums being released each month, only a handful stood out
amongst the rest. A Perfect Murder happened to be one of those standouts, as
they added enough flair to their metalcore sound, giving their music its own identity.
Yes, the music on “Unbroken” is first and foremost metalcore
and with it, a number of breakdowns will be present. That being said, it is a
trademark of the genre, but there are other layers to their sound that will
appease both the core crowd and metalheads alike. The most noticeable influence
would be the groove sounding guitars ala Pantera on a number of their songs.
Not only that, but there are elements of thrash to be heard here as well, which
reminds me a bit of Machine Head around the time they released out “Through the
Ashes of Empires”.
The double guitar approach works very well for A Perfect Murder’s
style. We receive a hefty supply of heavy, chugging riffs steeped heavily within
Pantera sounding grooves, but there are also a number catchy, melodic riffs as
well. The rhythms add a nice layer to the metal aspect of their brand of
metalcore, incorporating well timed guitar fills and sections that serve as an interchanging
of sounds to bolster said metal aspect. The mixture of riffs provides a nice ebb
and flow of sound that allows for certain segments of songs to carry the
metalcore aggressiveness commonly heard at the time, while the rhythms help the
songs transition seamlessly into melodic passages that keep them from getting
stale. There are also a number of well executed solos to be heard, that may not
shred your face off, but do provide a nice splash of thrash metal to the
overall sound. Now, solos in metalcore is not completely out of the norm, but generally
those who incorporated them into their albums tended to have a more distinct
sound and a stronger replay value. (God Forbid, Shadows Fall). In any case, the
solos are a welcome addition to the already strong foundation most of the songs
are built upon.
Carl Bouchard channels a great deal of anger and contempt
through his vocals, which have a nice raspy sound when he shouts. (shouts being
the majority of the vocals) Many times on this album, his voice sounds very comparable
to that of Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, carrying the same hatred fueled aggression
of the legendary hardcore icon. The drums provide a steady rhythm through the
album and have a very tight sound to their beats, but otherwise, they do not
make a lasting impression, but provide more than enough power for the metalcore
sound. The bass can be heard, playing right along with the guitars in the
background, which is hard to detect at first, but once you hear it, the sound
comes through. Production wise, aside from the bass, everything sounds clean
and crisp. No one instrument hogs the limelight, while Bouchard’s vocals never
seem overbearing.
As I said, in 2004, you could have easily stumbled across
any number of rinse and repeat core acts going with the flow and trying and strike
gold. However, as the popularity of the sound began to wane, those who were
unable to distance themselves from sounding like just another face in the crowd,
quickly became an afterthought. Fortunately, A Perfect Murder’s blend of groovy
metalcore served as a nice intermediate sound to please those both in the core
scene, but also draw the interest of metalheads who enjoyed a heavy dose of
chugging grooves and thrashy solos. Either way, this was a nice find at the
time and still holds up well today.
Highlights: “Possessed” “Another Day, Another Plague” “Save
the Clock”
Rating: 3
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