A Perfect Murder "Rehearsal" CD
[Cyclop]
Can someone please tell me how in the hell it's possible that the Victory Records release from this Canadian metalcore act is so much worse than everything else they've done?  Seriously, their first full-length was solid, and this EP is solid, but that Victory disc is just weak, and that just makes no sense to me.  Go figure.  This material was recorded quite some time ago and the release has apparently been in the works for a long time now, and I don't know what the story is on that, but this is a pretty decent EP with some original material as well as some covers.  Despite the title and the somewhat dry recording this does not at all sound like a rehearsal though, so that's a plus.  The guitar tone is definitely a little thin and there's not enough overall oomph to the recording, but it sounds better than "Unbroken" did, so fuck it.  My suggestions would be to give the bass more volume to beef up the core of the mix and to give the guitars a little more density and force to the distortion, but things sound fairly good and the mix is clear so I can live with it.  The three originals are fairly well written and focus on more of a standard metallic hardcore sound with slower and sludgier tempos and a few really nice dissonant chord progressions that are right up my alley, notably in closer "A Perfect Murder".  The band's melodic Swedish riffing takes a back seat in these songs and only really rears its head during "One Last Time" in small spurts.  "Trapped" also has more of a traditional metallic hardcore chug to it, and I'm definitely into that when it's done right (as it is here).  First up for the covers is a 10-minute Metallica medley called "Metal Up Your Ass" - including bits and pieces from  "Eye of the Beholder", "Master of Puppets", "Damage Inc.", "The Four Horsemen", "Blackened", and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (in that order).  They make a good go of it, though admittedly the strained vocal shouts are a little ineffective.  The same can basically be said for their take on Slayer's "Seasons in the Abyss", though the vocals are somewhat worse in this one as they feel too forced at times.  It's nice to hear a band of this nature be able to pull off the thrash, though.  Another "medley" of sorts, obviously titled as "Black Sabbath", is just a brief couple of minutes of bits from "Master of Reality" and "Paranoid".  Go figure.  The layout looks damn nice and uses lots of black space with eerie photos of a barn or something, and the booklet opens from the center of the back to reveal the lyrics for the band's three originals... which basically deal with vengeance and all that.  It seems that there are some mistakes in the credits as they list "Ride the Lightning" as a part of the Metallica medley but I don't think they included any of that in the actual song, while they credit "Seasons in the Abyss" twice and improperly title the song "Season in the Abyss" throughout the packaging.  In the end this isn't an outstanding piece of work, but it's fairly well done.  Ironically I actually enjoy the originals more than the covers, but that's almost a good thing in some ways.  Make no mistake, I'm not saying these guys write better songs than fucking Metallica, not on your life.  I'm just saying that they sound more comfortable and more at home playing their own songs, and that's not a bad place to be. (6/10)
Running time - 26:59, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Trapped, One Last Time, A Perfect Murder]
Cyclop Media - http://www.cyclop-online.com

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