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I should say right off the bat that fans of A Perfect Murder’s sophomore full-length and Victory Records debut, Unbroken, might not be pleased with Strength Through Vengeance. Strength Through Vengeance lacks the certain energy that the band consistently showcased on Unbroken. This is largely due to a substantial lineup change in late 2004, which saw the departure of three members, including their vocalist, guitarist and bassist.
While the band managed to recruit three new members and persevere enough to record this new full-length, the new members seem to have brought weaker breakdowns, weaker guitar solos, an obvious Pantera influence, and cringe-worthy, Nickelback-like singing. A Perfect Murder did keep the cliché lyrics, which worked on past efforts, but new vocalist Kevin Randel doesn't give them as much meaning or shout them with as passionate of a vibe.
To me, A Perfect Murder plays tough, relatively simple, and fun music. While I was listening to Strength Through Vengeance, I repeatedly had urges to break out their older material and listen to songs in the vein of "Jaded" or "Speak Without Faith." This record is nothing of the sort and, in comparison, is downright weak.
If it was up to me, A Perfect Murder would go back to their successful formula and write a stronger album, because, based on their past and current tribulations, it looks as though they won’t be around too much longer. But considering the way Strength Through Vengeance turned out, that’s probably a good thing.
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