Unbroken

Quebec-based metalcore outfit A Perfect Murder made their mainstream debut (their 2003 bow, Cease to Suffer, came out on a tiny indie) on the increasingly prolific Victory label, and Unbroken is further proof of how Victory has moved away from its early reputation as the Sub Pop of hardcore-thrash labels. There's no thrash here at all, and in most places, the album has only a basic formal connection to hardcore. Basically, this is straight, mid-tempo metal that occasionally slows down into hyper-aggressive mosh parts, like a fusion of Hatebreed and Pantera. Instead of the standard lock-step guitar riffs, Carl Bouchard and Kevin Lemire aren't afraid to stretch out and actually solo, at least briefly, and the combination of the melodic guitar solos and the hammering rhythm section gives the album its power. The closing "Another Day, Another Plague," which actually recalls Kill 'Em All-era Metallica, is particularly impressive.