A Perfect Murder is a band that is driven toward pure sonic destruction with their impressive new platter, "Strength Through Vengeance." The group brandishes an intense, thrashing sond that is sure to appeal to fans of older Metallica and Pantera. Erin Fox catches up with new vocalist Kevin Randel to talk about the band's latest happenings...
The Gauntlet: For those who are unfamiliar with A Perfect Murder, could you please introduce the band members and tell us the most important each member brings to the group?
Kevin Randel: I sing and bring my lyrics, vocals and a nasty southern attitude. Carl Bouchard, brings the 6 string southern fried pain. Yan Chausse, the backbone of our band on the skins. Dominic Poisson, rhythm guitar and Dave B. round out the solid rhythmic punch.
The Gauntlet: The music of A Perfect Murder is deeply rooted in the classic thrash metal sound. What is it about playing this style of music that is attractive to the band?
Kevin Randel:Well, we all grew up as fans of the bay area thrash metal scene. Testament, Metallica, Exodus, Slayer, Death Angel. We cut our teeth on these bands and this is where in my opinion metal really got started. It is about time that a band brings back the real classic sound that metal has been lacking over the years.
The Gauntlet:How do you feel 'Strength Through Vengeance' is a progression from 'Unbroken'?
Kevin Randel: Leaps and bounds man. This band really grew up and seperated itself from the rest of the girl pants and eyeliner wannabee`s out there that are currently proclaiming themselves to be metal. They never were that before I got here, but other people in that genre are, and we want to play the music that we are inspired by and love. Not what is trendy man.
The Gauntlet: Is the record a fairly good representation of what the band sounds like live?
Kevin: Absolutely! There are no bullshit studio tricks on this cd, it is as stripped down and raw as you can get. We wanted to take a real live approach to the recording, and it turned out really well in my opinion.
The Gauntlet: Instrumentally, the new record is extremely tight sounding. Exactly how much preparation went into the songwriting and rehearsals for this new record?
Kevin: We went thrugh 2 pre-production sessions for this record over a 3 month span. That helped out tremendously when the time came to record the record.
The Gauntlet: The lyrics of 'Suffocation Of Thought' speaks of your opinion on those who follow trends. Do you feel that a lot of groups in the scene are too quick to change their style, sacrificing their artistic integrity for an opportunity to cash in on a trend?
Kevin Randel: Fuck yea man, there are too many people changing with every trend to fit in every few months. Fuck that man, you won`t ever see us wearing make up and singing about stupid cry-baby gay shit. We play with what we wake up in, and then we'd it again man! hahaha. No gimmicks, no bullshit. Just 100% whoop ass metal.
The Gauntlet: The cover of the new record is very abstract. Was this intentional? What does the art which graces your new record signify to you?
Kevin Randel: We wanted the cover art to express the violent and explosive nature of the material inside. Paul Romano did a great job capturing the feel of the anger that was expressed on the album. Sick and twisted man, that is what it is about sometimes.
The Gauntlet: Being that Pierre Remillard is so close to the group, it must have been easier for you to communicate ideas while recording the record. Do you feel that your closeness with Pierre provided you with a better end result overall?
Kevin Randel:Definetly, Pierre is a great asset to our band and will remain our producer for as long as he will have us. He knows exactly what we are looking for and knows how to bring the best out of us.
The Gauntlet: What do you feel are the essential elements necessary in order to make for a heavy song?
Kevin Randel: Suffering, I think that in order to get in touch with real emotional content one needs to have suffered at some point to provide inspiration. Of course, I can only speak for myself.
The Gauntlet: Now that you have had time to settle into the band, what is it that you are bringing to the table in a live situation?
Kevin Randel:I think I bring the crowd and the band closer together through my interaction, because they are as much apart of the show as we are. It is fun to watch our fans go nuts and that in turn raises our level of intensity.
The Gauntlet: What was the most difficult aspect of making the new record?
Kevin Randel:Time constraints. We recorded this album in about 2 and a half weeks. That wasn`t a huge issue since we knew the songs already from our previous pre-production, but we would have liked to have had a little bit more time to relax...hahaha.
The Gauntlet: Of all of the tracks on the new record, which do you feel stands out the most?
Kevin Randel:Fuck man, that is like asking me to pick my favorite child! I don`t know man, they are all my favorites for different reasons. If I had to pick one I would say Strength through Vengeance, I feel like it really typifies where we are headed and the message of the overall album.
The Gauntlet: What can fans expect from A Perfect Murder in concert during the group's upcoming live dates?
Kevin Randel: Intensity, pure and simple.
The Gauntlet:What do you feel is the most important factor in order for the new record to be successful?
Kevin Randel:Good tours with good bands and to be road dogs for this album.
