PERFECT CRIME (Russia) – Perfect Crime (2013)
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Russia has produced some really good Hard Rock acts in the past (also when they were USSR), however most recent bands from this side of globe opted for a rough, crude sound, coupled with its noticeable accent on the vocals.
PERFECT CRIME from Moscow, seems to be the exception of this rule as their self-titled debut not only offers a crisp delivery, it also sounds more American than many USA-born groups.
Indeed, Perfect Crime surprised me from the first note of track 1 which is called “Intro”, but it isn’t the typical few seconds introductory song with noises, spoken words, etc, this is a two minute instrumental showcasing the guy’s skills in their playing and remarkably, the excellent production.
Immediately, “The Trap” starts the rockin’ rollercaster that is this CD. We’re talking about American styled Hard Rock here, late ’80s / early ’90s inspired with sharp rhythm guitars, rounded bass lines, max-reverb snares & cymbals and quite hot solos to boot. Everything is extremely polished, coming out clear out of the speakers.
Getting back to “The Trap”, this is a thumping hard rocker full of energy combining the first Ugly Kid Joe dynamics and some ‘stylized’ Guns ‘N Roses circa Use Your Illusion. Solid swagger and nice refrain on this one.
Next, “Into The Light” should be one of my favorites. This melodic rocker is the best tune Mark Slaughter didn’t wrote in the last 20 years. In fact, Slaughter (the band) is how Perfect Crime mostly sounds on this CD, and this is a good thing in my book. The track is propelled by a monster bass foundation, sports a killer chorus and a terrific double six-string work. The solo and guitar set-up sound are absolutely ’80s.
Talking about Mark Slaughter, young singer Ivan Noskov recalls his timbre yet not so high pitched, showcasing a thrust and an accent-free performance that many peers (especially non English native) would envy.
Apart from the aforementioned attributes, Perfect Crime writes good, catchy songs.
Quality remains high throughout the rest of the disc with numbers like the stomping “Watch Out!”, the melodic “If You Tell Me No” (love the middle section arrangement – these guys are good), the hair metal of “Runnin’ Wild” complete with cow-bell, and the groovy “Open Your Eyes” (akin Vinnie Vincent Invasion).
Perfect Crime provides variation with the lush ballad “Lookin’ For” straight out of the American book adding some very nice keyboards to the mix, while the intimate midtempo “One More Time” is plenty of clean (electric) guitars & good harmonies, increasing the tempo at the end with a monster solo shared between the two guitarists.
Perfect Crime is an unexpected, great surprise from Russia: American ’80s/’90s styled Hard Rock written, played and produced in an even more American style than the Americans themselves these days.
As said, the sound is crisp and polished as in the good ol’ days, so if you miss this kind of productions and classic bands like Slaughter, Britny Fox, first Steelheart / Ugly Kid Joe and why not, Firehouse, don’t miss this very well made recording.
Strongly Recommended.
Ivan Noskov – Vocals
Sergey Gindiya – Guitars
Nikita Borovkov – Guitars
Alexander Fedonin – Bass
Eugeniy Korablev – Drums
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