Professional Murder Music's long awaited full length debut comes well equipped for the job at hand with the proverbial black briefcase stacked full of a slick blend of new metal riffery, sly electronic programming and a dark, brooding atmosphere that is as creepy as it is intimidating. Sleekly assembled, the group, which features former members of Human Waste Project and Tura Satana in its ranks, hit their target with the stealth of a silencer, sounding quite polished as they jut out crunchy riffs, sinister sounding vocals and an electro ambiance that when combined, can bring to mind perhaps the likes of a well rounded medium between Marilyn Manson, gODHEAD and 20 Dead Flower Children.

Band frontman Roman's voice is quite powerful as he croons out his parts with a gloomy, yet urgent sense of conduct that could possibly be summed up as a satisfyingly done modern metal version of The Cure's Robert Smith, an influence which the group sport proudly, considering that they have included a cover of the aforementioned acts "A Night Like This". Guitar riffs sear the listeners ears with crisp riffs that utilize ample distortion to convey their shadowy aggressive lunges, that although based decidedly within the new metal vein of things, still sound fresh and to a point almost ethereal. Meanwhile, Bass playing is more of a fundamental element, utilizing low, bottom heavy grooves to fill out the rhythm section with a style that is fairly modest, though its parts are more than necessary and their humble demeanor can't help but be appreciated. The drums are for the most part surprisingly organic, hammering out concentrated beats that align themselves rather closely with the constant convulsions of deviously programmed sonic experimentation and haunting keyboard work, ranging all the way from thundering bass drops to eerie industrial embellishments that tend to feature a slightly gothic undercurrent as a whole.

Perhaps the most impressive quality of this debut though, is the strong cohesion the music retains, especially when considering that the group have only been together for a relatively short period of time. The programmed elements done by frontman Roman Marisak and bassist Jeff Schartoff are superb and their depth and intelligence is astonishing, almost hypnotizing the listener with their intricately crafted, well polished electronic wizardry, that continually retains a somber dynamic, making it sound integrated into the bands sound rather than augmented onto it. It's also interesting to see how they like to challenge themselves, trying out industrial metal interludes, such as "Painkiller Introduction" and "Sleep Deprivation" or the intense, yet sullen melody of "Does It Dream", a track that comes littered with the serene vocal contributions of theSTART frontwoman Aimee Echo, whose calm tranquillity gives it a very soothing, almost sedated quality. There's also the incorporation of a few acoustic tones which provide an intriguing contrast and as a whole, help make this disc a well balanced effort through and through. But even though the groups talent and skill are on par, there seems to be more than a handful of songs included here that feel interchangeable... Almost too familiar to each other and as such, they can begin to blur into one another until a more progressive track breaks the cycle. Still, its hard not to be impressed with at least some aspects of this disc and though the music's near goth suggestions might not be for everyone, the sheer "professionalism" and execution of their handiwork leaves little to be desired, making it a much more enjoyable way to be taken out, especially when compared to the contrived and sloppy tactics employed by the bulk of the current new metal crowd.