Achilles' Heel

Pedro the Lion's last record, ''Achilles Heel,'' abandoned their notorious concept-record technique and instead focused on turning songs into individual stories. It succeeds devastatingly. Nearly every track is filled with grotesque imagery and cynicism, such as the cynosure ''Transcontinental,'' where a railroad worker laments his fate after his legs have been severed off by an engine. ''Simple Plan'' features a suicidal plebeian amidst life in a utopian society. And yet amidst the poignant misery, Bazan is able to weave provoking reflection into his songs. He criticizes Christian fundamentalists in the smilingly sardonic ''Foregone Conclusions'' and builds an interesting defense for his own faith in ''The Fleecing.'' Effective from the first note, ''Achilles Heel,'' while anything but catchy, is melodic and considerate enough to be worth infinite replays.