Heavy Artillery
2008
This is the sophomore effort from Southern California's old style thrash band Merciless Death. I kind of like this album, but I liked it a whole lot more when Slayer did it under the title of "Show no mercy". This is very early, say 83-85 style speed metal and they seem to try hard to make every detail of the music sound like it was from that time period. I think the question has to come after hearing any of these style thrash albums is why do this when it's already been done? I still can't figure why these bands and still chopping away at this kind of music like they think it still 1985. Okay, they like the style, but if you don't add anything of your own to it then you come across as a speed metal cover band. I am sorry that many of these bands missed the speed metal explosion of the 1980's becuase they had not yet been born or were in diapers. However, time moves on and so should music to some extent. I thought their 2007 debut "Evil in the night" was decent, but they needed to bring their own ideas and the vocals needed some real help. Well, the vocals on the new album are a little better, definitely deeper and more intense. The music is tighter overall and the production might even be sharper. Yet the part they spent no time on is adding their own ideas. This is just 28 minutes and 12 seconds of a style of metal that was done well over twenty years ago and done better back then. I love speed metal a lot, but if you are not bringing anything of your own to the mix then I fail to see the point in why I should listen to this when I can just pull out a Slayer or Dark Angel album and play that instead. I still hope they keep pushing at it, but I hope at some point that they realize that they need to stretch their music out and begin to define their own sound.
http://www.myspace.com/mercilessdeath
Will you please upload this. I have been waiting for this release for forever. This is the only release I'm actually waiting for this year. I'm not a leecher, and I promise I won't post it anywhere else. This is my favorite band of the year and I can't sit in school everyday thinking about this album. Don't worry either, I'll still buy this album. Will you please send me the link at elikarvonen@gmail.com ?
ReplyDeleteeli-Sorry, dude. I just get a copy for me to review. If you liked their debut then you will probably love this one. However it's not very original at all.
ReplyDeletei heard some samples and i definitely like it. i know its not original, but i'm big into old school thrash. thanks anyways.
ReplyDeleteby the way, how and where did you get your hands on this promo. i know someone else has it but where do you guys get it from?
ReplyDeleteThis band is not looking for orginality. They are showing respect to early speed/thrash metal and that music is timeless. Its started in the early 80s but its great that their are still young bands releasing great albums of pure old school speed/thrash. VIOLATOR, DISASTER, GAMA BOMB, WARBRINGER, DEKAPITATOR, WITCHBURNER, NOCTURNAL and a long etc...are releasing great old school albums that all metalheads should love. Its nice that in 2008 we can listen to new speed/thrash albums and we dont have to only listen to those old albums that we played 1000 times by now.
ReplyDeleteRene-I understand what you are saying. However, if you are just going to everything that has been done then be a cover or tribute band. These guys are not either of those because they write their own, but for me there is no point in hearing something I already heard before. Some bands are making an attempt, but Merciless Death make it obvious that they want to look and sound like it's still 1984. The sound is not new because they really are not bringing anything new to the mix. Now I am still holidng out that someone will keep trying and do a great thrash album that is both inspired by the old style, but has some fresh angle as well. I liked the albums from Skeletonwitch and Fueled by fire last year. I am also holding out hope for the new Bonded by blood as well.
ReplyDeletei will ask you this, in this day and age of heavy music what genre are you going to get something that is completely brand new and undone still?, not death metal or black metal certainly, its all been done, and a million times over, but for some reason thats ok, its time to get passed the idea that thrash has been done before and get to the point of listening to the record for what it is... has it occured to you that maybe they aren't "trying to make it sound like 1984 just for the sake of doing that" but that they are just making the heavy music they like and it happens to sound like its from that time...i am awaiting a review that focuses more on the actual music on the record and not so much about how slayer did this kind of music back in "83 so no one else can anymore... though it can't be that bad because you gave it 2.5 out of 4
ReplyDelete^ i don't see the rating your talking about for this but the rest of what you said makes sense...
ReplyDelete- waiting to hear this release when it comes out...
anonymous (the first one)- Completely different? No, at least slightly different would have been nice though. It's a decent album, but my expectations after their debut were they that reach out a little, but they didn't. I gave the music as much focus as it deserved. The most accurate description I found for their music was to compare them to Slayer because that's the extent of this album. I still hope that these guys keep at it and branch out a little or else they will just be a footnote in what could be a very brief thrash revival.
ReplyDeleteanonymous (the second)-The person above is refering to my review at Rough Edge. It's the same except they require I do a rating, I don't give ratings on my blog
http://www.roughedge.com/cdreviews/m/mercilessdeath.htm
it sounds like possessed. I love possessed.
ReplyDeletelisten, I'd rather here music that sounds good but like it's been done than metalcore or slipknot poser bullshit. Doesn't matter if it aint new. I have a saying or code I live by. "it doesn't matter if you play a genre that was already made, than all you can do is play it better." that's my modo. I don't have to really invent something new, but it has to be good.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last six words. In the case of this album it was decent, but not that spectacular. Originality can make the difference between good and great. It applies to these guys for sure.
ReplyDelete