|
Morten Løwe Sørensen and his vast drumming experience and skill has filled the void in the percussion department. He has played with such bands as Dragonland, The Arcane Order, and Scavenger to name just a few.
Mercenary has embraced their new sound and it's showcased on "Metamorphosis." This new sound didn't stray much from what fans would say is their typical sound but it was focused on by the string musicians in the band. Jakob Mølbjerg continues as rhythm guitarist, Martin Buus Pedersen on lead guitar as well as the keys, and René Pedersen continues his bass duties along with the harsh and clean vocals now.
A few parts seem to be experimental for this band. Its nice to see bands try new things but I'm not sure everything worked. At times these changes seemed to cut the flow a bit. However the choruses are catchy as ever...something this band has always done well. The metalcore elements seem to be woven into their music well the majority of the time. It may seem a bit weird at times too, almost as they padded the length of their songs with these elements.
Mercenary's heavy and melodic parts show nice contrast. Melodic death, powercore and progressive thrash all seem to describe the musical variation. The disc is energetic for the most part...maybe not quite as much as the last disc, but "Metamorphosis" still carries their intensity.
There are ten songs and almost 55 minutes on this sixth album. The last song is a bonus track for the North American Release featured specifically through Prosthetic Records. Mercenary recorded this album with Danish producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Destruction, Tyr, Heaven Shall Burn, Aborted).
Even with the changes that the band has gone through over the last few years their new disc "Metamorphosis" still screams Mercenary! If you are a true fan of the band I'm positive that this new sound will seem more like a progression of sorts.
Rating: 81
Reviewed By: Jeffrey D. Adkins