Merciless Death - Evil In The Night (Heavy Artillery Records) - Back
Oldschool thrash sounding bands aren’t necessarily the norm anymore. But when you find one that seems to know what it’s all about, it becomes refreshing to those that have cherished the style for years. Merciless Death is a trio from Los Angeles that play in such a manor that you would think their album “Evil In The Night” is from the eighties.

Merciless Death plays straightforward thrash in the vain of Slayer and Exodus amongst others. Vocals remind me a little of ex-Exodus vocalist Steve Souza and a few yelling vocals are like Tom Araya screams. Most of the riffs are aggressive, pummeling, and speedy. They can really get your blood pumping. Also there are a number of ripping solos, though a few are a bit shaky.

Production isn’t bad, it goes with the old school sound. However, don’t expect anything crystal clear either. Besides that I wish the songs were a tad bit longer. Everything is around three minutes in length…eight songs almost twenty-six minutes in total.

“Evil In The Night” is a quality disc. Not groundbreaking, but it’s something old school thrash fans will enjoy. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a promising future for Merciless Death.

Rating: 78

Reviewed By: Jeffrey D. Adkins