REVIEW: BOLT THROWER - MERCENARY

 

BOLT THROWER - MERCENARY (Roadrunner Recs., 2000)

Produced by Bolt Thrower and Ewan Davies

Recorded at Chapel Studios, Lincoln, England

Artwork by Peter Archer

Tracks: 1- Zeroed, 2- Laid To Waste, 3- Return From Chaos, 4- Mercenary, 5- To the Last..., 6- Powder Burns, 7- Behind Enemy lines, 8- No Guts, No Glory, 9- Sixth Chapter

This is Bolt Thrower previous album, but I have to review it because it is the end of the chapter with Karl Willets on vocals (now the vocalist is the ex Benediction vocalist Dave Ingram). The music is really potent as always, slower than on their first albums and more focused in death metal with crushing riffs and a lot of rhythm changes. The sound is good here, but I have to admit that I would like them to mix in a different way the snare drum, like louder. On this release they are using more bottom end (Jo Bench is crushing as always on the bass) than in for example "For Victory...". there are some riffs that are more original than others like the ones you can listen on songs like "Mercenary" and I think the band is getting better with time doing this type of music. Favorite tracks: "Laid To Waste", "To the Last..." and " "Behind Enemy Lines". Contact: www.roadrunnerrecords.com