Mercenary- Eleven Dreams

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Author: Erin Fox

‘Eleven Dreams’ kicks off with an epic introduction from
Morten Sandager before thrusting at full throttle into some neck snapping chugging and up tempo timekeeping sure to satisfy any true fan of heavy metal. There is an aura of electricity about Mercenary that permeates the sonic structure of ‘World Hate Center’ and ‘Firesoul’ vocalist Mikkel Sandager and Kral team up on the vocals here, each putting forth a tremendous vocal performance on every single track of the record. These great Danes are a metal powerhouse pulling off some superb progressive metal with the title track, where the vocals carry the music through compelling arrangements that are almost symphonic in nature and undeniably heavy.

A crisp acoustic passage begins ‘Sharpen The Edges’, as Mikkel displays some excellent vocal control and range. The arrangement is superior, with song parts flowing into one another effortlessly and building tension and drama throughout the piece. Kral chimes in with some forceful baritone vocals on the chorus, before the song returns to a fuller version of its introduction. Martin Buus takes his turn on ‘Supremacy v2.0′ playing a thoughtful and emotive solo over the tracks introduction. This track carries a Fear Factory feel that is fervent and catchy, with some of the best backing vocals to grace a metal record in some time.

‘Music Non Stop’ is traditionally European in its lyrical theme and the song contains a great hook that will be repeating in your head for days after listening to it. Mercenary are very well rehearsed, and the tightness of the band is one of the greatest things about their music. They really have these songs down to the mark. ‘Falling’ features further superlative delivery from both vocalists and they voices they choose to utilize are a great fit for the music.

Every song here is a solid performance, there’s not a weak spot on the album musically. It’s rare to find an album that has it together on so many levels. Mercenary deliver the complete package with ‘11 Dreams’ and it’s going to be great to hear these songs played live in concert. Mark your metal calendars for this awesome album’s February release! A phenomenal effort!

Rating:10/10

Official Site
http://www.mercenary.dk

Century Media Records
http://www.centurymedia.com