### Mercenary: Architect of lies

#### 20/03/08 || Euthanatos

Mercenary is a danish band that has always released quality material that never made me listen to it more than once. All of this has now changed with the release of “Architect of Lies”. I don’t know what someone put in their water, but these lads suddenly became the shit. For starters, Mikkel Sandager, the vocalist, is singing insanely good. The range, the creativity, it’s way up there with the best of the best. Even in a diverse style such as “melodic death metal”, there are so many one-dimensional, or at most, “two-dimensional” vocalists out there, when you get a guy that can sing so differently and aptly fill different song moods like this, it’s a treat.

Creatively speaking, Mercenary have also reached their peak and the only way from here is down. No longer a straight-forward melodic thrash outfit, there’s so much progressive, rock and aggressive metal thrown in here, you can’t really pin the band down in one genre. The guitars of Martin Buus and Jakob Mølbjerg lead the way with amazing depth, but the keyboards also have to be highlighted, as they are fucking taste. Props to Mr. Morten Sandager.

I wish there were songs here to mention separately, but they’re all really good, to be truthful. Special points for “Bloodsong”, though, with great vocals all around. Power Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Rock, Music, Balls, Awesomeness. It’s all here. Get it and orgasm. Do it.

The cover: Dark Tranquility’s Niklas Sundin is one talented fucker, and he has once again impressed me with this cover.

9 Danish bagels out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Century Media
- Website: www.mercenary.dk
- Band
- Mikkel Sandager: vocals
- Martin Buus: lead guitar
- Jakob Mølbjerg: guitar
- René Pedersen: bass, backing vocals
- Mike Park Nielsen: drums
- Morten Sandager: keyboards, backing vocals

- Tracklist
- 01. New Desire
- 02. Bloodsong
- 03. Embrace the Nothing
- 04. This Black and Endless Never
- 05. Isolation (The Loneliness in December)
- 06. The Endless Fall
- 07. Black and Hollow
- 08. Execution Style
- 09. I Am Lies
- 10. Public Failure Number One