Origin:	France
Genres:	Death Metal

Mercyless

By several accounts, Mercyless was a decent if typical death metal band in the early nineties, as heard on their first two releases Abject Offerings* and *Coloured Funeral. The album reviewed here, though, is their third effort, 1996's Cold, and what we have here is clearly a band in transition. Band leader Max Otero still sings in the death style, but that and the occasional guitar riff are really the only components of death metal here. Instead, the band opts for mid-paced, harsh riffing, augmented by some spacey/electronic keyboard effects. The result is a fairly original and interesting album, though it may not appeal to fans of the more traditional death metal fare that these guys used to play. Kudos to the band for playing what they want, since Cold clearly isn't directed at any clear market, yet it could appeal to metal fans of several genres if given the chance. The reports on their last album, Sure To Be Pure, is that they've strayed still further from their early roots. Their current status is unknown.