Mercenary - 11 Dreams (2004)^{Release ID: 8305}

After a well-done thrashy debut First Breath, their second album Everblack is a masterpiece in which power metal elements are seamlessly added to their dominant sound of melodeath. Epic and extreme can truly fit well together! They would continue the sound in their subsequent albums though with more modern influences later on. And one of those albums show that the band never cease to amaze their fans...

11 Dreams, like the rest of the band's discography, has been with me for about a week, and I'm already hooked for some more listening to come. A lot of this album is f***ing kick-A! Barely any song here is in bad shape, all in top-notch quality.

The intro "Into the Sea of Dark Desires" has haunting keyboards sounding straight out of a fantasy/horror movie. Then "World Hate Center" unleashes heavy anger that will live in your mind in a week, which I've experienced after hearing it for the first time. Great riffing worth moshing and headbanging to, along with total vocal rage, "Now do you feel respectable on the cross?!" The title track is another great track, though different from the first song. The greatness reaches its highest point right in the middle with a searing solo. "reDestructDead" blends together the brutal melodeath of the first full song with the pieces of symphonic power metal from the second. Another solo appears in the middle in a faster tempo, one of the many things making that song another highlight.

The next track "Firesoul" is quite a ride. Serene female singing appears during the last couple minutes, performed by Monika Pedersen who would later join Sirenia for one their albums. Lots of great piano melody too. Then we have a good memorable standout in "Sharpen the Edges". Lots of creepy drama from the piano and lyrics that wouldn't sound too far off from Misfits. The slow riffing stays heavy and twisted all the way through. Another memorable track "Supremacy v2.0", is filled with kick-A melodeath and a sequel to a song from their 1996 EP. Some more of the slow riffing has great synergy between the two vocalists. A well-constructed epic worth repeated listens!

After that, we have "Music No Stop", a cover of the song by Swedish pop rock band Kent. Metal purists might think "What the f***?!?" when hearing this cover, but the truth is, they turned a pop sh*t-hit into a real metal song. And that's how I like these kinds of covers! "Falling" swings into fast groove/thrash while having more of Mikkel's vocals and another guest appearance by Monika Pedersen in the background. "Times Without Changes" is a 3-minute piano ballad, and the only song in this album to feel even slightly out of place. It segues to the mind-blowing finale "Loneliness". Right from first listen, it's my favorite track of the album. The guitarwork is unbelievable. The drums have a steady pace. And the vocals sound so perfect! I can actually sing and growl quite well, but while I can imitate Kral, I can't quite reach the range of Mikkel. I might still have a fun time covering this song with some of the best lyrics in metal. I highly suggest listening to that glorious song of PURE METAL POWER!!!

I think it's clear that the band is spicing up melodeath with some bits of Stratovarius-like power metal coming from clean vocals and keyboards performed from the heart. Whether or not you're a fan of melodeath, you're bound to enjoy the h*ll out of this album. 11 Dreams is every metalhead's dream!

Favorites: "World Hate Center", "reDestructDead", "Sharpen the Edges", "Supremacy v2.0", "Loneliness"