Kill Mercy

Kill Mercy, a band out of New Bern, NC, is made up of John Morgan on vocals, Garrett Curd on drums, Aaron Curd on bass, and Tom Spellman and Eric Styons on guitars. Their self-titled debut album is an eleven-track journey into the heart of hard rock and metal. With howling screams that border on death metal and harmonious hooks and melodies, Kill Mercy has done a masterful job of combining genres into a pleasing conglomeration of unique and original songs that capture the attention and gets the blood flowing.

“Grow” opens the album and it hits hard. With inspirational lyrics that hold a sense of defiance and strength, Kill Mercy has made it clear that they are out to take the music world by storm. The vocals alternate between classic metal growls and a more melodic delivery which gives this piece a nice balance. “Threat” carries a contagious drum beat which is accompanied wonderfully by the skillful bass playing. The vocals are intriguing, as they range from metal screaming akin to Five Finger Death Punch to a softer delivery that may bring to mind Chevelle. The instrumentation is professional and the sound quality is exceptional.

“Last Breath” slows the pace down and the listener will gain a greater appreciation for the creativity of Kill Mercy. The lyrics are thoughtfully, intelligently written, and the overall composition of this piece is stellar. The vocals are sung with haunting beauty, the guitar work is excellent, and this obligatory slow song will be a fan favorite. “Regret Becomes” continues in this vein with some melodic guitar work and a slower rhythm. The band kicks it up a bit and brings back the low growls that classic metalheads will simply adore. Kill Mercy has mastered the art of smooth transitions and they go from a slow melody with soft vocals to a hardcore beat with harsh vocals without missing a step.

“Prelude To The Day” gives the listener a surprise, with church-like organ playing to start it off. The sound production is wonderful and this short, sweet track is the perfect lead-in to “The Day That Ends The World.” Taking the album back to its roots of metal, this piece will be a delight to thrashers, metalheads and headbangers. With a slightly sinister rhythm and vocals that are heavy throughout, this is perhaps the hardest track on the album yet. The lyrics carry an angry edge that scream of revolt and retaliation. “War” keeps the tone heavy and fans of Mushroomhead may find some similarities in the vocal delivery, while fans of GWAR may also catch a familiar riff here and there. The break is spectacular and the guitar work is nothing short of stunning. Perhaps the most solid piece yet, “War” is what Kill Mercy is all about.

The album thrashes on with “Time And Again,” a melodic piece that carries a very creative essence behind it. The tempo and rhythm of this track is intricate and Kill Mercy makes it work exceedingly well. This song is up, down, and sometimes sideways, which is something many bands have trouble pulling off. This band, however, knows what they’re doing and this song is a testament to that. “Closest Enemy” is a signature Kill Mercy piece with ear bleeding metallic vocals offset with harmonic crooning, screaming guitars, and a solid rhythm section. The lyrics are inspiring and exceptionally well-written. “Siren” is the classic metal song that is made unique to this band due to their excellent musicianship and knowledge of song composition. While it may not be the smoothest track on the album with regards to rhythm and transitions, it is perhaps the most polished with regards to instrumentation.

The album ends with “Bullets For Christmas” and the track starts off in an unexpected way. A soft melody is coupled with vocals that are slightly reminiscent of Maynard James Keenan. There is definitely a TOOL vibe to the slower pieces of this song, and Kill Mercy does what they do best when adding their expert metal touch. This band and this album are hardcore. Anyone can make that assessment within the first few tracks. Kill Mercy isn’t just hardcore, though. They have a brilliant understanding of music and how it works, they are extremely skilled musicians, and they have the professionalism and talent to put it all together. Fans will wait eagerly for their sophomore effort and there is no question that this band will gain quite a following, if they haven’t already.



Reviewed by Rhonda Readence
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5) - Rhonda Readence