ALBUM REVIEW: Merciless – Body Count
Think of the term ruthless aggression. Whether it musters up John Cena’s start to WWE, a particularly violent scene in a film, or a disgusting (complimentary) album, one word comes to mind; merciless. Showcasing their own brand of ferocity is the heavy metal brood BODY COUNT with their eight album aptly titled Merciless.
Continuing their decade long resurgence from Manslaughter (2014), BODY COUNT has had to move with the times. In that they have gone from strength to strength. 2018’s Bloodlust was simply the pinnacle of this incarnation while 2020’s Carnivore criminally flew under the radar. With such behemoth efforts from a crew on a constant road of betterment, where will Merciless fit into the grand scheme of things?
Introductory Interrogation sets the tone with its uncomfortable drone and Vincent Price’s dense bass. From the outset, this is no police interrogation. “I alone decide if you live or die” plants us in a cold damp basement with a hood over our faces. Unless it’s Guantanamo Bay, the blood curdling screams are more akin to Hostel than the judiciary system. Ice-T’s (vocal) delivery is monotone, measured, and menacing with the predilection for psychopathy coming to the fore with the line “I actually reach orgasm during torture”. There’s no kink shaming at Distorted Sound yet something spinchter tensing this way comes.
We plunge into the remaining eleven songs with the title track, Will Dorsey (drums) pummeling the skins of the war drums as BODY COUNT seek to lay waste to all in their path. The instrumental of the verses are skeletal, commanding the ear to Ice-T proclaiming we must “prepare for the Armageddon”. While we appreciate the grinding of Juan Garcia’s guitar and trickles of Sean E. Sean’s sampling, we find ourselves anticipating the arrival of one man. Ernie C delivers soon enough with a segmented solo pushing through Garcia’s oppressive grind. As if to rebel against this oppression, Purge quickly follows the scent of vengeance. Inspired by the film of the same name, we’re treated to samples of news broadcasts throwing laws to the wayside. For 24 hours, the use of Class IV weapons and lower is allowed. Enter juggernaut-esque George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. But the CANNIBAL CORPSE frontman doesn’t come in just yet. Adrenaline surges for the “12 hours of bliss” where we can “take revenge on anybody you wish”. Purge is constrictive. Threatening. Classic BODY COUNT. Ernie C decimates the soundscape with his fret mastery, finally clearing the way for Fisher’s spiraling delivery. A man on the brink of destruction seeking to pull everyone into the depths of misery with him.
Wherever Purge is, Psychopath isn’t far behind. Where Purge was a touch more measured in terms of unleashing their feature, BODY COUNT allow FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY’s Joe Badolato to let loose. The track is uncomfortable, sending cold spikes up the spine. Psychopath simply feels disgusting and slick with sinew. The instrumental is thick and hits like the sampled chainsaw. To put it plainly, this isn’t a song you play with your nan in the room. Unless ol’ Brenda’s into manic laughter straight out of Arkham Asylum, we don’t discriminate here.
And neither does BODY COUNT. If you’re new to the party, this is an incredibly outspoken band and absolutely anyone can be on their hit list. Women, vegans, and the subject of Fuck What You Heard; Politicians. We’ll get this out the way now; we see what’s trying to be achieved with the lyric “Democrips Bloodpublicans” but the cringe factor is off the scale. It’s also here the album falters. Jumbled voices in the chorus mirroring the barrage of media coverage during election periods makes for jarring listening. This pulls away from the idea of the war between the US Government and people of colour. “Left wing or right, it’s all the same” says it best; either way there will be people of colour serving hard time for weed possession while the white privilege is on full display in terms of the choice for President. For a topic as serious of this Fuck What You Heard simply lets the message down.
Striving for constant evolution comes with some experimentation. What works and what doesn’t. BODY COUNT singing in Live Forever doesn’t. This is a strong hardcore inspired track with sharp riffs and thunderous drums. “They have failed to eliminate me” establishes dominance. Yet this need to include melody is saccharine. This break in the facade allows more to slip through the crack. It happens when people are in the midst of ranting but some of the lines are simply cheesy boast rap. The rant continues with Do Or Die. “You better come correct” is a statement which is on the rise within society. We demand respect from people we potentially haven’t earned it from yet. Despite multiple decades in the game, BODY COUNT are guilty of the same. If a listener is willing to let this slide for repeat listens, they will be treated to some deliciously dirty riffs which should receive more attention than they do.
In an album which tries to be relentless, it’s difficult to see where an interpretation of PINK FLOYD’s Comfortably Numb slots in. It’s respite. A moment of reflection. Featuring David Gilmour himself – at his request – is it possible to improve on one of the greatest songs of all time? The answer is no. The track feels fuller than the original. Whatever adrenaline that pulsed within us is siphoned out as we’re invited to sit and listen. Perhaps not actively. This is a track which seeps in via osmosis, playing on the anxieties any adult regardless of gender, race, or sexuality face. “We get high to wash away the pain” isn’t drug related by any means, it’s consumerism which gives us the contact high. It’s a subtle attack on the privilege some of us have. With dreamy guitars and echoing vocals, Comfortably Numb would have performed better as a standalone single.
Reprieve finished, we’re thrown back into the fray. Lying Motherfuka takes aim at that one person in our lives where tinnitus takes over every time they speak. Or perhaps you’re tempted to hand them a tissue to wipe the excrement from their muzzles when they’ve finished a story. The issue now lies in the fact this follows what felt like the end of an album rather than an intermission. To the point even Ernie C’s shredding can’t save it. Perhaps to bring us out of the PINK FLOYD haze, Drug Lords hits like a ton of bricks. Chaotic in nature and a constant barrage of screaming, Ice-T boasts “I am very comfortable in places most of you would consider hell”. Much like Lying Motherfuka however, the listener’s stamina had long dissipated.
It’s because of this World War and closing Mic Contract are a slog to work through. The bass heavy verses of the latter ask the question of just where will the next world war come from. Pockets of guitar flourishes give us a moment to breathe amidst the constant interrogation. The brain buzz from consuming too much negative news comes creeping in. What we do notice is BODY COUNT slipping into the formulaic; a monologue verse with the call to arms chorus and a beatdown or two to close out. Unlike the real issue of where this war will come from, the track becomes predictable. Ending proceedings is Mic Contract which is boast rap in its purest form. While BODY COUNT may have the “attack speed as fast as an F15”, the majority of the record showed that without drawing attention to it. As some groups fall victim to, Mic Contract may be just that, a contractual obligation.
We asked where Merciless would fit in the grand scheme of BODY COUNT’s master plan. It has its strong moments, primarily within the first half, but the wheels wobble and fall off. Measuring against Bloodlust and Carnivore… Merciless has been found wanting. With such a strong discography stemming from the 90s, it was only a matter of time before a misstep. That isn’t this in its entirety, it would be a disservice to say otherwise. Were it perhaps half the tracks instead of the standard 12, it would have served BODY COUNT much better.
Rating: 7/10
Merciless is set for release on November 22nd via Century Media Records.
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