ALBUM REVIEW: Mercy – Age Of Madness
Since forming during the pandemic, AGE OF MADNESS have released six separate singles before the inception of their six-track debut album Mercy which is finally here. Even though the group officially formed in 2020, singer Jeremy Jordan explained “This album has been nearly 20 years in the making…not only have [guitarist] Mikael and I known each other that long, but we’ve both been independently toying around writing music that whole time.”
The long wait for the official formation of AGE OF MADNESS can be linked to Jordan‘s successful acting career, starring in Newsies, Bonnie & Clyde, Waitress and more on Broadway, resulting in coveted Tony, Grammy and Drama Desk nominations. He has also been a series regular on Supergirl and Disney’s Tangled, with film credits including The Last 5 Years and most recently Spinning Gold. Whilst Jordan may be the figurehead of the band, Mikael and violinist Sarah Charness shine just as bright on this album. After all, it is AGE OF MADNESS the band, not Jeremy Jordan & Age Of Madness. No matter how good of a singer someone is, it is nothing without a strong band surrounding them, and this trio are perfect together.
Opening the album is the title track, and it is everything you want from an opening track. Mercy is a catchy opener, drawing the listener’s attention in ready to capture their attention for the full album. Mikael‘s guitar, Charness‘ violin and Jordan‘s vocals meld seamlessly together to create a stunning song with peaks and troughs that take you on a journey. The sustained notes feel like a battle cry, paired with the insane high note to close the track, it serves as the perfect way for Jordan to show off his vocal prowess without overpowering the instruments.
Second track Give it Up is the best on the album; it starts with a sassy blues-country drawl with masterful guitar plucking and sinfully smooth vocals before building with a violin melody that is reminiscent of Mama by MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. Three minutes in you’re hit with a filthy breakdown with an absolutely insane guitar solo from Mikael – if he doesn’t go on a pedestal with a spotlight on him for that when it’s live then he’s been robbed because it’s absolutely filthy. Next up is the track Somebody which is an absolute crowd pleaser and it’s completely understandable why it was chosen as a single. It’s an angsty, empowering anthem where Jordan is able to show off his singing chops whilst still staying achievable to be sung by an audience at concerts.
Another highlight of the album is Hardinge Garden, which starts as this beautifully sorrowful and harrowing track with soft guitars and slow violins. It’s a borderline tear-jerker, a track that you could hear played in the background of a film whilst someone is staring up at the stars, that kind of thing. With artists like BAD OMENS hitting it big through their singer’s stunning and siren-like vocals, there could be no better time for AGE OF MADNESS to enter the fray. Though, if you thought it was going to be a completely acoustic track, you couldn’t be more wrong. At 2:45 a switch is flipped and Jordan lets out a soul-wrenching belt as Mikael, Charness and the drums kick in with a vengeance for a minute-long breakdown. After about a minute it flips back to Charness‘ masterful work to end with a goosebump-inducing violin solo.
Covering THE BEATLES is no small feat for anyone and is almost always ridiculed by many, so for AGE OF MADNESS to take on Come Together is a risky move, but it pays off. This gritty rock cover shows the versatility of the band’s music. Occasional vocal fries from Jordan pair with slick note slides on the guitar from Mikael and Charness‘ complex violin tones for a strange combination that works incredibly well.
Closing the album is the track Disappear. It may have been better to make Hardinge Garden the closer given how much of a heavy hitter it is, but this one’s still a good track. The opening drum beat alongside the walkie-talkie-esque call and response feels very BLINK-182 Feeling This and is a fun homage – intentional or not. Each song on the album has a slightly different groove and lilt, and this track is no different. Ending on a strong chord is abrupt and surprising but works so well considering AGE OF MADNESS themselves are a surprising combination.
In only six tracks AGE OF MADNESS manage to combine rock, blues, theatre and borderline metal into one album whilst still keeping a cohesive sound that doesn’t have jarring changes between tracks. This album flows well and is a great first release. This band are still very new, so to be so strong straight out of the gate is astounding. They have a strong career ahead of them for sure.
Rating: 9/10
Mercy is out now via Madness Records.
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