The freedom of expressing without restrictions – review of “Merciless” by Body Count

One of the fundamentals of heavy metal is the difference from the other music genres. While the listeners of pop, country or jazz might exclude some people from their ranks, metal is all about inclusion and unity. Which is why we can definitely appreciate the honesty and candour of bands like Body Count, who are not afraid to express themselves through whatever means available.

From the title track to “Mic Contract“, “Merciless” is a raw, bold and intense confirmation of Body Count‘s numerous abilities. They will keep us completely glued to their music for the whole 41 minutes that this album lasts while shoving in our faces various themes, stories and bits of advice. The world is a ruthless and unfair place, but at least now we can count on their guidance to navigate it.

Either in a “Purge” or during a “World War“, we can count on Ice-T’s unmistakable voice to be led; we also need to acknowledge the pristine production, mixing and mastering, that make the listening experience simply unforgettable. “Merciless” has a very solid and cohesive structure, sometimes alternating the songs to spoken segments or announcements. If you have liked the singles already released, including Pink Floyd‘s cover of “Comfortably Numb“, you’ll enjoy even more the rest of the songs.

There is however the rest of the band that has done an incredible job: Ernie C. and Juan of the Dead who hold the rhythmic section alongside bass player Vincent Price. Nothing speaks metal more than the drums of Will “Ill Will” Dorsey, while Sean E Sean fills in the void with his sampler and keyboards. Last but not least, hype man and backing vocalist Little Ice shows everyone what talent is made of.

What works most out of “Merciless” is that many of the tracks contain chants that will sound amazing in a live setting, so if you’re fortunate enough to see this band in concert, you will not have difficulty in remembering some of the songs. This is particularly evident in “Merciless“, “Do or Die” and “World War“.

So it doesn’t really matter what subgenre of heavy metal you most appreciate – if you’re mad at the world or if life has once again disappointed you, “Merciless” fits just about right. Body Count crosses styles and influences, so they can be appreciated by almost everyone. Get ready because the force that this band has, it’s not something found anywhere else. All hail Body Count!

Tracklist:

1. Interrogation
2. Merciless
3. Purge
4. Psychopath
5. Fuck What You Heard
6. Live Forever
7. Do Or Die
8. Comfortably Numb
9. Lying MF
10. Drug Lords
11. World War
12. Mic Contract