Merciless – “Live Obsession” (DVD)
When talking about the Sweden’s early underground metal scene Merciless is a name often left out, even though they recorded their debut, “The Awakening”, in 1989. That album is thrash in the style of Kreator, Dark Angel and Slayer, but with more growled vocals and speed approaching the blast. For that reason alone, it’s interesting to see the band live from a concert in 2003. The chances of seeing Merciless live in the States are not good, so this is as close as you might get. The 12 songs on here sound pretty thrashy live, which shows that Merciless is still rooted in old school thrash. The second DVD is extra stuff like an interview and other live songs. If you like hard thrash, with that old, dark feeling, you should check out this band. Personally, my favorite moments are when the band is playing fast. The mid-paced songs don’t work as well. I still totally enjoy the debut, though.