DOCTOR MIDNIGHT & THE MERCY CULT — I Declare: Treason (review)

DOCTOR MIDNIGHT & THE MERCY CULT — I Declare: Treason album cover Album · 2011 · Industrial Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Time Signature
I declare: metal...

Genre: metal

The newly formed Norwegian super group Doctor Midnight & the Mercy Cult (which I think is a friggin' awesome name) are just about to release their debut album with the title "I Declare: Treason", which is scheduled for release in early June. And, people, you have something to look forward too.

This album reflects that it is a super group with musicians from different rock, metal, and even electronica genres in that it is characterized by professionalism and determination all the way through and then it is very difficult to classify in terms of genre membership as it has influences from all over the metal gamut.

This does not mean that "I Declare: Treason" is a messy and unfocused affair; there is a red thread throughout and the style is quite consistent as is the dark atmosphere. One of the things I like is that DMTMC manage to be both retro and contemporary at the same time, and then they incorporate elements from many genres into each track.

Just check a track like "Sign My Name" with its power-thrashy chucking verse riff which is combine with a classic metal driving chorus (with guitar harmonies to boot) and a heavy and kind of groovy bridge. And the title track "I Declare: Treason" is centred around series of groovy riffs, while the chorus is rather melodic and has a 90s alternative metal feel to it riffwise. Other tracks like "Bleed Idiot Bleed" and "Victorious" are almost thrashy, and other tracks again, like "Ok (We're Just About to Die" and "Glory (Throw the Axe)" have a doomy feel to them but combined with an almost grunge-like alternative metal approach. Thus there are groovy, doomy, classic, thrashy, deathy, alternative and so on riffs to be heard in most of the tracks on this very strong debut album.

The vocals have a certain volatility to them, but there is also a sort of raw street rock 'n' roll snarling quality to Hank von Helvete's voice (what a brilliant pseudonym, by the way) which, once you've gotten used to it, fits the music itself very well, which - due to the unpolished quality of the production - has a racking rawness to it.

"I Declare: Treason" is a very solid debut and delivers dark rocking metal bound to kick your ass.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Falling From Grace Metalcore
SECONDHAND SAINTS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Letter Bombs Crossover Thrash
W70
Buy this album from MMA partners
Man Of The Mountain Doom Metal
MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Warts​-​N-​All Live From Brews And Cues Doom Metal
MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Darkest Red Melodic Metalcore
LOYALTY ENDS HERE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

LOYALTY ENDS HERE - Deadweight (Official Video)
LOYALTY ENDS HERE
Bosh66· 15 hours ago
LOYALTY ENDS HERE - Testament (Official Video)
LOYALTY ENDS HERE
Bosh66· 15 hours ago
CRAZY GRIZZLY - PARALLAX Feat RIKO AGUS [Official Music Video]
CRAZY GRIZZLY
Bosh66· 2 days ago
CRAZY GRIZZLY - ASPERSION Feat BEARFOURS [Official Music Video]
CRAZY GRIZZLY
Bosh66· 2 days ago
CRAZY GRIZZLY - TERRA LUNA [Official Music Video]
CRAZY GRIZZLY
Bosh66· 2 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed