Hours That Remain (Bonus Dvd)

Mercenary | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 22, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Century Media
• ASIN: B000GPIPCE
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #211,352 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars surpasses nicely, August 22, 2006

By 

Jeremiah Dube (Randolph, VT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hours That Remain (Bonus Dvd) (Audio CD)

Mercenary have been around for quite some time frollicking around the melodeath scene(In Flames, Dark Tranquillity et el?), and with 11 dreams they had shown promise with a polished sound even though it had been weakenned somewhat by overboarding keyboards and a bunch of the same keyed choruses. Overall 11 dreams laid the groundwork for mercenary driving them into the limelight for a change. Now at hand with a new bass player/singer, lead singer Kral and the gang plow into new territory with The Horus tha Remain and follow in more of a progressive sound with complimenting thrash elements. Wonderful standouts are "lost Reality", "Soul Decision" which make excellent simplistic compositions but dont falter on the line of being ot catchy. Both guitarists sunchronize well with one another with blazing melodies creating an epic mountain climbing journey that makes your blood pump. Still on this opus are some of the same keyed choruses but instead of being to noticable...the keybaords dont make poppy chops, they only create an ambient texture. The album opener "Redifine me" reminds listeners of Mercenarys noticable sound..but any other notions soon fade away. Look deep into numbers such as "Eternal Instant" and find galloping muted riffs, and "Obscure Indiscretion" for a breakdown and solo area where another world opens up..these musicians are out for blood. The albums closer being the title track is in my opinion the best track whic sums up every element of the new album and doesnt give either musician more then their fair share. as an Elitist, and an artist myself I enjoy groups which blend genres into one..but for those who arent as openminded, you may talk trash about a group who could put you in your place...enjoy this album its worth every penny

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Genre-Bending Masterpiece, October 27, 2006

By 

Justin Gaines (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hours That Remain (Bonus Dvd) (Audio CD)

Now this is what metal is all about! Aggression, innovation, defying expectations - Mercenary has it all covered. My first exposure to this band was at the ProgPower USA fest in 2003, where the band's genre-bending mix of progressive and death metal hit me like a steel-toed boot to the chest. Throw Brainstorm, Tad Morose, Nevermore, Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity, and In Flames into a blender, and what comes out will sound a lot like Mercenary. Canada's Into Eternity is the only other band that comes close, but I find them a bit too sterile for my tastes. Cut to 2006 and not only is there a new Mercenary album available, but the band returned to ProgPower for another fantastic performance (two words: Pantera cover).

The Hours That Remain is another triumphant Mercenary album. Just as 11 Dreams was an improvement over an already excellent Everblack, The Hours That Remain is another step forward. Mercenary succeeds in building on their previous albums' foundations and at the same time improving their overall sound. There is still the death metal aggression that extreme metal fans crave, but it is equally matched with a progressive metal band's technical proficiency. The band continues to improve their songwriting skills (which were pretty solid to begin with), which has a lot to do with why The Hours That Remain may just be Mercenary's finest album to date.

Mercenary is the open-minded metal fan's dream come true. I truly believe that in the near future this band will be one of the dominant forces in metal.

NOTE: Early versions of The Hours That Remain came with a bonus DVD featuring interviews, behind the scenes material, and live footage. It's a great bonus to an already excellent album.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Progressive, Aggressive, Melodic Metal!, September 13, 2006

By 

Robert M. Lisanti "Metal Rob" (Peekskill, New York USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hours That Remain (Bonus Dvd) (Audio CD)

I just got into these guys, I am a big Metal fan ( since Sabbath 1972 ) This cd never stops, great melodies, Nice guitar work, and I love the vocals simply awesome this group does have alot of Nevermore/Maiden/Thrash sounds... a definite must have in your Metal collection!