Bolt Thrower Mercenary CD (Jewel Case, 1998, Metal Blade Records)

Bolt Thrower Mercenary is the sixth studio album from British death metal pioneers Bolt Thrower, originally released in 1998 through Metal Blade Records. Recorded between December 1997 and January 1998 at Chapel Studios in Lincoln, England, Mercenary was produced by Bolt Thrower and Ewan Davis and delivers the band's distinctive combination of crushing guitar riffs, powerful low-end, relentless drumming and Karl Willetts' commanding death metal vocals.

Released four years after ...For Victory, Mercenary continued Bolt Thrower's evolution toward a heavier, more deliberate and groove-driven form of death metal. The album features Karl Willetts on vocals, Gavin Ward and Barry Thomson on guitars, Jo Bench on bass and Alex Thomas on drums, with Thomas appearing as the band's drummer only on this Bolt Thrower studio album.

Mercenary includes tracks such as Zeroed, Laid to Waste, Return from Chaos, Mercenary, To the Last..., Powder Burns, Behind Enemy Lines, No Guts, No Glory, Sixth Chapter and Infiltrator. The album also contains several connections to other important releases in the Bolt Thrower catalogue. Powder Burns continues the song Embers from The IVth Crusade, while the cover artwork, titled Contact – Wait Out, shares its name with the opening track of the following album, Honour – Valour – Pride. The later Bolt Thrower track The Killchain from Those Once Loyal completes another connection to the Powder Burns sequence.

For collectors and fans of classic British death metal, Mercenary represents an important chapter in Bolt Thrower's catalogue and sits naturally alongside influential death metal releases from the 1990s. Recommended for listeners who enjoy Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Obituary, Benediction, Carcass, Entombed, Sinister, Gorefest, Morbid Angel, Autopsy, Asphyx and Dismember.

Artist: Bolt Thrower
Title: Mercenary
Label: Metal Blade Records
Catalogue Number: MB3984-14147-2
UPC: 039841414721;
Release Year: 1998
Duration: Album
Format: CD
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
Condition: New & Factory Sealed

Tracklist:
1. Zeroed
2. Laid To Waste
3. Return From Chaos
4. Mercenary
5. To The Last...
6. Powder Burns
7. Behind Enemy Lines
8. No Guts, No Glory
9. Sixth Chapter