Album Review: Hand Of Mercy - Last Lights

Sydney five-piece hardcore lads Hand Of Mercy drop their newbie Last Lights following fruitful fan-building over the past five years of raucous live shows, rewarded with hand-pickings by brethren groups like Parkway Drive and Dream On Dreamer for tour support. Things are sounding pretty tight and solid career-wise, and after some strong EPs and help from US producer Shane Frisby (Bury Your Dead, Corpus Christi), so is this album. Chock-full of brutal but clean riffs and forceful vocals with purposeful intent, Last Lights makes good on the boys' desire to move on up out of the underground scene and into the limelight.

Opening track Dexter kicks things off with repeated calls of “Murderer” from vocalist Scott, who keeps hold of his garish but checked growl enough for the lyrical intent to be understood. But hey, if not, that's what the lyrics sheet is for. The main departure from previous fare is the lower-octave guitar riffing; there's moments of some melodic wailing here and there, like on the more progressive and structured Absence Makes The Heart Go Wander and the title track, but in general things have gotten deeper and darker, which really serves to underline the aggression and threat offered up by the lyrics. Quarter Deck and 23 Hour Lockdown provide the breakdowns as crisply neat but with the muddiest of dirge-like guitar chugs, but it's Rumble In The Grundle that is the highlight. A deceptively laid-back beat kicks things off before angry gang vocals and messy guitar chaos are unleashed with a more melodic upward vocal delivery.

All in all, Last Lights is a solid release and a welcome addition to the genre.