Mercenary – The Hours That Remain (2006) CD/DVD Review | Melodic Death Metal Masterclass

⛤ Melodic Death Metal | 6.30 € (Near Mint)
⛤ Pulse Rating: 8.25 / 10

🛒 Check this item in stock
📧 Order Now

Melodic death metal usually struggles to find that sweet spot between being easy to listen to and intense without sounding overly polished, but "The Hours That Remain" totally gets it right. Mercenary really plays to their strengths with clean vocals here, led by Mikkel Sandager’s impressive singing, which really takes the spotlight and gives the album a strong emotional vibe.

While some bands have a hard time mixing melody with aggression, Mercenary leans into that catchy, pop-metal energy at the heart of melodeath and nails it with genuine emotion and solid songwriting.

Tracks like “Redefine Me” and “Secret Window” are packed with huge hooks while still keeping a great atmosphere, and longer songs like “Lost Reality” build up and release with a cinematic feel.

The instruments mainly support Sandager’s vocals — not because they're weak, but because that’s how they intended it.

The riffs are tight, polished, and melodic, while the drums bring more of a groove than pure heaviness. Everything's designed for structure and payoff, and it really works. Even the heavier tracks with harsher vocals, like “Year of the Plague,” come off as dynamic shifts rather than just fitting in with the usual style.

Even after losing dual-vocalist Kral before this album, Mercenary didn’t fall apart; they actually evolved. The progressive and power metal vibes are stronger here, but instead of watering down their sound, it hones it in.

"The Hours That Remain" isn’t their heaviest album, but it just might be their most focused, cohesive, and emotionally impactful one.

Tracklist:
CD-1. Redefine Me - 6:06
CD-2. Year Of The Plague - 5:29
CD-3. My World Is Ending - 5:26
CD-4. This Eternal Instant - 6:10
CD-5. Lost Reality - 8:02
CD-6. Soul Decision - 5:03
CD-7. Simplicity Demand - 6:35
CD-8. Obscure Indiscretion - 4:46
CD-9. My Secret Window - 6:29
CD-10. The Hours That Remain - 8:07

The Making Of The Hours That Remain
 DVD-1. Intro - 0:47
DVD-2. Pre-Production - 4:53
DVD-3. Mikkel's Guided Tour - 14:26
DVD-4. Entering The Studio - 20:19
DVD-5. Guest Vocals - 2:13
DVD-6. Photo Shoot - 2:19
DVD-7. Interview - 13:23

Dynamo 2005 LIVE
 DVD-8. Intro / Redestructdead - 5:57
DVD-9. Firesoul - 7:59
DVD-10. Intro / World Hate Center - 6:53
DVD-11. 11 Dreams - 8:05
DVD-12. Official Firesoul Video (Video Edit Version) - 4:56

Official LIVE Bootleg
 DVD-13. Intro / Redestructdead - 6:28
DVD-14. Firesoul - 8:12
DVD-15. Sharpen The Edges - 5:42
DVD-16. Into The Sea / World Hate Center - 6:53
DVD-17. 11 Dreams - 8:20

Credits
Mikkel Sandager - Vocals, Lyrics
Jakob Mølbjerg - Guitars (Rhythm)
Martin Buus - Guitars (Lead)
Morten Sandager - Keyboards, Lyrics
Mike Park - Drums

All songs written and arranged by Mercenary.
All lyrics by Mikkel and Morten Sandager.
Jacob Hansen - Producer, Engineering, Mixing
Recorded and mixed at Hansen Studios, Ribe, Denmark, March-May 2006.
Additional vocals on "Redefine Me" recorded at Zigzound Studio.
Additional vocals on "Soul Decision" recorded at Rape of Harmonies studio.
Mastered at Zigzound Studio.


Links
Homepage * Bandcamp * Facebook * Instagram

🔥 For fans of: Scar Symmetry * Soilwork * Dark Tranquillity * Evergrey * Into Eternity
💀 Label: Century Media


Comments

Post a Comment

More Posts

20 Metal & Rock Album Reviews & Collector Buying Guide 2025

Image
Alright, let’s get into it! We're ripping through a killer stack of albums that totally pump us up and shake us to our core. These records ain’t just music; they’re experiences that challenge our souls, tear us apart, or drag us deep into the underground abyss. These quick reviews are our gut reactions to how these albums hit us today, leaving echoes of metal in our bones. Take a read into them one by one, or thrash around through the chaos; each album has its own crazy universe just waiting for you to get lost in. So crank it up, and let the metal take over! \m/ ...
Read more

LUCIFER’S FALL Announce Reunion, New Drummer & New Material in 2026

Image
Australian doom hammer strikes again — after more than two years of silence, LUCIFER’S FALL have officially reunited. One of the most uncompromising doom forces from the southern hemisphere, the band announced their resurrection through a series of raw, old-school updates that sent longtime followers into a frenzy. And in pure underground fashion, they’re not easing into it — the group is already preparing for studio action with a brand-new drummer whose identity remains shrouded in mystery. The first strike came on December 9th, when the band declared themselves “back as a recording entity,” signalling the return of core members Deceiver, Invocator, Heretic and Cursed Priestess. For collectors and doom lifers who’ve been spinning their earlier releases on repeat, this was the moment many hoped for — a promise that the bleak fire of traditional doom still burns in Adelaide. Then, on December 12th, the band doubled down: rehearsals are set for early next year, starting with...
Read more

MÜTIILATION Announces New Album “Pandemonium of Egregores” for December 2025

Image
Some announcements hit harder than others — and this one shakes the very bones of the underground. After decades of silence broken only by scattered manifestations, the unholy French Black Metal pioneer MÜTIILATION has returned with a new full-length: PANDEMONIUM OF EGREGORES , arriving December 26th, 2025. For those who have walked alongside MEYHNACH since the cursed dawn of the 1990s — through the Black Legions era, the darkness of MAJESTAS LEPROSUS , the deranged introspection of RATTENKÖNIG , the atmospheric death haze of SORROW GALAXIES — this moment feels surreal. The myth was supposed to remain buried. The stench of death was supposed to be final. Yet here we stand, welcoming the seventh son of a band that defined an entire underground ethos. In his own words, MEYHNACH writes: “This entity, buried but not dead, whose return you hoped for but no longer expected, has just given birth to its seventh son… The black metal cult is alive, keep an eye opened.” ...
Read more

Vital Remains – Dechristianize (2024 2xLP Reissue) Review

Image
⛤ Death Metal | 40.50€ (Mint) ⛤ Pulse Rating: 9.5 / 10 🛒 Check this item in stock 📧 Order Now When it comes to blasphemous, larger-than-life death metal, Vital Remains stands like a titan, and their masterwork "Dechristianize" is nothing short of colossal. As a die-hard metalhead and the proud curator of Pulse Records, my heart races every time I drop the needle on this iconic album. Finally, with the 2024 2xLP orange/black marble reissue from Listenable Records , "Dechristianize" gets the reverence it has always deserved. Let’s not kid ourselves; Dave Suzuki is the heart and soul of this record. It’s almost unbelievable to think about how much of this album he single-handedly crafted. The drumming, guitar leads, bass lines, and relentless lyrics shout out his obsessive commitment at every turn. Songs that stretch into epics of nine minutes or more — this is what Vital Remains does best. You’ll find yourself humming these riffs in...
Read more

AARON STAINTHORPE Returns to Perform MY DYING BRIDE Material at PROPHECY FEST 2026 With DEEKS & QUAIL

Image
AARON STAINTHORPE , one of the defining voices of British doom, is preparing to revisit a repertoire that influenced generations — now in a renewed, singular artistic context. And the place chosen for this return is none other than the legendary PROPHECY FEST 2026 , where Stainthorpe will perform material associated with MY DYING BRIDE despite the recent and official separation between both parties. Announced under the banner STAINTHORPE, DEEKS & QUAIL , the performance promises to be a rare and emotionally charged moment within the aesthetic universe that has long defined the German festival. For this special appearance, Stainthorpe will be joined by MARK DEEKS , a musician whose work in ARÐ has become synonymous with atmospheric soundscapes and historical depth, and by the acclaimed cellist JO QUAIL , renowned for her expansive, cinematic approach that blends classical, drone, and contemporary sonic textures. According to the official announcement, the setlist wil...
Read more