Architect of Lies

Architect of Lies is Mercenary's fifth album, on which they built dark, grand death metal by crossing melodic singing with fierce roars. The death growls absent from the previous album returned with new member René Pedersen. Sandager's clean vocals and Pedersen's fierce shouts resonate as a more balanced twin-vocal pairing. Dramatic, heavy songs like "New Desire," "Isolation" and "Embrace the Nothing" line up. Production was again handled by Jacob Hansen. According to the label, having been recorded right after intensive touring, it captures the heat and spontaneity of their live shows — their most immediate album, with thrash-like riffs occasionally surfacing. A record of some of their finest craft, skilled in balancing melody and darkness, catchiness and complexity. It became the last album to feature Mikkel Sandager. Behind this album, the band broadened their reach, supporting Megadeth and appearing at Wacken Open Air. Combining darkness and grandeur, it stands as one of their signature works.