First Breath

First Breath is the debut by Mercenary, formed in Aalborg, Denmark in 1991. Layering melody and dramatic development onto aggressive metal drive, it marks their starting point. The keyboards and clean vocals that would characterize the later band are not yet present, and raw, visceral melodic death/thrash metal is played. Vocals are handled by Henrik "Kral" Andersen, whose energetic, rough roar runs throughout. Songs like "Symbiotic," "Horizon" and "Sister Jane" line up, and guest female vocals are used effectively on a few of them. After three demos in the mid-1990s, it was recorded at Aabenraa Studio in Denmark. Compared to their later work, it is a more direct record, heavier on death and thrash metal colors. The band's origin, and the most raw-hewn record in their discography. At this stage Mercenary put youthful energy and aggression to the fore, rather than the grandeur of later years. Rough as it is, the seeds of the songwriting that would later flourish can be heard throughout.