Soundtrack for the End Times

Soundtrack for the End Times is Mercenary's eighth album, a comeback that breaks a decade of silence, weaving melodic death, power and progressive metal into dense layers. It is the album the band completed after ten years — having been dormant since the previous 2013 record — by way of crowdfunding. Under René Pedersen's vocals, they returned with a more concentrated style, heightened in both aggression and melancholy. From around 2020 the band began releasing new songs a few at a time, and with fans' support they saw the album through to completion. Electro-tinged textures are woven in as well. Songs like "Burning in Reverse," "Heart of the Numb" and "Where Darkened Souls Belong" line up. "Heart of the Numb" features a guest appearance by Matt Heafy of Trivium. The melodies of the guitar duo Jakob Mølbjerg and Martin Buus, unshaken for over 20 years, underpin the whole record. A powerful comeback that shows no sign of the long gap. More cohesive and focused than their past work, it is a mature comeback. It proves that, even after a decade away, the band's core remains unshaken.