Review BODY COUNT “Merciless”

Ice-T formed Body Count in 1990, and according to him, it was also to give guitarist Ernie C a chance to play some metal riffs. It didn’t take long for Body Count to become a talk of the town, as the band released their debut album, “Cop Kille”r, which included the controversial title track. The album was re-released in a new setup, but Body Count retained their iconic status.

After such a start, the band released a few more longplayers and after the release of “Carnivore” in 2020, “Merciless” marks the next step for Ice-T and his bandmates.

A few songs have already been revealed prior to the album’s release as three songs were played during the summer tour through Europe.

“Merciless”, “Psychopath” and “The Purge” gave a first taste of what to expect. What was also part of the show in June was a fourth track from the album, and surprisingly it was a cover version by a band that is style-wise far different from the massive crossover from California. “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd comes in a rather brutal Body Count version. It may come as a surprise, but what’s even more astonishing is that David Gilmour, the legendary guitarist, joined Body Count for this new interpretation of such a classic in rock history.

“Interrogation” is the first song on the album and is more of an intro with narrative vocals. The opener is followed by the already known title track, which is a dark start to the album with all the typical Body Count trademarks present. The track creates a feeling of unease and sets the tone for the album.The wild and furious ride continues. “The Purge” is based on the TV series of the same name. Supported by Cannibal Corpse main growler Corpsegrinder, the song is an aggressive and hard hitting wrecking ball that hits you right in the face. Next up is “Psychopath”, a song with a menacing vibe, and Fit For An Autopsy‘s Joe Bad adding sinister growls.

One of the fastest tracks on the record is “Live Forever”, which may have some autobiographical references. The guest list gets longer as Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage) joins in with some screaming, making the song even more aggressive than it already is. Together with the rather clean chorus, the song reflects some contrasts that add to the tension.

The influences of punk and hardcore are reflected in songs like “Drug Lords” before “World War” starts with a short spoken word sequence. The title of the song speaks for itself and shows the current uncertain and fragile situation we have on planet earth.

It took Body Count a while to finish “Merciless”, but the result is worth the effort as we can expect a typical Body Count album. The fusion of rap and metal, hardcore and punk is the musical melting pot that makes Body Count’s music stand out. It may take a while for these songs to unfold their brilliance, but once they do, they are addictive.