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Track Listing: Through the Eyes of the Devil The Follower In a River of Madness Memoria Velvet Lies In Bloodred Shades Shades of Grey On the Edge of Sanity The Black Brigade Incorporate Your Demons

In late 2009, the group Mercenary received a major blow when, for personal reasons, the lead singer, two of the guitarists and the drummer decided to part ways with the rest of the members. Most bands would decide to just call it quits but these guys refused to give up and instead evolved into something even better. With bassist Rene Pederson now on vocals as well, Martin Lowe on drums, Jacob Molbjerg on guitar and Martin Buus on lead guitar the band shows their fans a fresh new sound in 2011.

Pederson shows his ability to combine melody and aggression with the album's opener, "Through the Eyes of the Devil". If anyone has any doubts about his abilities they should put them to rest, as this frontman knows how to step up to the plate. As far as the rest of the band goes, Martin and Jacob are incredibly talented and versatile guitarists who supply an endless flow of melody while Martin's capability on the drums flourishes on every track. If you ask me, this change is so much for the better. "The Follower" is a track which is much more aggressive than Mercenary has ever done before, with an unlimited supply of Pederson's brutality.

"Memoria" is one of my favorite tracks with incredible riffs that support Rene's amazing vocal techniques, while carrying plenty of melody. "Velvet Lies" is a little softer than the other tracks but very catchy and shows how versatile the guys of Mercenary really are. "The Black Brigade" is a great closer with great guitar work supplied by Martin and Jacob that brings a very old school 80s metal vibe to it. But wait, that is not really the end! The bonus track "Incorporate Your Demons" is loaded with viciousness supplied by Rene and a powerful chorus. Nice surprise for you at the end.

"Metamorphosis" is a solid album from start to finish leaving you with a sense of excitement for what's in store. These guys still have plenty of great ideas that I for one can't wait to see.