Mercury Tide
Killing Saw

It was in 2000 that the world of heavy metal was changed at least for me, with the release of the best ever heavy metal album Enlighten the Darkness Angel Dust with brilliant singer Dirk Thurisch found themselves a place in history, at least on my part not so sure about the mainstream. This Thurisch is now back almost ten years after the last time we heard from him, in 2003 the then side project Mercury Tide unleashed its debut Why and now 2012 it is time for their second album which is named Killing Saw. Thing is that such amount of time is just too long to have what is probably the greatest voice in heavy metal amiss, after all we haven’t heard from Angel Dust since Of Human Bondage in 2002. In the press info they state that Thurisch now have closed the Angel Dust chapter once and for all following several failed attempt to rewaken that band, I really hope that is not the case because if there is anything the world needs it is another Angel Dust album as there just isn’t any other band that can create that magical heavy metal music. Not to talk down on Mercury Tide as they are as entitled to be around as anyone else and if I always put them up against Angel Dust it is because the promo company throws in that band name everywhere in reference to Thurisch. Anyway, there is probably room for them both in case Angel Dust will ever be revived.

Musically I think we can say that Mercury Tide as their cover art, logo and band photos suggest are of the melodic side of the metal tree, much less fateful and grande than Angel Dust. With a generally very catchy sound and with some clever keyboard elements they make their music a bit theatrical you could say, if Angel Dusts music can be described as a grande cinematic war epic I think Mercury Tide can be seen as an adventure play on the theater stage, something like that. They have quite a big variation seen over the tracks which makes their music dynamic and also fluent all the way through as it does not stagnate anywhere. The voice of Thurish still has this fantastic edge and the feel of being the narrator of God, although he sings slightly different in Mercury tide as their music is a bit more upbeat than the one of his former band Angel Dust. The production and sound is also very dynamic between the melodic parts and the heavy metal foundation on which the band’s music stands, and this can be heard through all twelve tracks and around 47 minutes that this album plays for. Another clever touch of this album is that it goes full circle meaning that the intro and the ending track is built on the same melody making the album take a journey from its opening and then return for the ending.

I don’t think you should look upon this album as a replacement for a new never arriving album by Angel Dust, it is just too different. Even though the voice is the same albeit sung slightly different and there are conjoining elements like the clever piano touches in the title track and the Satan Sister track as well as Lord of Memories makes me think in terms of Thurisch’s other band but such things are inevitable as experiences always makes their mark in creation. But Killing Saw is a different much less heavy and much less deep story wise, journey that brings on some magical moments but most of all 47 minutes of musical enjoyment, a journey more for the stage than a dark war drama for the silver screen I would say.

So for me the highlights are the fact that the album comes full circle, I always love when albums sort of frame themselves in this or a similar manner and also the title track which has a great piano touch to when the intro leaves over to it and then comes a great track which is probably the top one of the album. Alone in My Room is another great track with a magical feel and great dynamics and the calm ending song Have No Fear which just rounds it all of brilliantly. Then taking into account that the other tracks are really good as well makes this one album to really look into as it is great, not if you desire it to be something like Thurisch’s former band Angel Dust whom we all miss new material from but if you view them for what they are, a really good melodic heavy metal band with a touch of flair for the theatrical, I think that you will have great enjoyment from listening to this album. I know i do.

To summarise it all I would say that Mercury Tide is clearly not a reincarnation of Angel Dust as you might read it to be by how they are promoted as featuring Dirk Thurisch or the voice of Angel Dust, but they are a magnificent melodic metal band with great musical dynamics and brilliantly catchy songs. Had it been in your toolbox it clearly would have been a killing saw.