05/05/2013 12:08

Mercenary

Mercenary: 7th album 'Through Our Darkest Days' out in July

Danish melodic death metallists Mercenary have completed recording and mixing their seventh studio album, 'Through Our Darkest Days', with longtime collaborator Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Heaven Shall Burn) at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark. The album, to be released in North America via Prosthetic Records on July 30, features artwork by Mnemic guitarist Mircea Eftemie (Soilwork, Illdisposed).

The band commented on the album's artwork: "The cover symbolizes a darkness that we have gone through as a band, which we feel that we have finally been able to put behind us. The title of the album is meant very positively and thematizes both the journey through existential darkness as a general theme and the ability to break through it. The lyrical universe is very much about making the most of life and not getting caught up in negativity."

Says Eftemie, "I wanted to make something that had a direct visual relation to the album title, but also follow the design patterns of the older Mercenary album covers to keep their identity and brand intact. After swapping ideas back and forth, we ended with a piece not too abstract, but dark and disturbing enough to portray the concept of the new album. It was absolutely a pleasure working on this piece!"

'Through Our Darkest Days' is the follow-up to the 2011 release of 'Metamorphosis', and according to the band will include "a combination of our latest material with a lot of the more traditional melodic and melancholic elements of previous Mercenary albums. We feel that this (album) is a perfect visual expression of Mercenary’s sound and identity in 2013."

Stay tuned to the band's website for more information and updates (including exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the studio): http://www.mercenary.dk/

(source: Prosthetic Records)