It’s been four years since Body Count dropped Carnivore, with its vegan-baiting title and distinctive Zbigniev M. Bielak artwork. The band’s seventh studio album, it met with no small amount of success, even garnering a Grammy for Best Metal Performance (for Bum-Rush). Now back with their eighth album, Ice-T and his merry band of misfits are taking no prisoners – something to which the title alludes. While the band are no strangers to having guests (Carnivore alone boasted guest spots from Dave Lombardo, Amy Lee, the remaining members of Motorhead, and Jamey Jasta), this new effort has raised eyebrows thanks to an appearance from former Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Not the likeliest of collaborations, to be sure, but then Ice-T has rarely, if ever, taken the easy path.
The album opens with the short and sinister introduction, Interrogation, which nods to Ministry’s sample-strewn album openers, albeit with a somewhat more sinister bent. The band settle into a more familiar groove on the title track, a stabbing blast of tightly wound rap rock that suddenly shoots off in a Slayer direction, the brutal thrash riff providing a suitably dark backdrop as the opening interrogation continues. Heavy as hell, it’s no easy ride, but it does paint a compelling picture of the harsh world Body Count inhabit in 2024. Emerging from a creepy sample from the movie of the same name, Purge is a full-on thrash attack, delivered with a rage that comes at least in part from a conviction that this is exactly where America is heading. It’s followed by the aptly named Psychopath, which taps into the sort of stabbing groove Slayer deployed on God Hates Us All, with Ice-T’s unhinged vocals screaming out of the dark corners.
Offering smoother rhymes, Fuck What You Heard lays into the government regardless of the colours they wear, with Ice-T kicking the track off with the words “yo, let me tell you about some real gangsters”. Given the febrile nature of post-election America, it feels like the soundtrack for our times, and it makes a valid point regarding the largely interchangeable nature of many organs of government. The first half of the album wraps up on a more melodic note with Live Forever. While it may be built around a riff made of pure titanium, this expansively heavy cut throws in a surprisingly light-touch chorus, providing the first half of this savage little album with a memorable conclusion.
Opening the second half, Do Or Die uses the sound of gun shots to punctuate Ice T’s gritty rhymes, getting the second side of to a flying start. It’s followed by the album’s most controversial piece. A blistering take on Pink Floyd’s much-covered Comfortably Numb, the track achieved the seemingly impossible by uniting Gilmour and Waters in their approval of the track. Indeed, Gilmour was so taken with the idea, that he stepped in to reprise his iconic solo, arguing that Body Count had made the song relevant once more. Honestly, given my absolute love of Pink Floyd (and of Comfortably Numb in particular), I had expected to hate this new version. However, Body Count manage to pull it out of the bag, treating the original with respect while putting their own unique spin on the track. Moreover, with Ice T crafting insightful lyrics that pack a strong emotional punch, it’s easy to understand why both Gilmour and Waters would find themselves drawn to the track’s updated message. With Gilmour clearly relishing the chance to add updated guitar to the track, it is hands down the best cover I’ve heard of this unassailable classic, and Body Count should be rightly proud of having achieved the seemingly impossible.
With Comfortably Numb having provided the album with a strong emotional core, Body Count unleash the none-more-brutal Lying Motherfuka, which simply unloads on an unnamed protagonist with all the venom Ice-T can muster. It’s followed by the short, sharp Drug Lords, which has a Suicidal Tendencies pulse to it. Harking back to the paranoia of the thrash era, World War nods to the palpable fear of the cold war era, updating it for a generation once again facing a world descending into conflict. It’s a hard-edged track, and all the more unsettling for the unmistakable ring of truth it carries. The album wraps up with the seething Mic Contract, one last full-tilt blast of heavy metal driven by the incisive guitars of Ernie C. and Juan of the Dead.
It has been a long wait for Merciless – four years from the excellent Carnivore and two from when the album was first teased by the band. Nevertheless, it has been more than worth the wait. From the bruising quality of the original compositions to the surprisingly excellent cover of Comfortably Numb, Merciless is another engaging, lyrically powerful album from the masters of the genre. What else do you need to know – go grab a copy! 8.5/10
Special edition note:
For the band’s die hard fans, Merciless not only comes as a standard CD / LP), but also a limited edition box set featuring a bonus CD (containing instrumentals), a branded sweatband, and a bandana.
