Artist: The Very End
Title: Mercy And Misery
Type: Album
Label: SPV

I’ve heard The Very End described as a thrash band by some, a melodic death metal band by others. In fact they’re a modern metal band that draw influences from all over the map and then streamline them into a powerful, hard hitting whole. Superbly produced by Waldemar Sorychta (Sodom, Sentenced, Tiamat etc) Mercy And Misery is an impressive second album from this German metal machine, one that eclipses their 2008 debut Vs. Life with ease. Giant riffs abound, with groove and power taking precedence over velocity and there is a lot of great, varied lead work to enjoy as well – just check out the wailing solo in ‘Ball And Chain’ or the lovely acoustic lead in ‘Rat Nation’. Vocally it’s a blend of barking aggression and strong melodies that sit together very comfortably indeed, adding multiple dimensions to these well constructed songs. The Very End are operating at the top of their game in every department and there really is precious little to criticise. The album stands up well to repeated listening and exudes a real sense of quality throughout. Even their take on Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’ works well as the band have infused it with their own style and feel. Personal favourite at the moment is brilliant ‘Dead Is The New Alive’ but I can see that title exchanging hands on a regular basis as this is one album I’ll be continuing to revisit on a regular basis. http://www.theveryend.net
http://www.myspace.com/theveryend