What is Mercenary by the death metal band Bolt Thrower?

Mercenary is the sixth studio album by the British death metal band Bolt Thrower, released in 1998 through Metal Blade Records. Recorded at Chapel Studios, it is notable for being the band's first release on their new label and the only album to feature drummer Alex Thomas. The album also features songwriting continuations that link to tracks on both preceding and subsequent records.

What we know

• Mercenary is the sixth studio album by British death metal band Bolt Thrower and was released in 1998 as their first release for Metal Blade Records. [2, 4]
• The album was recorded at Chapel Studios in Lincoln, England, between December 1997 and January 1998, and was produced by Bolt Thrower alongside Ewan Davis. [2]
• Mercenary is the only Bolt Thrower album to feature Alex Thomas on drums. [2]
• The track "Powder Burns" on Mercenary acts as a continuation of the song "Embers" and carries forward a recurring riff motif used across several Bolt Thrower albums. [2, 5]
• The release of Mercenary coincided with the compilation Who Dares Wins by former label Earache Records, prompting the band to accuse Earache of trying to cash in. [4]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWho was in Bolt Thrower?
• how it workedHow did Mercenary connect to previous albums musically?
• what caused itWhy did the band accuse their former label Earache of cashing in?
• whenWhat was Bolt Thrower's final studio album?
• whereWhere was Mercenary recorded?
• an unexpected connectionHow does a Bolt Thrower riff connect across four different albums?The closing riff from the song World Eater on War Master reappears as a recurring musical thread across multiple later albums, including Mercenary.

Sources

• [1]Mercenary (Wikidata Q154267) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Mercenary (album) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Bolt Thrower · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Who Dares Wins (album) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]War Master · CC BY-SA 4.0