MAD MARGRITT – Show No Mercy (2013)

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For Atlanta hard rockers MAD MARGRITT their clockwork seems to have been hit by a lightning someday in 1989, as since the band formed almost two decades ago never changed their style inspired by the Sunset Strip glory days.
Onto Mad Margritt’s new CD “Show No Mercy” to be released next June 16, although the group still proudly waves the Hair Metal flag in 2013, this has a heavier feel and sound to it than their previous recordings.

In “Show No Mercy” the music stays true to its roots via catchy choruses and contagious melodies, but it’s evident a more edgy approach with the addition of a heavier guitar sound. The background chants and over powering driving rock chords on some tracks almost gives them a Lynch Mob vibe, something never heard before.
Anyway, Mad Margritt’s typical early Warrant / Skid Row melodious rockers are the essence here.
There isn’t a single weak musician in the band (they have a new drummer in Brandon Faulkner) but the guy who definitely makes it all come together is singer / guitarist Eddie Smith. Simply put, Eddie has an astounding voice, and it’s difficult to imagine anyone more perfectly suited to sing this kind of music. His vocals sound remarkably similar to ex- Warrant Jani Lane with a little bit of Sebastian Bach mixed in, which makes for a truly dazzling display of vocal prowess.

Numbers such as the Slave-To-The-Grind-like “The Way Your Loving Me” and “Breaking Down” is where the band sounds harden, but traditional Margritt arrives with “I Can’t Get Enough” and “Touch Too Much”, both textbook Hair Metal songs with killer choruses.
“Too Little, Too Late” is an infectious moving rocker as is “Down In Flames”. Catchy stuff indeed, with smooth strong backing vocals.
On the softer moments, “Only In My Dreams” is a midtempo with a groovy riff and a cadence recalling the aforementioned Lynch Mob, while “Ever Since You’ve Been Gone” is the power ballad in a straight ’89 mould but with a bit more punch than the typical cheese-ball slow tune in this genre.

If you’re a late ’80s American hard rock fan, you’ll love “Show No Mercy”. Mad Margritt is more than just a bunch of guys trying to capitalize on nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake; it’s genuinely well-written music.
It’s sleazy, catchy and sweet all at once, and it’s good to see a Hair Metal rooted band actually exploring some new harder approach rather than being a one-trick pony.
Eddie Smith’s vocals remain sharp, and the guitar playing is standing tall on this new recording driving the slight direction change while still managing the melodic sound that will keep fans of the genre happy. Perhaps production isn’t crisp as before, but surely this was done with the intention to help the hardness arise.
Only available on CD for the moment, “Show No Mercy” is a kickin’ American Hard Rock / Hair Metal that would have been right at home in the music scene of the late ’80s.
Enjoy it today.

01 – The Way Your Loving Me
02 – I Can’t Get Enough
03 – Ever Since You’ve Been Gone
04 – Touch Too Much
05 – Down In Flames
06 – Too Little, Too Late
07 – Indian Summer
08 – Only In My Dreams
09 – Breaking Down

Eddie Smith (vocals, guitar)
Carl Culpepper (guitar)
Skip Mullis (bass)
Brandon Faulkner (drums)

Pre-Order:
www.amazon.com/Show-No-Mercy-Mad-Margritt/dp/B00CVB6TSI