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HAVE MERCY
Pleading For Mercy (1984)

Maryland isn’t exactly renowned for producing hot metal acts. But Have Mercy, formed in October 1983 by drummer John Knoerlein and bass player Rob Michael, sure have the ability to thrash alongside the best.

Despite the poor production of the band’s debut demo, Pleading For Mercy, the six numbers on offer show immense potential especially the fast’n’furious ‘Show Me Your Rage’ (must make a great show opener) and the intense thrash of ‘Slayer’, the tapes’ best track. Superb!

The other four numbers, ‘Haunted House’, ‘Death Watch’, ‘The End’, and ‘Have Mercy’ are equally as lethal with a flurry of imaginative riffs and devastating soloing from guitarists Nick Ellingson and Tom Maxwell.

Lee Dayton’s vocals are adequate if not too convincing, probably due to that poor production, but a minor grievance for a band who I’m sure will cause quite an impact on the underground metal scene in 1985.

Bernard Doe

Review taken from Metal Forces, Issue 9 (1984)

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