Merciless (Body Count album)

Last updated

Merciless
Body Count - Merciless (cover).jpg
Studio album by
Body Count
ReleasedNovember 22, 2024 (2024-11-22)
RecordedFebruary 21, 2022 – May 1, 2023 [1]
Studio
  • Graphic Nature Audio
  • Back House
  • West Alley
  • Wright Way
Genre
Length41:22
Label Century Media
Producer
Body Count chronology
Carnivore
(2020)		Merciless
(2024)
Singles from Merciless
  1. "Psychopath"
    Released: May 17, 2024
  2. "Fuck What You Heard"
    Released: July 19, 2024
  3. "Comfortably Numb"
    Released: September 20, 2024
  4. "Merciless"
    Released: November 21, 2024
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Distorted Sound7/10 [4]
Kerrang! 3/5 [5]
laut.de Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Metal Hammer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
RockHard 8/10 [8]
Metal EpidemicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]

Merciless is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Body Count. It was released on November 22, 2024, via Century Media Records. Production was handled by Ice-T, Vincent Price and Will Putney. It features guest appearances from Corpsegrinder, Howard Jones, Joe Bad, and Max Cavalera.

Contents

Background

The album is based off vocalist Ice-T's love of horror movies, a theme he decided on while in New Jersey during the COVID-19 pandemic:

"I was watching horror movies, serial killers, all this s—. So before you know it, there’s a song called ‘The Purge.’ There’s a song called ‘Psychopath.’ I’m looking at this new election coming. I’m like, ‘these motherf—s are gangbanging.’ All these different topics are coming to my head, and we make the next record." [9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tracy Marrow, Vincent Dennis, Will Dorsey and Will Putney except where stated.

Merciless track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Interrogation Interlude" 1:31
2."Merciless" 3:18
3."The Purge" (featuring Corpsegrinder) 3:46
4."Psychopath" (featuring Joe Bad) 3:19
5."Fuck What You Heard" 3:17
6."Live Forever" (featuring Howard Jones) 3:11
7."Do or Die" 3:19
8."Comfortably Numb" David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Marrow6:17
9."Lying Motherfucka" 3:29
10."Drug Lords" (featuring Max Cavalera) 2:43
11."World War" 3:17
12."Mic Contract" 3:48
Total length:41:22
Deluxe edition (disc 1)
No.TitleLength
1."Interrogation Interlude" (instrumental)1:31
2."Merciless" (instrumental)3:18
3."The Purge" (instrumental)3:46
4."Psychopath" (instrumental)3:19
5."Fuck What You Heard" (instrumental)3:17
6."Live Forever" (instrumental)3:11
7."Do or Die" (instrumental)3:19
8."Comfortably Numb" (instrumental)6:17
9."Lying Motherfucka" (instrumental)3:29
10."Drug Lords" (instrumental)2:43
11."World War" (instrumental)3:17
12."Mic Contract" (instrumental)3:48
Total length:41:22

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Merciless
Chart (2024-2025)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [10] 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [11] 122
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [12] 25
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [13] 12
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) [14] 28
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [15] 27

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References

  1. ↑ Recording:
    • Start: "Body Count begin recording new album Merciless". Consequence. February 21, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
    • End: Blabbermouth (May 1, 2023). "BODY COUNT Completes Recording New Album 'Merciless'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
    • Mixing: Blabbermouth (July 15, 2023). "BODY COUNT Is Mixing New Album 'Merciless'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Finch, Jeff (November 21, 2024). "Body Count – Merciless". Metal Epidemic. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  3. ↑ Oddy, Guy (November 18, 2024). "Album: Body Count – Merciless". The Arts Desk . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  4. ↑ Brown, Tasha (November 21, 2024). "ALBUM REVIEW: Merciless – Body Count". Distorted Sound Magazine. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  5. ↑ Thomas, Olly (November 21, 2024). "Album review: Body Count – Merciless". Kerrang! . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  6. ↑ Butterweck, Kai. "Schlechte Zeiten für Ice Ts Aggro-Vibe". laut.de (in German). Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  7. ↑ Lawson, Dom (November 18, 2024). ""Thirty years after Cop Killer, Ice-T is still committed to making music that goes harder than the rest." From THAT Pink Floyd cover to collabs with Corpsegrinder, Max Cavalera and more, new Body Count album Merciless is an ice-cold knock-out". Metal Hammer . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  8. ↑ Schnädelbach, Buffo. "Body Count: Merciless – RockHard". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  9. ↑ Turman, Katherine (November 22, 2024). "Ice-T proves he's still 'Merciless' on Body Count's latest attack of gory hip-hop metal with a message". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Body Count – Merciless" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Body Count – Merciless" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Lista prodaje 3. tjedan 2025" (in Croatian). HDU. January 13, 2025. Archived from the original on January 29, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Body Count – Merciless" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 48. hét". MAHASZ . Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
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