Mercy

Mercy is one of those rare hidden gems that at the time of it's release was not fully appreciated. Every other Burden Brothers album and EP were heavy and a lot of fun to listen to. But Mercy had this unique flow to it that none of the other releases by this band had. It started off heavy and then went down this long and winding road. Each song was a beautiful story and once Daughter of Science began the album took this mystical Pink Floyd turn that can only truly be experienced by listening to the album in full with a good pair of headphones. In My Sky is by far the most beautiful song on the album and really helps create a truly unique listening experience. Out of all the Burden Brother releases, Mercy is by far my favorite. It's an album that proves that rock is alive and well and that a piece of music can be considered a fine piece of art.You would be doing yourself a disservice by not picking this album up. Anyone who disliked this album clearly wouldn't know good music if it crawled up their ass and died. Just because a band decides to make an album that is softer with songs that flow into each other with ease and simplicity does not mean that the band lost their touch. It simply means that they have matured musically and want to create a piece of work that will stand the test of time. This is the best the Burden Brothers have ever sounded and it is a true rarity in music today. I cannot recommend this album enough. Buy this album, and then buy it on vinyl. If you have friends who are into good rock music then force them to listen to this album.

I am a huge fan of the Toadies and the Burden Brothers' earlier release, "Buried in Your Black Heart". I very much wanted to love this album. Alas, my initial impressions of "Mercy" were almost entirely bad. I gave it a half-dozen listens in the hope that it would grow on me. It did not. In fact, I liked it less with each pass. The whole album strikes me as contrived and tired. The sound production is technically correct, i.e., loud and you can hear all the instruments, but uninspired and devoid of dynamics. In retrospect, none of this should have come as a surprise. The cover and promotional posters feature a photo of the band that looks exactly like this album sounds.All that said, there are two or three good songs buried deep within this bag of...filler.

Cd arrived super fast and in excellent condition.

I was instantly hooked after the first listen. I am a huge Toadies fan so that was one of the main reasons on getting this CD. The sound is different from the Toadies, but it still hooks you in. The songs stay stuck in your head for days. "Still" is one of the best songs Vaden has written.

If you liked the EP, buy this. If you liked the Toadies, this is not quite as raw but still the songwriting and sound is very similar.

Somewhere along the line we, the audience of pop music, singled out the frontman(woman) as the sole identity of the group. To be fair, there are several occurences of the lead guitarist with public image clout as well, garnering attention as part of the creative force that drives the ensemble (Page/Plant, Jagger/Richards, etc) And even rarer still, one of the other members of a group gets 'face time:' Flea, Nikki Sixx, Mick Fleetwood, Neil Peart, etc. Why is this important, you ask? Because it is flawed thinking - the ensemble creates the sound, the essence, the being - which brings us to the Burden Brothers.Vaden Todd Lewis is not the Burden Brothers.Now, having said that, we see him, we hear him, we know he is there - but this is a BAND, and a damn fine outfit at that. They are a tight bunch of players who sling their sonic fortitude at the listeners with a casual, slack precision that embodies pure attitude. Taz' Drumming, Casey/Corey/Zack doing their thing - all makes up a part of the end result - which brings us to shocking truth number two:The Burden Brothers are not the Toadies.I know, I know, Vaden's voice, and his singing, for that matter, are featured prominently in both ventures. While Burden can, from time to time, venture into near-Toadies territory, they are their own band, and should be viewed as such. That said, let's get into Mercy.This album starts off with a hauntingly breathy piece called "Its Time," which, frankly, this reviewer just doesn't get. So, onto the next tracks: the uptempo rockers "Shine," "Still" and "Everybody is Easy (We Sink, We Swim)" - good solid rock and roll, no two ways about it - simple construction of melodies, excellently arranged and executed.Burden kind of takes an interesting turn with the remainder of the record though, as it pumps up the gain, the chunk, ad the 'sludge factor' for "Good Night from Chicago" and "I am a Cancer," the latter being a sultry, riffing delivery, wrapped up neatly with a venomed tongue lyrical ribbon. "...Find another break up song, and sing it to yourself..."Following the heavier turn, Mercy gets lighter, and more airy with uptempo tunes like "in my Sky" and the bouncy "On our Own" featuring a bassline from Zack that'll be sure to have your head nodding.The album closer, "Liberated" is a slow building rage-ballad that serves as a great way to finish this album's journey, befitting, as the lyrics house imagery of hopping in a car, and rolling down the highway.The sophomore album effort from the Burden Brothers is a fantastic rock and roll record, and it should be judged as such - its not Toadies-quirky, nor is it a raucous as Burden's own 'Buried in your Black Heart,' but it stands on its own, and doesn't let you forget it or regret ;) )

This CD is a gratifying follow up to "Buried in Your Black Heart." Every song on this album stands alone as a quality piece of music. Taken together this album is a classic in the making. That is where the similarities (is that how you spell it) end. Every song sets up it's own tone and disposition. There is something for everyone, from the edgy rock feeling of "I am a Cancer" to the rock ballad feel of "In My Sky" and everything in between. Todd Vaden Lewis demonstrates more versatility in his vocals than he has in the past. This is due, in part, to the varied diposition of the music, which he is responsible for writing a considerable portion.Most impressive is the cohesive feel this band manages to keep despite the diversity of their compositions. No matter the tune, they maintain a TEXAS ROCK feel. I don't even know how to define the TEXAS ROCK feel, but here is my best try. This is the kind of CD you want to invite some friends over, put on repeat and let the good times roll. Rock and Roll...