“Why do the dead have to bear the weight?“
Forming in 2018, Vatic have since put together a debut EP, followed by a string of singles that have now lead them to their largest project yet. Their gloomy, dark sound tells the narrative of protagonist Chance: a man who is haunted, tormented and manipulated into horrific acts of violence. With the EP telling the stories of the bodies he hides inside his home, the fact soon becomes clear the bodies were not disposed of properly, and thus their spirits live on in East Mercer. With the sound and narrative taking twists and turns, what is offered up has variety in abundance.
Based on its description, the obvious comparison is Ice Nine Kills, with its horror styled narrative(s) being the axis of the record, with it, at times, sonically demonstrating similarities that can be drawn with that band’s earlier body of work in 2014’s The Predator Becomes The Prey, too. Although, Mercer 217 can be best seen as a more sinister and bleak telling compared to the theatrical and ode-to-Hollywood-esque horror that INK offer up their records. From its opening moments on the brief “Not Ready To Die“, which sets the scene for the following seven tracks, its dark atmosphere bleeds out.
As Mercer 217 enters into its opening act with “Silver Glass” and “The Colour In Your Eyes“, it leans into the metalcore that was stylised by the likes of The Devil Wears Prada and In Hearts Wake in the previous decade. A trading contrast between harsh vocals primarily on the verses, with the cleans entering in the chorus, while Vatic offer up a slightly more varied structure, it does perhaps explore a well-trodden path a bit too much. The latter of the two is a grand and alluring track, offering up breakdown that would fit well on a Thy Art Is Murder record, contrasted by its closing straight, bringing in some pleasant strings to add a thematic layer.
As the record enters “217“, the chunky riffs and the records harsher moments begin to shine. The barkier vocals in particular add an extra viciousness that perhaps its earlier tracks had missed. The heavier moments here show Vatic‘s utmost strengths, with an early barrage offering up a moment of pure savagery, as the drums help the track pop off instrumentally. Following track “No Sleep” further dives into the heavy riffs and harsh vocals, proving to be a sheer fury-inducing track that, as the lyrics “You won’t find fucking peace” are yelled, would surely cause limbs to be thrown in a live setting.
With a well-placed interlude in the form of “Dead End” leading into “Remember East Mercer“, what’s presented here does perhaps feel slightly too similar to what has come before, with the main standout here being the vocal performance with some near death metal vocals teased early on. Pacey closer “Let Me Die” is a thematic and tense track to close off the story, as the track reflects “There’s no escape, death don’t accept no sacrifices.” It weaves in and out with the potency of its performance, with each turn being anticipated. Further, the gargantuan breakdowns in some of Mercer 217‘s slowest moments found here make for a closer that shakes off any lingering dust from the penultimate track.
While Vatic may not offer up anything truly revolutionary to the genre here, Mercer 217 does what it aims to achieve rather well, with its narrative in particular standing as well-told and cohesive across the eight tracks, and its storytelling painting a vivid image in the mind. Its heavier moments are where Mercer 217 hits it strongest moments, though, with “No Sleep” being a standout track, and the violent breakdowns on tracks such as “217” and “The Colour In Your Eyes” being unrivaled moments of unadulterated fury. With their own perspective on horror-influenced metalcore, this is a project worth keeping an eye for those who find themselves drawn towards this sound.
7/10
Mercer 217 is out this Friday via self-released and can be pre-saved here.