Half these dudes ain’t even in the band anymore!

No, I don’t mean that our favorite Dutch Danish [Sorry! -Ed.] power-death metallers are making a crabcore album – at least, they’re not as far as I’m aware.

No, I’m referring to the fact that Mercenary are handling their decimated line-up situation not just by hiring new members, but by shifting some old ones around, too. The band have announced not only the addition of new drummer Morten Løwe Sørensen to their ranks, but that bassist René Pedersen – who has also handled the band’s screaming/growling/non-singing vocals up since 2006 – will now step up to the plate to take the place of departed clean vocalist Mikkel Sandager, too. A statement from the band reads:

“As everybody who has seen us live in the last couple of years is fully aware of, René is a real powerhouse, and he has so much more under his belt than he got to display on the previous album.”

Well, fuck, he had better have so much more under his belt. Sandager’s soaring vox were a key reason to listen to Mercenary; if Pedersen can’t step up to the plate, than the band is pretty much fucked. FUCKED, I say.

I have fewer concerns about Sørensen, who has previously played with Submission, Slugs, and The Arcane Order. I don’t know the former two bands, but The Arcane Order are pretty bad-assed, so…

And there’s still no word on who is going to replace keyboardist Morten Sandager who, if you ask me, was just as important to the band’s sound as his brother.

I really want this band to continue to be awesome. Fingers crossed…

-AR