Black Water Rising’s self-titled debut album was one of my favorites of 2009, and one of the best pure hard rock records that I’d heard in a long time at that point. Some of my favorites from the record, songs like “No Halos” and “Black Bleeds Through,” still get pretty heavy play in my daily shuffle.
It’s been four years, but the first track from their upcoming follow-up, Pissed and Driven, due out July 30, picks up right where that record left off. “Show No Mercy” fits right in with the heavy, groove- and hook-oriented hard rock that I loved about the debut.
The song opens with some bashing drums from Mke Meselsohn, and a very metallic guitar riff from Dennis Kimak. After about 30 seconds of that, though, it breaks down into a swaggering hard rock riff. As the verse hits, the guitar drops out with Oddie McLaughlin’s bass rumbling in the background as Rob Traynor delivers his vocals, punctuated by hits from the guitars. That transforms the song again into more of a commercial rock affair.
But the best is yet to come. It’s on the chorus where Black Water Rising shows what they do best as they deliver a huge, grooving, get stuck in your head kind of chorus that you’ll be humming for hours after you walk away from the song.
“Show No Mercy” gets the new record off to a good start with me. Here’s hoping Pissed and Driven delivers just as much badass as their first record.
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