Merca
Chup Amela (CD) 2006 psycheDOOMelic
Merca is a trad doom band from Holland that have built themselves squarely in the early Obsessed/Vitus Wino-era mold. Rising from the crispy remains of greasy doomsters Shylock, Merca has swapped out a couple of members in their quest to catch the vibe of the Golden Age of Wino. Their success in this is decidedly mixed. The folks in Merca are reaching for that whole 'Born Too Late' doom atmosphere of the late 80s - early 90s. Moving through a world of unaware squares, they embody the patched-denim lifestyle of sex, drugs and doom, but only up to a point. They've got the lyrics down, which bear repeated listening. Unfortunately, the vocal delivery is rather flat and, at times, *gasp of horror* uninteresting. The rhythm section is rather flat as well, though the guitar can rip with the best of 'em. The songwriting is uneven, with standout tunes like 'Skull City' and 'Abandon Ship' leading the way over less distinguished examples. The production is appropriately gritty, unpretentious, and garagey..not at all inappropriate for a group like this. Fans of riffing doom and all things Wino will want to give these Dutch doomsters a shot. After all, it's always a pleasure to hear another band of sincere riff-mongers trying their hand at that classic sound. The fact that the Sabbath/Pentagram/Wino school is deceptively difficult to pull off convincingly is underlined by releases like these. Hopefully Merca will strap it on for the next one.	1. High Blood Pressure 2. Skull City 3. Abandoned Ship 4. Soul Robbery 5. Mirrors & Bullets 6. Walking Tombstone 7. Drawn in Smoke Approx. 29 minutes
Reviewed by: Kevin McHugh