The Mercury League

Bursting out of Sunderland in late 2003, The Mercury League hit the ground running with their own brand of melodic hardcore and have not stopped since. Displaying the uncanny ability to combine crunching heaviness and srtong melody with a sense of speed and sheer kinetic excitement, the near-unanimously positive reviews afforded to their first professional release, “La Libertad No Es Un Show” (Total Sellout) only confirmed their status as one of Britain’s most exciting punk bands.

Touring constantly, and averaging almost 150 shows a year since their inception, The Mercury League bring that most valuable of commodities to everything they do: genuine enthusiasm. To watch them live is to witness a whirlwind of energy focussed through four blokes, a blisteringly exciting demonstration that the only way to play music is combine ferocity with melody to create something else, something vital. With coruscating riffs colliding to create punk rock that edges towards the euphoric, there is simply nothing about The Mercury League that isn’t spectacular. From the DIY work ethic to the pure energy that they bring to music, from the handmade demos to the forthcoming splits with The Steal and The Dauntless Elite, The Mercury League are moving forwards at a high speed.

Ben Patashnik, London, September 2006