UMUR
"Behind the Black Door" is the first demo recording by Swedish thrash metal act Merciless. The demo was independently released in July 1987. Merciless was formed in 1986 and is generally considered a great influence on the then burgeoning Swedish death metal scene (along with contemporary countrymen in Hatred, Morbid, Obscurity, and Mefisto), although they were never themselves a death metal act (at least not in the early years).
Stylistically Merciless play a very raw and brutal type of thrash metal which is equally influenced by US artists like Possessed and Morbid Saint and by the German thrash metal scene and artists like Sodom, Kreator, and Destruction. The music is harsh, aggressive, and both heavy and fast-paced. Lead vocalist Kåle (real name: Kalle Aurenius) has a rusty nails caustic delivery which perfectly suits the aggression and brutality of the music.
The demo features four tracks and a total playing time of 14:57 minutes, which is a fair amount of time to get to know Merciless. The sound quality is relatively high for a demo recording, and upon conclusion "Behind the Black Door" is overall a good quality first demo from Merciless, which put them instantly on the Swedish thrash metal map as leaders of the more raw and brutal end of the genre. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.