I just received the CD in the mail today and it is heavy (musically and lyrically) as hell. Ironically, I put the disc in for the first spin right after listening to George Bush's Republican National Convention speech about freedom being God's gift to everyone in the world and that he (Bush) will continue his crusade to make the world a more peaceful place. To me, those are all code words for, "I plan to bomb the devil out of more middle east countries if elected to another 4 years". Something I totally oppose (although I 100% supported going after the Bin Laden network in Afganastan which was and is an immenent threat, much unlike Iraq).
You can't impose freedom on a people, as noble as it sounds. Oppressed people who yearn to be free must be willing to die for their freedom. They can't expect some other country to do it for them. If a people truly desire to be free, they will make the sacrifices to make themselves free. If they are afraid to sacrifice, then they will never be free.
Until I heard the lyrics, I had no idea that much of the CD is focused on and before the events of September 11. Usually the lyrical content is something I don't pay much attention to, but halfway through the title track, "11 Dreams", I had to stop what I was doing and read the lyrics from cover to cover. I don't totally understand the concept after just one read, but it appears written in the mind of a terrorist who is bred to hate, a hate that he often regrets, but can't control. I gotta boogie over to the official Mercenary site and look for some insight as to how the band wishes the lyrics to be interpreted.
A very dark, very deep, and hypnotic CD. I love it!!!!
The Fiddler
p.s. the variety of vocal styles really adds more texture an already texture laden CD that just grooves. A great CD for those long road trips on the highway.
