biography

The band immediately retired to the studio to begin work on a follow-up. Towards the end of these sessions, The Mercy Cage signed a deal with New Zealand’s largest dark-end label Mediatrix, home to FEARvLOATHINC, Jordan Reyne, NUTE, & Shemsu Hor among others. 18 months in the making, Rust: A Fiction – Stories From The Black Room was released in late 2001. A concept album melding a number of musical styles into a cohesive package, the CD has gone on to become the best selling release in the label’s history. Rust: A Fiction was followed by two remix singles for the songs Needle Marks (& Scars) & the club hit “M”, & an E.P containing reworkings of unreleased tracks from the Rust: A Fiction sessions entitled Valium: Toxicity v2.0.

Augmented with guitars, acoustic drums & additional synthesis, The Mercy Cage became a live entity in 2002. A tour with label mates NUTE followed & headlining performances at New Zealand’s two biggest dark-end festivals, Vampyre 2003 & Darkness Gathering IV established The Mercy Cage as one of the premier live draws on the underground circuit. 2003 also saw the widespread availability of Rust: A Fiction internationally, The DSBP [U.S.A], Metropolis Records [U.S.A], Music Non Stop [U.K] & G.U.P [Australia] picking up the album for international distribution. Also in 2003 the release of CDs by Diverje, Krushed Opiates, Project Auryn, N.U.T.E & Abney Park all containing remixes by The Mercy Cage. 2004 saw several compilation appearances, including BLC’s Interbreeding III: Xenophobic & Club Bizarre’s Re-Inventing Sheep, along with releases from Angel Theory, Clear Stream Temple, Diverje, FEARvLOATHINC & Attrition featuring The Mercy Cage remix work.

After extensive remodeling of The Mercy Cage’s own Virus Event Theatre Labs studios in early 2003, the band commenced work on their 3rd album. Entitled Scree: Transmissions; it’s a conceptual affair on “communication, the media, sex, death & the politics of identity”. a “teaser” EP for the new album was released online in early 05, & alternate mixes of several tracks appear on compilations such as “Interbreeding IV” & the mammoth 6-disc “state of synthpop 2005”. Josh also found time to act as mix engineer/producer for the debut CD from Industrial Metal act NUTE, & contribute guitars & remix work to the 6th album from new mexico outfit Diverje. the band has signed to legendary US label The DSBP, & scree was the first domestic north american release for the group, released to general critical acclaim abroad in 2005.

the mercy cage is a member of australian industrial collective crash frequency.

josh – Words/Music/Voice/Instruments/Programming
Catherine A.K – Voice
dean [underh20] – guitars
r.neale – acoustic drums & percussion

[e-mail] info @ themercycage.com
[web] www.themercycage.com
[label] www.dsbp.cx
[myspace] www.myspace.com/mercycage