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I reviewed the re-release of Mindless Sinner's 1986 debut album, Turn on the Power, back in 2021 when it was reissued and found it to be a decent example of mid-80s European heavy metal but nothing overly memorable. Metal Merchants is their second album since re-forming about 10 years ago and while I can't speak to their previous release (2020's Poltergeist), if Metal Merchants is any indication, the time off since their original run did Mindless Sinner a world of good. The songwriting is uniformly catchy despite a run time of over 62 minutes (all versions except the vinyl have three additional bonus tracks) and the playing is tight yet has the warmth of those '80s analog recordings. Singer Christer Goransson has a perfect, high-pitched wail that he doesn't abuse, he simply lifts up his lines and makes the choruses take flight. The lead guitars are perfectly suited to the songs, again providing just what is needed without any showboating from Magnus Danneblad or Jerker Edman. I'd be remiss if I didn't add that Christer Carlson and Linus Melchiorson supply a consistent, booming bottom end throughout Metal Merchants. I hear a lot of soaring, infectious heavy metal here, the kind bands like Riot ("Speed Demon"), Witch Cross ("Let's Go Crazy") and other '80s acts pioneered, and Mindless Sinner continues carrying the flag for. An excellent release from a classic-era band that has gotten a whole lot better with age.