Merciless Death is a thrash metal band from Canyon Country, Santa Clarita, California. Formed in 2003 by Dan Holder and Andy Torres, the group released their debut demo Annihilate the Masses in early 2004 and began performing live. Their first studio album, Evil in the Night, was self-produced and released in 2006, later re-released by Heavy Artillery Records. In September and October 2007, they embarked on a U.S. tour to promote their critically acclaimed studio album. The band's second studio album, Realm of Terror, was released in 2008. After years of silence, Merciless Death returned in 2014 and released another studio album, Taken Beyond, in 2015.