Mortification
The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine ()
Wydane przez Rowe Productions/Infinite Metal PromotionsRok wydania Kraj AustraliaNapisał Wouter6
It has been a long and strange journey for Australian extreme Christian metal band Mortification, who formed in death metal’s formative years (1990) in Australia and who had albums released on both Metal Blade and Nuclear Blast Records. Their 1992 album “The Scrolls of the Megilloth” is a minor death metal classic, 1994’s “Blood World” was their most commercially successful, even though it dabbled in thrash – and groove metal and was less pure death metal oriented while 1996’s “enVision EvAngele” was the band’s most conceptually ambitious it also showcased a leaning towards thrash and classic heavy metal. In their two decade spanning lifetime Mortification has withstood multiple trends, label – and line-up changes, and frontman Steve Rowe even survived a bout with leukemia. This new album summarizes Mortification’s various explorations of different styles in a cohesive, albeit unspectacular whole. The title track kicks off with an explosive drum solo, has an energetic lead/solo in its midsection and although the song structure and chord progressions are hardly mentionworthy they are solid. ‘The Master Of Reinvention’ has an old school hardcore/punk vibe through out its groove/thrash framework. It’s sad that the spirited leads/solos, the no-frills bulldozer drumming and interesting bass lines are integrated in a solid but unspectacular whole. Rowe’s lethargic half-bellows/half-grunts (former Altar frontman Edwin Kelder comes to mind, minus the power, frustration and conviction) are acquired taste, but they seem to miss the power and bite usually associated with extreme metal. For a band around for nearly two decades Mortification aren’t on the same level, music-technically, as their secular and anti-religious peers in Ancient Rites, Deceased, Faust, Gorguts, Monstrosity, Pavor, Suffocation, Thanatos, Vader or Vital Remains. This is the biggest cause of concern and ambivalence on this record. Mortification has the chops, the experience and the musical muscle to pull of something far more impressive than what is on display here. When push comes to shove “The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine” is a solid exercise in metal, but also a very unremarkable one given this act’s longevity, ideologic determination and perseverance in the face of hardship. The amateurish artwork also is a definite letdown, why Mortification didn’t commission a painting by Andreas Marschall, Axel Hermann, Eric Philippe, Mike Whelan, Marc Klinnert or Martin Hanford is a question for the ages. It would have helped this record tremendously on the visual side and would fortify their established profile as the most respected Christian metal warriors in the extreme metal scene, bar none.
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