After their fourth album, Mortification changed styles from death metal to thrash, and even took on power metal and traditional metal influences in their later days. The band has recently returned to their thrash/death metal roots from their "glory" days. The line-up has also changed many times, but bassist and vocalist SMortification is an Australian Christian extreme metal band. As one of the first and most successful Christian extreme metal bands in the world, they serve as inspiration for many of today's Christian metal bands. The group was formed in 1990 from the ashes of Christian power metal band Lightforce by Steve Rowe, Cameron Hall and Jayson Sherlock. Over the years Mortification has released over twenty records and several videos on major record labels such as Nuclear Blast.
During the early 1990s Mortification "belonged to the elite of the death metal movement," especially with their widely praised album Scrolls of the Megilloth. After the departure of their original drummer Mortification began experimenting with groove metal, hardcore punk and power metal. They achieved notable commercial success with Blood World, though the critics have not been interested in the band after the 1996's critically acclaimed EnVision EvAngelene. Despite critical backlash, the band has maintained its status as "some kind of superstars in the Christian metal scene," and have been called in the mainstream media as "a legend in the death metal scene." They returned to their deathrash roots on the 2004's Brain Cleaner album.
Original line-up
In the late-eighties, bassist Steve Rowe played in the Australian power metal band LightForce, a group which saw moderate success in its homeland. Around 1990, the band broke up. Steve, still determined to play heavy music with a Christian message, soon joined with drummer Jayson Sherlock and guitarist Cameron Hall under the LightForce name to release the 1990 demo, Break the Curse. With this release, the band changed musically towards thrash metal with a death metal influence. Feeling that their new musical direction merited a new name, the band retitled itself Mortification.The album's music garnered the band some attention from the heavy metal underground and, according to Allmusic, contains some of the most frightening vocals ever recorded.
In 1991, they released their self-titled debut album Mortification on the American Christian label Intense Records. Michael Carlisle replaced guitarist Cameron Hall, and the direction of the music changed once again. A lot of the songs were taken from their demo Break the Curse, but the band tuned their guitars down, and the feel to the songs was a lot more heavy and doomy than on previous material. Also, Steve proved to be an excellent death metal vocalist, presenting his "Grind Baritone vocals of extreme reality" throughout the album. According to Allmusic, the band "sought to provide a positive alternative to traditional death metal acts such as Carcass, Death, and Obituary. On the strength of their self-titled 1990 debut, Mortification quickly gained a reputation in their native Australia for being one of the loudest and fastest bands around."
In 1992, the band had signed a deal with Nuclear Blast Records in Germany, who had the biggest death metal names on their roster. Mortification released their second album, Scrolls of the Megilloth, which had great success, and in the Christian metal scene is considered a classic as well as a piece of Australian metal history. The line-up had outdone themselves, playing some fast death metal with a few doom metal influences on a couple of tracks. According to Allmusic, the album contains "some of the most frightening vocals ever recorded." A video-compilation titled Grind Planets which featured eight Mortification music-videos shot by film maker Neil Johnson was also released. Grind Planets, a word play of the term "Rock Star" presented a more humorous side of Mortification on the "On the Road" material in contrast with their serious message about spiritual warfare - a common theme among Christian extreme metal bands during early 1990s when anti-Christian bands such as Deicide and Morbid Angel gained popularity.
The band conquered new ground with their 1993 release Post Momentary Affliction. Most notably, the vocal style shifted, adding some thrash-like screams to the already-familiar metal growls. The band also experimented with the industrial style. The album also featured one of Mortification's most popular songs, "Grind Planetarium". Jayson Sherlock had his last concert with the band at the Blackstump Festival '93, and the concert was released both on CD and also VHS under the name Live Planetarium. A big US major magazine cited the Live Planetarium video as the best live album and video they have ever seen and heard. Jayson joined Paramæcium, and Phil Gibson replaced him as Mortification's drummer.
Commercial Success
The band released a new album in 1994 called Blood World. They leaned more towards modern groove/thrash with classic metal and hardcore punk influence, rather than death metal, and Steve mainly used his shouts rather than growling. Phil and Michael left the band, and Steve stood by himself. The strange combination of extreme styles began setting Mortification apart from the crowd of same sounding bands and widened the band's audience as they became quickly recognised as innovators and not imitators. Blood World received rave reviews in America and Europe. Horror Infernal Magazine gave the album 13 out of 13 points. Blood World eventually became their best selling album.
1994 also saw the birth of Steve's own record label, "Rowe Productions." Also, Break the Curse was remixed and re-released by Nuclear Blast Records with a bonus track called "Butchered Mutilation".
Together with numerous friends, Steve recorded the album Primitive Rhythm Machine which was released in 1995. The sound of the album is really nasty and messy with a tribal-percussion to it. Musically, Steve mixed all the styles Mortification had played in the past, death metal, thrash metal and groove metal.
Also, Mortification's The Best of Five Years were released. A compilation album of older material. 2 songs from each previous release made a good introduction to new fans, and showed the bands innovation. This was the last album to be released by Mortification through Intense Records.
In 1996, Steve Rowe started his search for a new drummer and guitarist. The drum position was filled by long time roadie Keith Bannister, who had become a Christian during the first Mortification tour back in 1990. He learned how to play the drums while Mortification was on tour, and when they came back, Steve saw that he had been practicing, and was amazed at his progress, and instantly chose him to fill the spot as the drummer of the band. The guitar position was filled by guitarist Lincoln Bowen. Together, they recorded the album EnVision EvAngelene. This disc mixed elements of classic metal, thrash metal and added a punk feel to some of the songs. The first cut is an epic 18+ minute about Christ's crucifixion from the angels point of view.
Two live EPs were also released, Noah Sat Down and Listened to the Mortification Live EP While Having a Coffee and Live without Fear. Unlike their first live album Live Planetarium from the Black Stump Music and Arts Festival, this was recorded at a small club, with a raw sound.
A video compilation called EnVidion was released, containing numerous music-videos and interviews. Also released this year was a novel by Steve Rowe titled "Minstrel."
In 2006, their song "Livin like a Zombie" was played in the background of the BME Pain Olympics: Final Round.
Mortification recorded and released Triumph of Mercy in 1998, which was released by Rowe Productions in the US and Nuclear Blast Germany in Europe. Lyrically, the album focused on the experiences of Steve and the band during Steve's two-year trial. The style of the album was a mixture of groove and thrash.
1999 saw the release of Hammer of God, also a mix of thrash and groove. The death metal elements had vanished, but the religious message of the lyrics remained.
In 2000, Mortification released another live album, recorded at Blackstump Festival in 1999, called 10 Years Live Not Dead, which mainly featured material from their newer albums plus a new song called "Dead Man Walking". Keith Bannister left the band, and a replacement was found in the very young drummer Adam Zaffarese.
The new line-up released the album The Silver Cord is Severed in 2000 and the band went on its first world tour. The music continued to be thrash and groove. While many fans thought the album was the weakest effort in the band's career, The Silver Cord is Severed sold well like its precessors. This was due to the fact that - like Nuclear Blast founder Markus Staiger stated in a newsletter - had become "some kind of superstars in the Christian metal scene". At the end of 2000 Lincoln Bowen left, and the band was split, which seemed like it was the end of Mortification. However, things changed when the guitarists Jeff Lewis and Mick Jelinic joined the band, and in 2002 they released Relentless. The band went in a slightly more heavy direction with a good dose of thrash and classic metal. The band played live as a 4-piece only a couple of times, as Jeff Lewis left the band.
Return to death/thrash roots
2004 saw the released of Brain Cleaner, now with ex-Cybergrind and current Martyrs Shrine drummer Mike Forsberg. This was the heaviest release from the band in 10 years, and fast thrash dominates the album with lots of groove and death metal influences.
In 2006, Mortification released a new album. It was originally titled Impaling the Goblin, but after many complaints that in some cultures this term had a sexual connotation to it, they changed the name to Erasing the Goblin. The album, with a cover which features a warrior throwing a sword into a goblin sitting on a rocking chair in a cave, is said to be a take on their older death/thrash sound around the time of their first 2-3 albums.
In early 2008, the band's nine early records were re-released by Polish Metal Mind Productions. In July 2008 Steve Rowe announced on his website that drummer Damien Percy was leaving after 3 years in the band and has been replaced by Dave Kilgallon, who is also the drummer for Australian Christian metal bands Grave Forsaken and Scourged Flesh.
On June 6, it was announced that Mortification will record a new album in 2009 On August 5, the band stated that they would record a demo for the new album. On February 4, Rowe announced that the album titled The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine was partially completed, and it was released early June. Confusing many fans, Steve Rowe has reportedly called the new musical direction "easy-listening thrash." Rowe noted in a message for The Metal Resource about the reception of The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine: "With all new Mort releases there have been mixed response; pretty black and white. Some Really Like It and some really Don't Like It. But I knew with presenting the band in a reinvented way it was an excitingly dangerous move!"
Reception and Legacy
According to Australian writers Gary Garson and Peter Schultz, Mortification is the world's most successful Christian extreme metal band. Their first three albums are respected efforts of death metal. Blood World was a commercial hit and EnVision EvAngelene gained some respect for its music. During the tour for Blood World they played with Napalm Death, Sick of it All and Entombed for audiences consisting of thousands of people, and sold more merchandise than the other bands in the venues.Several Mortification tribute albums have been released by Christian metal bands that have been influenced by Mortification.
Records released after Steve Rowe's leukemia have received poor reviews from critics, though they kept selling well. A critic wrote that "The weakest link of current Mortification are the lyrics. They are just somewhat naive and cheesy. On the old albums sinners screamed in pain in the fiery pits of hell, Satan was slaughtered; the rhetorics fit the spirit of the brutal music better. Apparently the fatherhood and going through the disease has calmed Rowe down too much, although on the early records the previous members Jayson Sherlock and Mick Carlisle wrote a lot of the lyrics." The different singing style Rowe did for many years after Post Momentary Affliction was another target for criticism, being called "poor screaming".
Band members
Current members
Steve Rowe - (Vocals & Bass) (1990–present)
Mick Jelinic - (Rhythm Guitar) (2002–present)
Metal Crusade
Mortification Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As evil deceives.
Thousands of lives,
Will be relieved.
Metal crusade,
Spreading the Gospel truth,
Raising the shield,
Metal crusade,
Salvation through the cross,
Belt of truth,
Firm around our waist
Curses coming our way,
Satan thinks he has won,
But we know the story,
Live everlasting,
Cancer and pain,
Will not stop the fight
Jesus is risen,
Knowledge will come.
Metal crusade,
Spreading the Gospel truth,
Bearing the sword,
Of the spirit of life.
Metal crusade,
Salvation through the cross,
Helmet of salvation,
Guarding our minds.
Through word and music,
Metal shall be reached,
Jesus will return,
When all have heard His ways.
No stone left unturned,
As we seek your life,
Some way or other,
You will find The Truth
Metal crusade,
Spreading the Gospel truth,
Shoes shod, to speed us on.
Metal crusade,
Salvation through the cross,
Breastplate of righteousness,
Showing God's approval.
The lyrics of Mortification's song "Metal Crusade" express an unwavering commitment to continue fighting against evil, even in the face of great adversity. The lines "We will not stop fighting, as evil deceives," demonstrate the band's resilience and faith in their cause, and their belief that their actions will ultimately have a positive impact on the world. They speak to the idea that by spreading the "Gospel truth" through their music, they can help to bring salvation and relief to people suffering from the "Cancer and pain" caused by evil.
The lyrics also emphasize the importance of spiritual protection and armour, as they reference the "belt of truth," "helmet of salvation," "breastplate of righteousness," and "sword of the spirit of life." These symbols of spiritual armour demonstrate the band's belief that they are fighting a spiritual battle against the forces of evil, and that it is only through a deep and abiding faith in God that they can hope to emerge victorious.
Overall, the song is a powerful expression of Mortification's belief that metal music can be a force for good in the world, spreading the message of salvation and truth to all who will listen.
Line by Line Meaning
We will not stop fighting,
We will persevere in our battle against evil.
As evil deceives.
We acknowledge that evil is deceitful.
Thousands of lives,
Our mission will positively impact countless lives.
Will be relieved.
We seek to ease the pain and suffering of others.
Metal crusade,
Our mission is a 'metal crusade'.
Spreading the Gospel truth,
We aim to spread the truth of the Gospel.
Raising the shield,
We will defend against evil.
Evil lies demolished
Our mission is to destroy the lies of evil.
Salvation through the cross,
Our ultimate salvation comes through Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
Belt of truth,
We hold firm to the truth of the Gospel.
Firm around our waist
We will not let go of the truth.
Curses coming our way,
We know we will encounter opposition.
Satan thinks he has won,
Satan believes he can defeat us.
But we know the story,
We know the ultimate outcome because we follow Jesus.
Live everlasting,
We will live eternally in heaven with God.
Cancer and pain,
Even though we may experience hardship and suffering,
Will not stop the fight
we will continue to fight against evil.
Jesus is risen,
Jesus has risen from the dead.
Knowledge will come.
In the end, knowledge and understanding will come to those who seek truth.
Bearing the sword,
We wield the sword of the Holy Spirit.
Of the spirit of life.
The Holy Spirit brings life and hope.
Helmet of salvation,
We protect our minds with the assurance of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Guarding our minds.
We will not be deceived by the lies of Satan.
Through word and music,
We spread the truth of the Gospel through various means.
Metal shall be reached,
Our mission includes reaching metal fans with the truth of the Gospel.
Jesus will return,
We believe in the second coming of Jesus.
When all have heard His ways.
We believe that all will have an opportunity to hear the message of the Gospel before Jesus returns.
No stone left unturned,
We will go to great lengths to reach people with the truth of the Gospel.
As we seek your life,
We seek to help people find true life through Jesus Christ.
Some way or other,
We will find a way to reach people with the truth of the Gospel.
You will find The Truth
We believe that people who seek truth will find it in Jesus Christ.
Shoes shod, to speed us on.
We are equipped and ready to move quickly in spreading the Gospel.
Breastplate of righteousness,
We stand firm in righteousness provided by God.
Showing God's approval.
Our lives demonstrate our commitment to following God's will.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: S. ROWE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Teemu Jaakkola
One of the good and rare things, that christians has come up with! :D ;) Nice!!
Teemu Jaakkola
@Jonathan Barnes haha, well, if that suites to you so be my guest! :D To me the most hooking thing in this was the music, but I got no problem admitting that the creators of this piece are Christian people... like many metal people do, that they just label Christian metal shit just by the fact, that the message is Christian....
Jonathan Barnes
Many good things not easy to find,
Censorship can make you feel alone
Gods love floods the gates of isolation
Many good things not for the weary.
Labor requires fortitude yet modern metal archeology is a gold mine for young Christian students searching for strength, hope and faith in Jesus the only path to salvation. May his name be lifted forever.🎺📯🔔🎺🎸🎚🌍🛡⚔
Neide Manfrin
Mortification the best
Jared Hayslip
God RULZS Always And Forever More..
SIR KURTIS JEFFREY JAY LUETH KLUTE WULF WOLF
SECURE SECURE
Julian Segura
Yeah!