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)
Seen It All
Mortification Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bosnian land mines, Russian end times
Baby kill pills, induced suicide bills
Stare the world down in its eyes
See the emptiness, deception and lies
CHORUS 1
Have we not seen from our easy chair,
The convicted psycho's evil glare;
T.V.'s reality we're being fed;
BRIDGE 1
For mans success will be the blackest of gain!
A certain season for terror to reign!
Verse 2
Nazi war crimes, the poor's poverty lines
Earthquakes in Japan, move destiny's hand
The petty division, in our wealthy lands
Starve children, taking food from their hands
CHORUS 2
Have we not seen troubled eyes;
More pain and tearstained cries;
Our will to bring change;
Will help us turn;
BRIDGE 2
O, God haven't you seen it all
Since man's rise and fall
Have mercy on our kind
For it's you we must seek and find
O God haven't you seen it all, Devastation and deaths call
It's cause and effect has come
This worlds terror has begun
My God haven't you seen it all
The reassurance op pain, by our choice it remains! My God!
Verse 3
Nations banking, U.N. backing
Revelation unfolds, talons take hold
A stared empty glare, raised not to care
Life sucked back within, black ugly sin.
CHORUS 2
In Mortification's song "Seen It All," the lyrics address the many tragedies and evils of the world that we have become desensitized to. The first verse mentions specific examples such as Bosnian landmines, Russian end times, and induced suicide pills. The chorus highlights our societal numbness to violence and death, as we consume it through the media from the comfort of our own homes. The bridge warns of the dangers of greed and terror. The second verse continues to list tragedies, such as Nazi war crimes and the poverty of the poor. The chorus repeats, this time with a call to action for us to bring about change. The second bridge pleads with God to have mercy on humanity, as we have witnessed so much devastation and destruction. The final verse mentions nations, banking, the U.N, and the unfolding of revelations, all leading up to a sin-filled and bleak end.
Overall, the lyrics convey a message of warning and a call to action. We must not become indifferent to the suffering and evil in the world, but rather strive to make a positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
Bosnian land mines, Russian end times
References to the war in Bosnia and the fall of the Soviet Union, which caused significant hardships and suffering for many people.
Baby kill pills, induced suicide bills
Refers to the prevalence of harmful and often deadly drugs and medications, as well as policies that push people towards taking their own lives.
Stare the world down in its eyes
Challenges people to confront the harsh realities of the world head-on, rather than looking away or ignoring them.
See the emptiness, deception and lies
Acknowledges that much of what we see and hear in the world is hollow, false, and deceitful.
Have we not seen from our easy chair,
Questions whether we are truly aware of the suffering that occurs in the world while we sit back in comfort and security.
The convicted psycho's evil glare;
Refers to the sinister, malicious nature of some human beings.
Numbed to life's blood and death
Highlights how people can become desensitized to the violence and tragedy that takes place around them.
T.V.'s reality we're being fed;
Suggests that much of what we know about the world comes from televised news and programming, which may not always be accurate or truthful.
For mans success will be the blackest of gain!
Speaks to the moral cost of pursuing wealth or power at any cost, even if it means causing harm or suffering to others.
A certain season for terror to reign!
Musing on the cyclical nature of war and conflict, and how they seem to repeat themselves throughout history.
Nazi war crimes, the poor's poverty lines
Highlights two very different but equally damaging forms of cruelty and oppression - war and poverty.
Earthquakes in Japan, move destiny's hand
Catastrophic natural events, like the earthquake that struck Japan, have the power to change the course of human history and shape the future of our planet.
The petty division, in our wealthy lands
Points out that even in prosperous, developed countries, there are still many social and economic inequalities that lead to strife and conflict.
Starve children, taking food from their hands
Describes the heartbreaking reality of child hunger, and how adults can strip away the basic needs of the most vulnerable members of society.
Our will to bring change;
Calls on people to take personal responsibility for creating a better world, rather than waiting for others to make change happen.
Will help us turn;
Suggests that through collective action and shared vision, people have the power to create transformational change.
O, God haven't you seen it all
A plea to a higher power to take note of the pervasive pain and destruction in the world and to offer support and guidance to those who suffer.
Since man's rise and fall
A reminder that human history is full of triumphs and tragedies, as civilizations and individuals alike experience great peaks and devastating lows.
Have mercy on our kind
A humble request for divine grace and forgiveness, recognizing the many shortcomings and failings of humanity.
For it's you we must seek and find
Acknowledging that in order to overcome the challenges facing our world, it will take a concerted effort on the part of people of all beliefs and backgrounds.
Devastation and deaths call
A lament for the immense suffering and loss of life that has occurred throughout human history, through war, famine, and other disasters.
It's cause and effect has come
Observing that the pain and suffering in the world is often the result of specific choices and actions taken by individuals and nations.
This worlds terror has begun
Reflecting on the pervasive sense of fear and unease that marks our current era, with terrorism, climate change, and other threats looming large.
The reassurance op pain, by our choice it remains! My God!
Recognizing that despite our many attempts to alleviate suffering, there are often fundamental, structural issues that perpetuate pain and inequality.
Nations banking, U.N. backing
Drawing attention to the global financial institutions and intergovernmental organizations that play a key role in shaping the fate of countries and individuals alike.
Revelation unfolds, talons take hold
Describes a sense of impending doom or disaster, with events unfolding in such a way that it feels like the world is in the grip of powerful and malevolent forces.
A stared empty glare, raised not to care
Paints a picture of people who are apathetic and indifferent to the suffering of others, seeing and hearing but choosing not to act.
Life sucked back within, black ugly sin.
Describes how brutality and violence can rob people of their humanity, creating a void that is filled with anger, fear, and despair.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Atticus Ross, David Randall Silveria, Graham Edwards, James Christian Shaffer, Jonathan Howsman Davis, Lauren Christy, Reginald Arvizu, Scott Spock
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel Mönch
Around 1:55 the real Epicness bursts out! Pure Groove, one of the best songs of good old Mortification! So Good!
mowriter
Sweeeet. I'm only now hearing PRM; stopped right after Blood World and am a "Post Momentary/Scrolls" guy. This one would have roughly correlated with the rise of nu metal and I can sense a Pantera influence. This is a huge complement (LOL). Great stuff!
Echoes Embrace
theres a song by korn called seen it all and they both rock but i like this one a little bit better
Lujan Tanaka
God Rulz!
Asher Cochláin
you are old school my friend.
briank06261973
Korn ain't got nothing on Mortification. I like the groove in this song.
Carlos Meneses
death crush of mayhem....
hawaiianpunch808
where can you get this cd.. i had it before but i lost it... i bought in a christian shop .. ehhee
Nicanor Quispe Blanco
Same your Band I Bless you Amen
Pierre Avril
Influence du "Roots" de Sepultura sorti un an après...mmh mmh...