MORTAL
"Wake" (Intense; 1994)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
When Mortal hit the scene within the Christian rock community they had a sound that no one had
tried: industrial rock with an alternative sound. They had released a few albums before, under a different moniker, but
they wound up choosing "Mortal" and went full force with their style of music for the CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) audience.
The guitars are heavy, the vocals are strong and the overall vibe of the music is very driving. There are a few guitar fillers and that adds just enough salt to give each song a tasty memory. Mortal was one of those bands that came along and
no one knew quite what to do with them. That’s not to say that they weren’t embraced as a new kind of music within CCM,
but 1994 was a time when music was changing and this was their last album.
Included o "Wake" is a cover of Lennon and McCartney's “Nowhere Man” and
they also toss in some 19th century music with a little cayenne pepper on “To My Darling Whippoorwill.”
There is also an instrumental (who did that in 1994?) and a couple of ballads,
too.
Front 242 and Skinny Puppy could be meshed into the same style as Mortal. Again, with Christian music, the message is the most important part, the music just comes with the
territory. And this is territory that you will want to discover.
The best tracks are “Paradigm One,” “June First,” “Filter,” “Serpent-Teen,” and
"God Of 3 Strings."
Mortal: Troy Yasuda – gytarz, bad stone & noyz; Ed Giles Benrock – drumz, percussion, bgv’s; Jerome – 4-string bass, bgv’s, programming, pacificanoyz; Jyro – voice, electric & acoustic gytarz, bass, samplz melodica, JV, piano, bgv’s, morenoyz; Mark – sound, coils, boardz,
tannoyz.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 18 Mar 2024 11:16:03 -0500.
