Mortification - Hammer of God (1999)
Steve Rowe has been through the fires of Hell and is here to tell about it! In 1998 Mortification, with their current lineup of Steve on vocals and bass, Keith Bannister on drums, and Lincoln Bowen on guitar, released an lp that was pretty much centered on Steve's fight against cancer (Triumph Of Mercy). Although the CD was well received and hit pretty hard against the devil, I personally did not consider it one of their best (especially being a followup to the majestic cd "Envision Evangelene"). Well another year has passed and Mortification are back with a new CD (and a bit of a new sound) that I do consider one of their best! "Hammer Of God" is true classic power metal! Mortification have long been known for their association with "death" metal and rightfully so, considering that 1992's "Scrolls Of The Megilloth" is probably THE best "death" metal album ever recorded. Those days have long since passed and Mortification has had lineup changes and life changes that have directed Steve back closer to the roots of his music. this evolution in musical style has been an ongoing process for Mortification ever since the release of "Post Momentary Affliction". "Hammer Of God" is a full 70 min. masterpiece! They have now incorporated keyboards, which I love, to give the songs more melody and atmosphere. Steve is using the same vocal style as on Envision Evangeline and the song structures are also similar to that album. Steve is also writing lyrics that are done in a metaphorical way, like the song "A Pearl" which compares the preciousness of Gods grace to the beauty and preciousness of a pearl. "Lock Up The Night" is a song that sounds almost as if Ronnie James Dio himself wrote the words. Also included on here, apart from the 10 new songs, are demo versions of "Visited By An Angel", "Unified Truth", and "At War With War" from the "Triumph Of Mercy" CD. I must say that the demos sound even better than when they appeared on "Triumph.." The thing I have and always will respect most about Mortification is their faithfulness to the ministering of the gospel (no watered down lyrics on any of these guys' records!) and their refusal to bow to the trends, Mortification continues to play "true" metal for "true" metal fans. --Review by Norm