No Life 'til Metal - CD Gallery

9. "Terminal Reward" [live] (4:23)

10. "Women in Leather" [live] (4:25)

11. "Lebanon" [live] (7:05)

12. "Innocent Torture" [live] (4:11)

13. "I Am Immortal" [live] (4:55)

14. "Mayhemic Destruction" [live] (5:42)

15. "The Infantry Corps" [live] (5:45)

Mortal Sin's debut seems to be a favorite of many who were into the underground thrash movement of the 80's and 90's. The sound here is raw, crunchy thrash with a heavy nod to "Kill 'Em All" era Metallica. Not that Mortal Sin are a clone, but the influence is certainly there. After all, this was the early 80's. Metallica were not yet a household name and only the faithful rivet heads were fans.

The recording is raw and has a live feel to it. While the musicianship isn't bad, the loose, almost punk-like delivery adds to the charm of this recording. Sure, the guitars are a bit thin and the cymbals sound a bit whishy, but perfect recording was never the point of this style of metal. It was about the speed, the attitude, the riff and the songs.

The original nine song release was only thirty five minutes long, barely long enough to be considered a full length release. However, the brevity of this album left listeners wanting for more. The first side of the record is certainly the strongest side, save for the fast and furious title track and album closer . The albums starts off with a short instrumental song that features some typical thrash riffing that leads up to the first actual song of the album, "Women in Leather". All four tracks on side one are strong, especially "Liar" and the epic, Metallica inspired "Lebanon". Overall the entire album is textbook 1980's thrash; fast to mid-paced songs, chugga-chugga rhythm guitars, pounding drums and bass, speedy guitar solos, gang vocals and that ever so present mosh ethic. To some this may be a bad thing. However, for those like myself who can't get enough of that genuine mosh ethic, "Mayhemic Destruction" is a pleasure.

"Mayhemic Destruction" was originally recorded in Sydney, Australia in 1986 and released on the band's own label. A year later the album was re-released on Phonogram with new cover art by by famous comic artist Simon Bisley. The album was never officially released on CD until 2007 when Riot! Entertainment released the 20th Anniversary Official Re-issue, featuring live bonus tracks recorded in Düsseldorf, Germany, 1990. The live tracks are a nice bonus. These tracks are quite raw, but the songs are pretty tight.

Mortal Sin - Face of Despair (Riot Entertainment) 1989

1. "I Am Immortal" (4:42)
2. "Voyage Of The Disturbed" (5:03)
3. "The Infantry Corps" (3:51)
4. "For Richer For Poorer" (4:45)
5. "Martyrs Of Eternity" (5:11)
6. "Innocent Torture" (4:12)
7. "Suspended Animation" (4:56)
8. "H" (3:19)
9. "Terminal Reward" (4:34)
10. "Robbie Soles" (2:32)
BONUS TRACKS
11. "Access Denied" [demo] (4:30)
12. "Violation of Your Privacy" (4:32)
13. "King of Avarice" [demo] (6:00)

Australia is certainly not known as a heavy metal country, despite Aussie band AC/DC being one of the biggest bands in the world. Mortification is another Aussie export that has done well globally. Mortal Sin are another Australian export. These guys are pure, unadulterated, fast and furious thrash metal! Musically, the band's sound seems to be inspired by the likes of Metallica and Anthrax, specifically "Among the Living", although they don't sound like a clone of either band. Vocalist Mat Maurer's gruff, barked out vocals aren't anything like the smooth pipes of Anthrax and no one would accuse him of being a Hetfield clone either. The point of comparison comes mostly from the guitar work as well as the fact that the album was produced by Randy Burns, who had also worked with Anthrax.

Mortal Sin know how to write some catchy riffs, while keeping up the speed and aggression. The first two tracks alone are worth the price of admission. Likewise, "Terminate Reward" is how thrash metal should be defined. Ruthless, rhythmic, heavy and catchy. The album finishes off with "Robbie Soles", a track that is a bit silly, while making a social commentary at the same time. The song is basically built around a pun, "R. Soles in government", which makes no sense unless you read this fast and with an Australian accent. (It's quite obvious what the band is saying when you hear the song.)

The Mortal Sin 20th anniversary saw the official re-issue of "Face of Despair" on Riot! Enertainment. The album was remastered and three bonus demo tracks were added. The bonus tracks were obviously taken from a cassette tape that has some bad wear as there are some drop outs.