Mortal | |
---|---|
Also known as | Mortal Wish |
Origin | Loma Linda, California, US |
Genres | Industrial metal,[1] industrial dance, Christian rock |
Years active | 1988–1996 2002 |
Past members | Jerome Fontamillas Jyro Xhan Ed Benrock Troy Yasuda Strobe |
Mortal was a Christian industrial/dance band fronted by Jerome Fontamillas and Jyro Xhan. Both members went on to found the alternative rock group Fold Zandura, and for a time were members of both bands simultaneously. The band is known for its lyrical intelligence, incorporating advanced theology with what has been billed as "Industrial Praise and Worship."[2] According to CCM Magazine "Mortal has had a much greater influence... on industrial music than its modest output would suggest."[3]
Background
Led by the duo Jerome Fontamillas and Jyro Xhan, Mortal was one of the first Christian bands to play industrial metal.[4] While not actually the first to do so, Mortal enjoyed significant success, and, along with other early contemporaries such as Circle of Dust and Argyle Park, played a notable role in paving the way for future Christian industrial and industrial metal bands.
The group began in 1988 as Mortal Wish, and produced a six-song demo with additional members Ray Tongpo and Wilson Peralta.[5] They shortened their name, signed a record deal with Intense Records and released their first album Lusis in 1992, produced by Terry Scott Taylor[5] and Allan Aguirre of Scaterd Few. It was well received by the critics, with CCM Magazine dubbing Lusis the "strongest debut project to enter the Christian market in years."[6] The second album Fathom (1993) was Mortal's most guitar-driven, and became one of the band's most popular releases.[7] The song ”Rift” was rearranged later and a music video was shot for it in 1994. The video dealt with the horrors of child abuse.
Mortal later experimented with a live band,[3] and a grunge sound on 1994's Wake,[8] as well as with a dance-based meditational sound on their follow-up, Pura.[9]
During this time, the band became mired in legal issues involving their label, leading to on-again, off-again attempts to retire the name Mortal. As Jyro would report to True Tunes News in 1994: "I have peace with the fact that Mortal will permanently quit... There are legal things happening with our label that will end Mortal as a name."[10] The duo formed Fold Zandura partly to get around these issues, partly to carve out a more alternative rock sound. Fold Zandura released one album and three EPs.
The Mortal moniker was revived in order to release a self-titled album on 5 Minute Walk Records in 1996. According to the liner notes, three songs were originally Fold Zandura songs. In 1998 they released a best of called Godspeed. It featured 13 album songs and 2 non-album songs.
In 2000 Jerome joined Switchfoot as a session musician and later joined them full-time.
In 2002 Jyro and Jerome released a Mortal reunion album called Nu-En-Jin with Tooth & Nail Records, featuring an updated industrial sound, consisting mostly of heavily distorted looping electronics. Lyrically, the songs have a very sci-fi flare, with the liner notes detailing the various fictional alternative universes in which they are supposedly set.
Members
Last Known Lineup
- Jerome Fontamillas - Bass, vocals
- Jyro Xhan - Guitar, vocals
Former
- Ed Benrock - Drums (1994–1995), formerly of Lifesavers Underground
- Troy Yasuda - Guitar (1994–1996)
Live and session
- Jeff Bellew (The Crucified, Stavesacre) - Guitars (1993)[11][12]
- Bryan Gray (The Blamed, ex-Left Out) - Bass (1993)[11][12]
- Jim Chaffin (The Crucified, Deliverance, The Blamed) - Drums (1993)[13]
Discography
- 1992: Lusis (Intense Records, Reviews: Cross Rhythms,[14] CCM Magazine[6])
- 1993: Fathom (Intense Records, Review: Cross Rhythms[8])
- 1993: Intense Live Series Vol. 5 (Intense Records)
- 1994: Wake (Intense Records, Cross Rhythms,[8] CCM Magazine[3])
- 1995: Pura (Intense Records, Review: Cross Rhythms[9])
- 1996: Mortal (5 Minute Walk, Reviews: The Lighthouse, CCM Magazine[15])
- 1998: Godspeed (KMG Records, compilation, Review: HM Magazine[16])
- 2002: Nu-En-Jin (Tooth & Nail Records, Reviews: Cross Rhythms,[17] The Phantom Tollbooth, Allmusic, HM Magazine[18])
Charts
Year | Album | Chart | Peak |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | Fathom | Top Contemporary Christian | 32[19] |
1994 | Wake | Top Contemporary Christian | 21[20] |
References
- ↑ Van Pelt, Doug. "a new rock and blog: HM No. 55". HM Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2010-12-18. "...we were covering more industrial metal (like Circle of Dust, Klank, Under Midnight, Mortal, etc)..."
- ↑ Berman, Ed. "Review: Mortal by Mortal". The Lighthouse Electronic Magazine. Archived from the original on July 12, 2000.
- 1 2 3 Brown, Bruce A (January 1995). "Album Reviews / Wake". CCM Magazine. 17 (7): 54. ISSN 1524-7848.
- ↑ Lahtonen, Jussi (2005-10-25). "White Metal". Sue Rock Punk Metal Zine (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- 1 2 Bush, John. "allmusic ((( Mortal > Overview )))". Allmusic.
- 1 2 Newcomb, Brian Quincy (March 1992). "Reviews / Lusis". CCM Magazine. 14 (9): 23–33. ISSN 1524-7848.
- ↑ Figgis, Alex (1999-10-01). "Mortal". Cross Rhythms. Open Publishing. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
Nothing rivals such true genre classics as 'Neplusultra", 'Rift' or the phenomenal 'Bright Wings'. Truly a musical milestone any industrial dance/rock/metal fan would appreciate.
- 1 2 3 Figgis, Alex (October 1999). "Mortal - Lusis/Fathom". Cross Rhythms (53).
- 1 2 Jonathan, Evans (June 1996). "Mortal - Pura". Cross Rhythms (33).
- ↑ Thompson, John J. (Spring 1994). "Too Young To Die: An Interview With Mortal". True Tunes News. 6 (11): 18.
- 1 2 Salomon, Mark (January 31, 2015). "Mark Salomon Part 3". Urban Achiever Podcast. Interviewed by Billy Power. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- 1 2 Gray, Bryan (June 12, 2019). "Bryan Gray of The Blamed". As The Story Grows Podcast. Interviewed by Bryan Patton. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ↑ Marihugh, Josh (September 5, 1999). "The Blamed - Forever". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ↑ Arkley, Ian (October 1992). "Mortal - Lusis". Cross Rhythms (12).
- ↑ Brown, Bruce A. (April 1996). "Reviews / Mortal Mortal". CCM Magazine. 18 (10): 71–72. ISSN 1524-7848.
- ↑ McGovern, Brian Vincent (January–February 1999). "Album Reviews: Mortal Godspeed". HM Magazine (75): 64. ISSN 1066-6923.
- ↑ Cummings, Tony (November 2003). "Mortal - Nu-En-Jin". Cross Rhythms (77).
- ↑ (The) Kern County Kid (September–October 2002). "Reviews: Nu-En-Jin". HM Magazine (97): 66. ISSN 1066-6923.
- ↑ "Fathom". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ↑ "Wake". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
Further reading
- "Mortal". 7ball (5). March–April 1996.
- Argyrakis, Andy (March–April 2001). "Mortal Reunion". HM Magazine (88): 51. ISSN 1066-6923.
External links
- Mortal/Fold Zandura discography, including the Mortal/Fold Zandura info file, the oldest Mortal/Fold Zandura fan site, by John Turpin
- The Sock Heaven BitTorrent Tracker, which provides downloads of Mortal's early work as Mortal Wish, plus demo work and a live show, via BitTorrent
- Mortal/Fold Zandura fan site that features full lyrics (including those for Mortal Wish's work) and concert photos