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From the Vault...
04/25/2004
#887 |
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info
Mortice
"Mayhem"
© mp3.com Records
Year of Release: 2003
Rating:
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track listing
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Time Is A Place
Sunset
Mayhem
Son Of Sam
State Of Mind
Rest In Peace
Road Fever
Confusion
Purgatory
Forever
I Don't Have The Time
8:30 Train
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WSVNRadio Archives
Mortice related sites:
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Mortice
"Mayhem"
Melissa Gibson,
Darren Rhodes,
Pipapelli,
Kowtow Popof,
Letia Nichols, and
Alex Bach have in common?
... What do they all have in common?
They are all members of the WSVNRadio Hall of Fame, where WSVNRadio asks
musicians from all around the world to send their music, and have one of their
songs promoted on a WSVNRadio compilation CD. We add another artist from that
Hall of Fame, for this week's review, a band from England, Mortice, who appeared
on
Volume 5.
Some interesting facts regarding Mortice: Two members of the band were
from well-known popular bands from the 1970s/1980s. Guitarist/Vocalist Billy
Rankin joined the band Nazareth in 1981, and vocalist Bernie Shaw joined Uriah
Heep in 1986. Rankin, Shaw and the rest of Mortice (guitarist Kenny Cobain,
drummer/vocalist John O'Leary, bassist Steve White, and keyboardist Alan
Shipman) volunteered to become part of WSVNNRadio in 2003, and most importantly,
agreed to become part of the Hall of Fame compilation. Their song
"Sunset" taken from this week's album review Mayhem was included
on Volume 5. Traditional hard rock/classic rock best describes Mortice's music.
The opening track, "Time Is A Place" can easily fit today's Alternative
Rock format, comparing to the likes of King's X, yet with a darker hard rock mood.
"Sunset" and the title track was the single originally sent to WSVNRadio,
as the album itself was soon to be released. "Sunset" has a great Classic
Rock sound, and an obvious choice for promoting on Volume 5. The title track
is another good rocker, and easily fits the hard rock/Alternative Rock styles.
A mix of the old and new best describes "Son Of Sam", where the classic
rock style of the 1970s is easily merged with today's Alternative Rock.
1970s accoustic, even a bit of Progressive will have fans of 1970s rock enjoying
this particular song.
"Rest In Peace" brings back the 1970s band Deep Purple with the
organ solos, likewise the hard rock guitars easily fits today's Alternative Hard
Rock. "Road Fever" maybe the least favorite, as it has a different
approach than the standard hard rock. Likewise, "Confusion" is just a
bit softer in spots, yet the vocal harmonies make a good standout. Metallica
comes to mind on "Purgatory" with it's driving guitars as a major standout.
Like many hard rock bands before them, they all have a soft-ballad.
"Forever" shows the accoustic unplugged side of Mortice, and is a
wonderful song to listen to. "I Don't Have The Time" is another
easy-fitter on today's Alternative Hard Rock radio formats; and can be compared
to the likes of many popular Alt. Rock bands of today. The closing tune,
"8:30 Train" is another good rocker, as such the title track.
Mayhem is a great album for the hard rock fans of the 1970s and fans
of today's Alternative Rock. It has comparisons to the classic rock of the
1970s, and to those of today's popular bands. Bernie Shaw's vocals is just as
powerful and energetic as his years with Uriah Heep. The guitar work is
truly exceptional as well. This album will inspire repeated listens, and
enjoyed more and more. With the experience of veteran rockers from bands
such as Nazareth and Uriah Heep, it's no wonder that this new band will have
many rock fans listening to Mayhem and wanting to hear more.
© WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
mp3.com Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
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