MORTAL- Lusis (Vinyl)
Many may not be aware that in late 2017 Mortal’s first two albums, Lusis (1992) and Fathom (1993), were released on vinyl (Retroactive Records). One of the most original bands in Christian extreme music was certainly Mortal. These guys (Jerome and Jyro) forged their own sound in the early 90's (when alternative music was just getting started) with heavy dance, techno and industrial influences. They really didn't sound like anyone out there at the time, although did share influences from NIN, Ministry and the like. Their first two releases were visionary, filled with great melodies, big grooves and inspiring lyrics – the songs aggressive enough that even metal fans could appreciate the heavy beats and electronic mayhem.
The Word Is Alive…
DW Dunphy (popdose.com) provides a great synopsis (included with the lyric sheet as noted below) of Mortal’s vision/impact with Lusis. One of the best things he has to say about Mortal (and Lusis) is that, “few made the machines sound as – humane? – as Mortal.” I couldn’t agree more – they put the melody in industrial, which was largely what set them apart from their peers. The music of Lusis was a bit lighter compared to Fathom, but felt a bit more industrial in that we were treated with more abrasive sounds, along with more dialogue and sound-bytes. “Painkiller,” probably one of the best songs from Lusis, perfectly encompasses everything great about Mortal – the funky groove/beat, the whispered melodic vocals, the sci-fi sound clips and the stingingly truthful yet inspiring lyrics. “Liberty comes when I’m kneeling/poised to reveal/our flesh is weak but the Spirit is willing!” The ethereal and haunting “Rescinding” cries out, “I surrender/I rescind/take the fetters/keeping me in.” And on “Cryptic” there is the call to action – “millions of people walk the cracks in the streets where we live/why can’t we give something they’re dying for/peace/hope/love/Jesus Christ.” Not only was Lusis innovative for its time, these songs still sound great some 25 years later. Most significantly, they ring with timeless spiritual truths and resonate with humanity’s plight/needs in a way few have been able to duplicate.
The Vinyl
Pressed on marbled purple (pictured above) the 12” contains the first 10 songs (5 per side) and then the black 7” (pictured below) contains the final 3 songs. Instead of shrink wrap, the records come packaged in a polybag, with the 7” contained within another separate smaller polybag. There is a 12” two-side insert containing the lyrics on one side and a detailed history of the recording (written by DW Dunphy) on the other side. After listening to these songs in digital for years it is very refreshing to hear them in the analog format. I’ve heard some complain about listening to this type of electronic music on vinyl, but the warm bass and full spectrum of frequencies inherent to this format really brings out the best qualities of this bass heavy music. My pressing is very clean and to my ears sounds even better than my pressing of Fathom which has a lot more surface noise. The 7” sounds good as well and I believe it was a reasonable choice to place these 3 songs on a 7” rather than press a second 12” with only 3 songs on one side (and blank on the other). Fans of Mortal should not hesitate to grab this set before they disappear. [Retroactive]
