Rank the Mortification Albums

mothy wrote:1. Post Momentary Affliction.
    A Death Metal masterpiece
2. Mortification
    This was the first one I heard of theirs and still fits their lineup the best as far as sound goes
3. Blood World
    Cant put my finger on why I love this one so much. Even though its not Jayson the drumming is awesome. A little more thrashy
4. Scrolls
    I know that most will have this alot higher but I dont feel like it aged as well as my 1 and 2. Great non the less.
5. Primitive Rhythm Machine
    Thrashy, groove based metal what more needs to be said.
6. EnVision Evangelene
    Their most complete album, the opening title track is phenomenal.
7. Hammer of God
    Havent listened to this one alot but love the music but the lyrics just started to get super cheesy and it puts me off.

8 Everything else. I have listened to them and they have their songs and moments but nothing compared to the listed above.

I pretty much agree with this list.

I’ll add Relentless and Brain Cleaner.

Just saw this, feel the need to post since (a) I'm a nerd for ranking albums, (b) Mort is my favorite all time band (c) literally have a list ready with favorite song on each album!..

Mortification Albums Ranked: out of 16
1 Post Momentary Affliction - From the Valley of Shadows (in my top 3 favorite albums of all time, lyrically, thematically, musically stellar from start to finish. Opening riff of this song is straight nasty)
2 Scrolls of the Megilloth - Ancient Prophecy (obvious classic, could have picked any track off the album really)
3 Relentless - Web of Fire (underrated album and song, love the dual guitar attack and in your face production)
4 Hammer of God - Martyrs (just a fun album, easy listening thrash)
5 Envision Evangeline - Title Track (rest of the album is a bit lacking, but title track is one of a kind)
6 Blood World - Your Life (first ever Mort song I heard on a metal compilation, was hooked on the catchy chorus and groovy rhythms, album as a whole has grown on me BIG TIME through the years)
7 The Silver Cord is Severed - Metal Blessing (not sure why this album gets the flack it does, solid front to back, love this drummer and the sheen production)
8 Erasing the Goblin - Dead Man Walking (love when Steve writes about his testimony, the conviction is palpable!)
9 Triumph of Mercy -  At War With War (love the pop meets black metal vibe of this album, and of course the Steve's miracle permeating each track)
10 The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine - One Man With Courage Makes A Majority (keep coming back to this one, again love this drummer and the production is so clean. The intro drum fill of the title track is something to behold!)
11 Primitive Rhythm Machine - 40:31 (love how each Mort album takes a life of it's own, the african groove/thrash is so unique!)
12 Break the Curse - Brutal Warfare (Classic song, don't return to the album much though)
13 Brain Cleaner - I’m Not Your Commodity (a bit too muddy production wise, but solid tracks)
14 Mortification - The Destroyer Beholds (again, can't get past raw production in general can't even make out the notes in the guitars haha, but this song is a classic!)
15 Realm of the Skelataur - Feed Your Hungry Ears (eh...)

16 Scribe of the Pentateuch - Extradiefor (again the production brings it down, along with amateur drumming)  

Mort rules!!!!

All the ones before Steve got sick are excellent... I thought the Envision era was fantastic. very very very good!

Hammer of God was good too, but nothing like the ones before Steve got corroded out with cancer and all

I'll admit I haven't really listened all the way through a Mortification album in years.  And they used to be one of my favorite bands.  I need to remedy that.

Ranking is tough, because all 5 of the first 5 albums are so different and I love them all.  Maybe this ranking will change after I listen to them again, but for now:

1) Self-titled.  It's what I heard first when it came out, and it's the album I listened to most, so it has the top spot for nostalgia' sake.  It's like a faster Obituary and I love Steve's vocals on this.
2) Post Momentary Affliction.  This is definitely their best, most varied and dramatic album and it would be #1 if not for the heavier nostalgia factor of the s/t.
3) Scrolls of the Megilloth.  This is arguably their best as far as its importance to Christian metal, being the first legit death metal in the scene.  I love it.
4) Primitive Rhythm Machine.  Echoing others, it's just solid.  I love Sepultura of that era so I love the slight resemblance at times.
5) Blood World.  Love the urgency/energy and the stripped-back early hardcore production and shouts.  It's unique.
6) Break the Curse.  Haven't listened to this much, oddly (kinda forgot about it), but I did like it.  Which makes sense because I also loved Lightforce--Mystical Thieves (my first extreme Christian metal purchase ever, when it came out)

All the rest are decent musically but Rowe's vocals are just too goofy, IMO.  I admit I haven't listened to them all in full because the few songs I've heard from each are just too ridiculous, but I'll try again someday.

stevegarveyfan wrote:Post Momentary Affliction
Scrolls of the Megilloth
Mortification
Blood World
EnVision EvAngelene
s/t
Primitive Rhythm Machine
I haven't listened to the rest of them in a long time.

 
Well, which is it?

I need to go back and look but was the Break the curse from the same sings on the S/T?

mothy wrote:I need to go back and look but was the Break the curse from the same sings on the S/T?

Some of it, but not all. I remember Impulsation from PMA is on BtC.

mothy wrote:I need to go back and look but was the Break the curse from the same sings on the S/T?

Some, but the recording was different.  Not as heavy, but sort of in between Lightforce and the s/t album.  From what I remember.  I haven't listened in years so I could be totally wrong!

1. Scrolls of the Megilloth
2. Post Momentary Affliction
3. Mortification
4. Triumph of Mercy
5. Break the Curse
6. Erasing the Goblin
7. Blood World
8. Relentless
9. Primitive Rhythm Machine
10. Relentless
11. Hammer of God
12. The Silver Cord is Severed
13. Erasing the Goblin
14. Scribe of the Pentateuch
15. Evil Addiction Destroying Machine
16. Realm of the Skelataur

This was hard.  Pretty much I only like the ones where Steve plays bass.

strangerhoncho wrote:

mothy wrote:I need to go back and look but was the Break the curse from the same sings on the S/T?

Some, but the recording was different.  Not as heavy, but sort of in between Lightforce and the s/t album.  From what I remember.  I haven't listened in years so I could be totally wrong!

Break The Curse 1990 is worth getting for the first track "Blood Sacrifice" alone. That track smokes!!

The bonus track "Butchered Mutilation" is also a great track that was left off the PMA album.

Pethead wrote:Here’s a question:

How many consider the s/t thrash? How many consider it death metal?

Thrash album with death vocals. Give it different (more dynamic) vocals and it’s probably considered one of the best Christian thrash albums ever.

eatbugs wrote:1. Scrolls of the Megilloth
2. Post Momentary Affliction
3. Mortification
4. Triumph of Mercy
5. Break the Curse
6. Erasing the Goblin
7. Blood World
8. Relentless
9. Primitive Rhythm Machine
10. Relentless
11. Hammer of God
12. The Silver Cord is Severed
13. Erasing the Goblin
14. Scribe of the Pentateuch
15. Evil Addiction Destroying Machine
16. Realm of the Skelataur

This was hard.  Pretty much I only like the ones where Steve plays bass.

I'm guessing the one you meant Envision Evangeline (6?) but what about the two Relentless?

Frozen Fire wrote:

eatbugs wrote:1. Scrolls of the Megilloth
2. Post Momentary Affliction
3. Mortification
4. Triumph of Mercy
5. Break the Curse
6. Erasing the Goblin
7. Blood World
8. Relentless
9. Primitive Rhythm Machine
10. Relentless
11. Hammer of God
12. The Silver Cord is Severed
13. Erasing the Goblin
14. Scribe of the Pentateuch
15. Evil Addiction Destroying Machine
16. Realm of the Skelataur

This was hard.  Pretty much I only like the ones where Steve plays bass.

I'm guessing the one you meant Envision Evangeline (6?) but what about the two Relentless?

Good catch.
Brain Cleaner should be 6.
EnVision should be 8.

Envision and Blood World are awesome albums. I love the Jayson Sherlock stuff, but the hybrid style Steve had was great!

TZ75 wrote:Envision and Blood World are awesome albums. I love the Jayson Sherlock stuff, but the hybrid style Steve had was great!

Spot on!

Ranked according to most often listened to:

Primitive Rhythm Machine - spent 25 yrs with Mephibosheth and Isaiah 40:31 in my head. The musicianship is fantastic and the guitar solos are so welcome! Super solid production too except the snare sound.

Blood World - Not sure why I love listening to this. It is such a different album. Even more strange because I generally hate Steve's shouted vocals. Really tight playing, lots of diversity but consistent.

Scrolls of the Megilloth - title track, Necromanicide are ultimate classic songs for me. Love Steve's death metal vocals and the overall brutality. Some of the songs are a little one dimensional.

Mortification - fantastically consistent and, as mentioned, I love Steve's death metal vocals.

Post Momentary Affliction - some amazing songs and many I don't care for. This thread made me want to go back and listen again as I always felt it was a big step down from Scrolls.

The only other Mortification I ever bought was Envision Evangeline when it came out (cover art is amazing!). I wanted to like it but hate Steve's shouted vocals and some of the super cheesy vocals turned me off. Wish I wouldn't have gotten rid of it though. I always wonder what I'd think now.

Everything else I've heard a song or two. Some albums like Silver Cord and Hammer of God have greatly interested me but I've never ultimately purchased anything else. This thread had me with a few albums in my cart the past few weeks but money and desire haven't me pull the trigger. I feel like everything from EE on that I have heard has some great tracks and some that are horrendously bad even embarrassing.

The first three are all pretty close for me. I would probably rank them in the same order they came out though that could change:

1. Mortification
2. Scrolls of the Megilloth
3. Post Momentary Affliction

I have not listened to much after that. I did not much care for Blood World or Primitive Rhythm Machine at first but am giving them more chances. I just acquired a Mortification lot that has most of their albums so I'm listening to the others. EnVision EvAngelene so far is my favorite post PMA album. Erasing the Goblin sounds promising.

Why do so few talk about this album?

It's not even death metal, it's really closest to Germanic thrash like Sodom, Destruction, and Kreator.

For me, the production holds it back.

Metal Helm had a 20% off sale going on the past month and I picked up Envision Evangeline again (been 20yrs since I owned it) and Hammer of God for the first time.

Hammer of God is sounding great! Love the guitar work. Great solos, chunky rhythms and Steve's shouted vocals fit this style pretty well. I may keep going. I had The Silver Cord is severed in my cart. It seems like that album and Relentless have a somewhat similar sound to HoG. Anyone with a comment on that?

Frozen Fire wrote:Metal Helm had a 20% off sale going on the past month and I picked up Envision Evangeline again (been 20yrs since I owned it) and Hammer of God for the first time.

Hammer of God is sounding great! Love the guitar work. Great solos, chunky rhythms and Steve's shouted vocals fit this style pretty well. I may keep going. I had The Silver Cord is severed in my cart. It seems like that album and Relentless have a somewhat similar sound to HoG. Anyone with a comment on that?

HoG is great! The original Lincoln Bowen albums (EE, ToM, HoG, TSCIS) all have similar sounds. Relentless isn’t too far off, but it’s slightly more aggressive.

1. Post Momentary Affliction
(favorite prog-death album ever)

2. Mortification

3. Blood World

4. Scrolls Of The Megilloth

5. Hammer Of God

6. Primitive Rhythm Machine

7. Envision Evangelene

8. Relentless

9. Erasing The Goblin

10. Brain Cleaner / Triumph Of Mercy (both could have been much higher if they had "thicker" productions/better mixing jobs - especially the really thin kick drum sounds on those releases).

11. - (everything else)

yeah, sorry, I'm one of THOSE guys! so this is easy

Scrolls- What hasn't been said about this masterpiece of death metal. Nothing sounds like it in the christian or secular metal realm. One of a kind.

Post- Wow...okay, okay, I thought upon first, a little something different but I dig it, I dig it a lot!

Self titled- (when I heard this, much like Raegoul, it blew my mind. Had heard nothing so dark and heavy or doomy like this beast! And the picture of the guys on the back like they are in some kind of cave with the candle lit faces- HEAVY! Cool thing was I was the first amongst my christian metal friends to hear Mort and introduced them to this fine album and band.

Blood world- okay, okay, I thought upon first listen, something a little more different, but I can still dig this, some good grooves going on here.

Primitive rhythm Machine- okay, okay, I thought upon first listen, going for a chaos AD vibe, Wow, we've wandered far from Scrolls, haven't we, but I can dig it, I can dig it!

Envision and Triumph... Okay, okay, I thought upon listen, yeah can't dig it no more...

The end.

But I will say this, Always loved Steve's bass sound and playing on all the albums.

Pethead wrote:

Raegoul wrote:I got the debut on cassette and it was the first time I was exposed to death metal. I loved it and still dig this album. 

Scrolls was a great follow up but I liked the debut better for some reason.

I only discovered the rest recently and tbh was not amused to hear the drastic changes. I mean it just isn‘t the death metal sound I loved from the first two albums. I have some of the albums on my spotify playlist but when a tune comes on, I always wonder what band it could be until I look it up. If I look it up and not skip it directly, that is.

Have you listened to Post Momentary Affliction? It’s got a blend of the debut and Scrolls, with some minor progressive touches.

Agreed, Post is a great album.

Dustofyears wrote:Scrolls

S/T

Post

Primitive

Blood world

that's were it stopped for me, though Envision was alright.

Well well well, what do we have here... looks like someone changed their tune!