MORTIFICATION – The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine

A “Not Bad” rating for a veteran band of twenty years is still not enough. However, it is still the Aussie band Mortification. Yes, this is the same band that holds prize winners such as Mortification, Scrolls Of The Megilloth and their fellow companion, Post Momentary Affliction. Last year, they made a solid effort to create their latest scheme, which was bounded by a long title: The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine.

This new stuff showed that this group, playing merely Thrash/Death Metal, tried to take its music to different areas besides their emblem mixture of sub-genres. As you listen to the release, you will notice, there are elements of Heavy Metal (on its classic posture – especially on some of the crazy solos) and even biting moments of a Punkish outlook (mainly of their riffage and some of the tracks’ structures). Those elements came in neat with the music, which is virtually good, however not as evil and brutal as their first three albums.

Mortification, as a veteran band, massed their experience on this album, took the time on trying to perfect it and did a nice job on keeping their standards. Nevertheless, something is missing, it is as if their brutal magical spirit of the past is not there anymore (and don’t think it is because of their age). In past there were the crushing “Brutal Warfare” and “Terminate Damnation”, both excellent moshers with no one left standing after their run. On The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine, the best thing Mortification did are tracks as “Elasticized Outrage”, “Alexander The Metal Worker” and “The Master Of Reinvention”. Looking through those tracks, something changed in the perception of Mortification, it’s like they are semi-done with crash and burn and gave their music something different to chew on. Largely, this kind of perception is great and you can check it on some major breaking moments through the entire release as solos, groovy riffages, etc. However, while looking on the big picture, the spice is not there, the thrill that reigned ceased to exist. It is not said that Mortification lost its magic after 1994, they probably still have the ability to strike with fiercefulness and to chop you up with a mega album. However, only time will tell if that is possible.

With The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine, Mortification seemed to follow different areas, which some of them served them through their mid to late 90s era. With assurance, if they will turn back to their older selves, they will blast the doorway back to glory.

Other worthy tracks: “Resurrection Band (A Tribute To Rez)” and “One Man With Courage Makes A Majority”.