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 Christianindustrial/dance band fronted byJerome Fontamillas andJyro Xhan. Both members went on to found thealternative rock groupFold Zandura, and for a time were members of both bands simultaneously. The band is known for its lyrical intelligence, incorporating advancedtheology with what has been billed as "Industrial Praise and Worship."[2] According toCCM Magazine "Mortal has had a much greater influence... on industrial music than its modest output would suggest."[3]
Led by the duoJerome Fontamillas andJyro 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 asCircle of Dust andArgyle 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 albumLusis in 1992, produced byTerry Scott Taylor[5] and Allan Aguirre ofScaterd Few.[citation needed] It was well received by the critics, withCCM Magazine dubbingLusis the "strongest debut project to enter the Christian market in years."[6] The second albumFathom (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 agrunge sound on 1994'sWake,[8] as well as with adance-basedmeditational 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 toTrue 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 formedFold 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 on5 Minute Walk Records in 1996. According to the liner notes, three songs were originally Fold Zandura songs. In 1998, they released a best-of compilation calledGodspeed. It featured 13 album songs and two non-album songs.
In 2000, Jerome joinedSwitchfoot as a session musician and later joined them full-time.
In 2002 Jyro and Jerome released a Mortal reunion album calledNu-En-Jin withTooth & 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.
Last Known Lineup
Former
Live and session
| Year | Album | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Fathom | Top Contemporary Christian | 32[19] |
| 1994 | Wake | Top Contemporary Christian | 21[20] |
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.
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