Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Mortal are pioneers of electro-meets-rock music and down the years producer/leader Jyro Xhan has made some extraordinary sounds. This 2002 item was very much their comeback album after a lengthy period on hold and, as usual, its flamboyant fusion of the groove-based accessible and the blatantly bizarre will please devotees and bemuse the uncommitted. On most tracks Jyro’s vocals receive a heavy electronic treatment to mutate them into a harsh rasp, the programmed rhythms are suitably propulsive and the lyrics, when you can hear them, deal with such doomy topics as the end of the world (“Dymenshan”), mindless military build up (“Vilan Corp”) and, I think, overcoming temptation (“FM24”). Not for everyone, but no one can doubt Jyro’s passionate desire to call it the way he sees it.

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