Mortal Sin
Face Of Despair

The Mortal Sin hail from Oceania, more precisely Australia, and are considered among the first thrash metal entities from the land of kangaroos. The band formed in Sydney in 1985 and secured a contract with the Vertigo label, allowing them to release their debut album in 1986, titled "Mayhemic Destruction", with an aggressive sound reminiscent of Metallica's style, and a cover more eye-catching than the sound crafted.

Mortal Sin doesn't play fierce thrash like Slayer or Dark Angel, they don't have the compositional level of Forbidden, nor do they possess doom influences or complex tempo changes like Sabbat. Their sound is a synthesis of Bay Area thrash, with plenty of choirs and occasional pop deviations, not isolated to some episode, but interwoven throughout each song. In this second LP "Face of Despair" released in 1989, these characteristics stand out especially thanks to the singer Mat Maurer, who attempts by every means to mimic James Hetfield's voice, resulting in a pleasant yet not very personal performance, and the guitarist duo Burke-Carwana, who don't hold back with solos, but neither do they exhibit inventions that make one shout for a miracle.

At any moment, we're waiting for some metalized teenage band from our neighborhood to rediscover the noise of this old relic, we open the windows to let the breeze flow, and between the buzzing of hedge trimmers, the symphony of "I Am Immortal" arrives. The track placed at the start is the pinnacle of the album, the killer track, soundtrack to a quarrel between two humans over a poached parking spot at the shopping center. Heat, crowd, "I got here first" and... wham! The epic intro sees the arrival of the two contenders, Maurer's voice reinvents the event, the gloomy choirs highlight the curses of the two gorillas, with respective partners tugging at each other, while the drumming acceleration documents the slaps with stars, planets, and comets trailing behind.

The sensation is that the band has some good ideas, but struggles to craft an album with tracks all on par, likely due to the decent yet not exceptional skills of drummer Wayne Campbell, who insists on the same fills and usual rhythmic patterns, penalizing the songs in their accelerations, like when car tires become slick, losing grip and causing the imprudent motorist driving on the main road to brake to avoid crashing into us. "The Infantry Corps" is still marked by Maurer's vocals, the tight chorus, and the good work of bassist Eftichiou, although the acceleration in the middle of the track is decidedly standard. Certainly, songs like "Martyrs Of Eternity" or the semi-epic "Voyage Of The Disturbed" can be enjoyed with satisfaction, becoming even legendary if we end up on a deserted island with a couple of batteries, the CD player, and this full-length.

The production of the album, curated by Randy Burns, in some ways recalls that which we can admire on Kreator's "Extreme Aggression", with a certain regard for sound clarity. However, "Face Of Despair" was recorded a few months before "Extreme Aggression", and Randy Burns had all the time to improve his work with the Australians for the benefit of Kreator. "Face Of Despair" doesn't have a compact sound like the German album (see "Betrayer"), just soft thrash, which doesn't scare potential buyers, almost aimed at capturing the attention of the broader public. The songs are even catchy at certain points, such as the swift "Innocent Torture" which seems like an outtake from Metallica's "Ride The Lightning", and there's no lack of a jest in the closing, which is "Robbie Soles", or a tasty intro à la Anthrax in "For Richer For Poorer".

Naturally, they have recently reformed: concerts, t-shirts, a full-length album in the works with a label that has faith in them and will do a great job; and in interviews, their latest record is described as their best ever. "An Absence Of Faith" was released in 2007 with only Maurer and Eftichiou remaining from the "Face Of Despair" lineup: the sound is more powerful, the technique has improved. It's a pleasant product, but it lacks a track like "I Am Immortal" to drive it all. Good, likeable, but not essential.