Mortillery – Origin of Extinction (Napalm Records)
Tuesday, 16th April 2013
The Y-chromosome is starting to infiltrate thrash. Most would rather the ladies populate their shows as opposed to playing in thrash bands, but hey, it’s good to break up the sausage party. Especially in thrash and death metal – finding a halfway decent gal is virtually impossible sometimes. Chicks in thrash bands have a spotty track record thus far, with only Light this City and The Agonist serving as the only reputable bands. Mortillery finds themselves a notch below that pair…at least they’re not as bad as their labelmates Huntress.
The band’s thrash approach doesn’t do a good job at cutting across the median. One could poke and prod these riffs all day on Origin of Extinction (the band’s second) and align them with the usual suspects, yet Mortillery aren’t as dumbed-down as we make them out to be. The snappy curdle of singer Cara McCutheon has some bite to it, especially on “Creature Possesser,” which rages in a Destruction Infernal Overkill-styled manner. Just minus the technicality. And Mike Sifringer’s awesome perm. You’re not going to find a standout track, though, as the malaise and within-the-boundaries punch of “No Way Out,” “Feed the Fire” and “The Hunter’s Lair” fail to translate. They might in the live arena, although that could be because again, a chick is out front.
Simply by making it to their sophomore album, Mortillery could at least carve out a half-decent career for themselves. Like, they’re going to have to do something wacky…Origin of Extinction is pretty much everyman (or woman) thrash.
