SEPTEMBER 2010
Official Podcast
Hi everyone and welcome to a new season. Over here it is Spring! YEE HAA, my favourite season! I know that it is Fall, or what we call Autumn, in most other countries in the world. I am looking forward to the mild and sunny days here in Melbourne, Australia, over the next 3 months. We had a very cold Winter but also had great rain, ensuring that our water supply is higher than it has been in years. All the green trees also means less fire hazzard in the coming Summer, December through February.
We now have Official Facebook, MySpace and YouTube sites. Please check them out and become a friend:
www.facebook.com/wonrowevision
Andrew from Wonrowe Vision handles all the Facebook and MySpace activity and Mark McCormack runs our Mortification 2010 YouTube Channel. I know you guys will find Andrew to be a great friend on Facebook and MySpace! Very soon we will have a Mortification Facebook and MySpace up and running.
Thank You for all the support you guys are giving Wonrowe Vision. Our Debut Album "Mission Invincible" is being received tremendously well. Please check out the following review of the Album. Wonrowe Vision is set to perform at a Youth Camp later this month. We are also negotiating an appearance at a Skating Rink for October and Album launches on Sat. December 4th (All Ages) and Fri. December 10th (Over 18's). Stayed tuned for venues and details in the coming updates.
Mick Jelinic has all but finished his new Terraphobia Album. Look for this Melodic Extreme Metal Album coming out before the end of the year. Mick and I are in great communication regarding the next stage of Mortification. There is a good chance we will perform some 20th Anniversary shows in Europe mid 2011. We would also like to do a week in Argentina and Brazil, but that seems like a long shot at this stage due to the massive costs involved in Touring South America. I have fond memories of our 2001 Tour in South America and with many young Brazilian Mort fans mailing me maybe something might be possible?
With all The Rock and Punk now having a solid home in Wonrowe Vision I am writing some Brutal Death Metal Songs for Mortification. The next Album is still 2 years away but be assured that Mick and I will make a Very Brutal Mort Album next time around!! We are still searching for the right permanent drummer. If you think you have what it takes to drum in Mort and you are a solid Born Again Christian then please drop me a line at info@roweproductions.com
Wonrowe Vision is getting a great reception in The UK. Look out for a feature article in Fireworks Magazine Britain in Nov/Dec, with Wonrowe Vision also featured on the magazine's free CD. All my musical influences are British. With Mort the big influences are Bolt Thrower, Napalm Death, Benediction and Maiden. With Wonrowe Vision it is Motorhead, Deep Purple, Quo, GBH and Sham 69. GBH will perform here next month which I am looking forward to!
I saw Stryper last Wednesday and they were Awesome! Jayson Sherlock, Cameron Hall and I caught up after the show. It was great to chat about the early Mort days. I will have a photo of the 3 of us together, 20 years and 2 months after that first ever show, in next month's Update. This is the show that is featured on the Bonus DVD on The Break The Curse 1990 - 2010 - 20th Anniversary re-issue available from www.soundmass.com and www.roxxproductions.com
Until next month, Stay Metal For Jesus!
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
AUGUST 2010
The Official Podcast - www.roxxrowemass.com - Episode #2 now up!
Welcome to an exciting month in Metal Mission! This month with the release of Wonrowe Vision "Mission Invincible" we are celebrating The 50th Rowe Productions release! Please get on board this Gospel Train by purchasing Mission Invincible and being an important part of the Rowe Productions History. Please support one of these tremendous Pak offers below! Thank you to those who have already taken advantage of these special offers and the emails I have been receiving from people saying the Wonrowe Album is so catchy that they are singing the songs in their sleep. HaHa!
Offer #1: Rowe Productions Support Pak. Purchase the Wonrowe Vision Debut via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com.
For $50 USD Postage Paid you can all purchase directly from me and receive The Debut CD, Bonus Free Wonrowe Vision DVD and The Classic Wonrowe Vision Album Cover T-Shirt. Please specify your size - M, L or XL - in your PayPal order. This offer is only available via PayPal to myself directly!
Offer #2: Purchase Wonrowe Vision - Mission Invincible CD/DVD from www.soundmass.com and receive 1 x Free Mortification Live Humanitarian CD for just a $2 postage fee! If you already have Live Humanitarian you can purchase just the Mission Invincible CD/DVD for the base price. Please see the 2 listings in the Soundmass.com store.
Offer #3: Purchase Mortification Sale Price on "the evil addiction destroying machine" for just $10 and receive a free Cybergrind "Transcend", Psycoma "Of The Mind" or Various Artists "Southern Extremities - Brazilian Metal Compilation" CD for just an extra $2 Postage fee. Please specify which 1 of the 3 Free CDs you would like in the Comments section when checking out. There are very few Cybergrind left so be quick if you want that one!
Offer #4: Mortification "Twenty Years In The Underground" Double CD for just $10. Hurry, as stocks are limited!
Offer #5: Spend over $40 on Rowe Productions Product at www.soundmass.com and receive 1 x free Cybergrind, Psycoma or Southern Extremities CD! Please list your choice of which Free CD you want in the Comments section of your order when checking out.
Offer #6: Spend over $60 on Rowe Productions Product at www.soundmass.com and recieve 1 x free Mortification "Live Humanitarian" CD! This item does not need to be included in your order. If you order over $60 of Rowe Productions Product it will simply be included by Soundmass in your package!
Offer#7: Purchase Mortification Break The Curse 1990 to 2010 Gold Edition 20th Anniversary Re-Issue CD/DVD and receive a Sardonyx "Linear Progression" CD for a $2 extra postage fee. Please see this listing in the Soundmass.com store, along with the option to simply purchase the Break The Curse 20th Double on its own. Many Metal fans, including the team at Nuclear Blast, are commenting that the Bonus DVD of the 1st ever Mortification show is the Band's finest moment! Amazing feedback!
In Mortification news, Mick and I think we may have found our permanent drummer. We are praying about it and he is praying about it. I also received an email last week from Adam Zaff saying that he may be able to still do The Mortification 20th Anniversary European Tour next year if our new drummer does not come into the fold straight away.
I spoke with my great friend Doug Van Pelt last week and was interested to hear that Mortification had not made the Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of all time with any of our 14 releases. I was thinking that with our successful history in both the Christian and Secular Markets HM may have even had us placed in the Top 20, but it was not to be. Doug had a team of selectors that helped him make the decisions and it is a pity that Mortification did not make the cut. Considering the inclusion in the 100 of little known Band Precious Death, it seems unfortunate we missed a spot in Christian Rock History. But that is life and we move on in Metal Mission with our long-lasting friendship and support of Doug and The HM team.
Being in Jesus Rock and Metal Ministry for 26 years myself I thought you might be interested in reading my list of The 25 Essential Christian Rock and Metal Albums of all time. Please take note because your CD collection is not complete without All these CDs in your rack. Please also note that in my opinion Christian Metal and Rock is not Christian unless it contains The Gospel Message! Anything that does not contain The Gospel Eternal Life Saving Message is Secular music and positive at best. But don't get me wrong - I am not against Secular Rock and Metal. I own A Lot of it! I am simply of the opinion that it does not belong in Christian Bookstores or Webstores and certainly no message bands should not be clogging The Christian Music Festivals. But a sign of the times I guess? It is our job to pray for secular people like Brian Head Welch who is now Born Again and also a Christian Music Evangelist.
Steve's Top 25 Christian Rock and Metal Albums Of All Time:
1. Resurrection Band - Colours
I thought I would put those last 2 in because at the end of the day I for one like my music. HaHa! Yes, it is difficult and confronting being in Metal Mission. It is not easy for anyone at the moment playing or presenting Christian Rock and Metal. So please support the above releases as some are new and most of the others are on re-issue. Check Out www.roxxproductions.com for Vengeance, Bloodgood and Sacred Warrior and www.soundmass.com for Grave Forsaken and of course The Mort and Wonrowe Vision releases. The Entire Recordings by The Lead can be purchased on Double CD through Retroactive Records.
If you wish simply to support True Jesus Rock and Metal and help Rowe Productions survive then you can do so by sending a donation via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com
Jesus Street Rock and Metal Blessings!
Steve Rowe.
JULY 2010: Part 2
Today, the 19th of July 2010, is the official Launch date for The Hard-copies of The Wonrowe Vision Debut "Mission Invincible"! Things moved along swiftly so be the first person in your city to own the Debut Wonrowe Vision Opus! Here are our various offers for you guys, our loyal Rowe Productions supporters, including some Mortification specials!
OFFER #1 - Rowe Productions Support Pak: Purchase the Wonrowe Vision Debut via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com. For $50 USD Postage Paid you can all purchase directly from me and receive The Debut CD, Bonus Free Wonrowe Vision DVD and The Classic Wonrowe Vision Album Cover T-Shirt. Please specify your size (M, L or XL) in your PayPal order. This offer is only available via PayPal to myself directly!
OFFER #2 - Purchase Wonrowe Vision - Mission Invincible from www.soundmass.com and receive 1 x Free Mortification: Live Humanitarian CD for a $2 postage fee (which has already been built into the price of $22).
OFFER #3 - Purchase Mortification Sale Price on "the evil addiction destroying machine" for just $10 and receive a free Cybergrind "Transcend", Psycoma "Of The Mind" or Various "Southern Extremities - Brasillian Metal Compilation" CD for an extra $2 Postage fee (which has already been built into the total price of $12). Please specify which 1 of these 3 Free CDs you would like in the Comments box when checking out. There are very few Cybergrind left so be quick if you want that one!
OFFER #4 - Mortification "Twenty Years In The Underground" Double CD for just $10. Hurry, as stocks are limited!
OFFER #5 - Spend over $40 on Rowe Productions product at www.soundmass.com and receive 1 x free Cybergrind, Psycoma or Southern Extremities CD! Please specify which 1 of these 3 Free CDs you would like in the Comments box when checking out.
OFFER #6 - Spend over $60 on Rowe Productions product at www.soundmass.com and recieve 1 x free Mortification "Live Humanitarian" CD! The free CD does not need to be included in your shopping cart order. If you order over $60 of Rowe Productions product it will simply be included in your parcel!
Times are tough in Metal Mission so it would be tremendous if you guys could get behind us by purchasing 1 or more of the above Paks. As Wonrowe Vision is currently setting up a number of outreach and launch shows, even just Rehearsal costs per month are about half the money this Mission is currently bringing in each month. Let us join together in partnership to keep this Jesus Metal and Street Rock Mission going!
I met a guy last night at my Church who 13 years ago was Very Lost. One day in early 1997 when I was going through cancer, he picked up a copy of "Primitive Rhythm Machine" from his local music store. That night he was stoned off his face and was reading the lyrics in the CD booklet while listening to the CD. Suddenly he was completely unstoned, in tears and gave his heart to Jesus! He has been following strongly in the Christian Faith ever since! This Mission needs your support! I hear stories like this from all over the world every week! The Recordings I have done over the past 24 years just keep on working and working to extend God's Kingdom! Currently The Rowe Productions Bank Account is $500 in arrears and I am believing for finances for Band Costs, Medical Costs and a Huge Accounting Tax Bill that is due totaling $3000! If you are in a position to make a Missions Donation to the work of Rowe Productions and for my Medical or Accounting costs could I suggest you purchase Pak Offer #1 and add some $'s donation. If you send $100 or $150 I am happy to send 2 or 3 Paks. Please specify with any extra money going to info@roweproductions.com via PayPal that it is 1 Pak plus donation or 2 or 3 Paks, etc!
See you again in 2 more exciting weeks in God's calender! Please pray for my mum who is being treated for terminal blood cancer. Yes, 3 out of 6 people in the 1 family!! Also, please pray for my son Leighton who will follow Christ in obedience through the waters of Baptism Sunday August 1st! I am very excited that Leighton is making this strong dedication of Faith at age 14.
Blessings To All!
Steve Rowe.
JULY 2010
The Official Podcast - www.roxxrowemass.com - is up and running again with Episode #2 coming this week for your free listening enjoyment. Once again Episode #2 features the latest and greatest songs and updates from Roxx Productions and Soundmass, plus my latest musical adventures!
The Christian Metal Album of the year so far is Grave Forsaken's 4th release "Fight To The Death". This Australian Band has taken San Fran Bay Area Thrash and totally owned it this time around! A massive mix of Exodus, Slayer and Testament style Metal. My highlight Track is "Black Saturday". It has the most savage Guitar riff at the start that just rips your face off - a perfect fit for the Lyrics that cover the disaster that took 200 lives early last year when my State of Victoria was totally swamped by deadly bush-fires.
Mick Jelinic and myself are in the process of beginning to Audition drummers to find a permanent person for the position in Mortification. If you live in Australia or are planning on moving here and think you have what it takes then please drop me a line at info@roweproductions.com. We are looking for an easy-going, Evangelical Born-Again Christian who is a talented drummer and really into Extreme Metal. We need someone with a servant's heart who will give this their all! We look set to play some major Metal Festivals in Europe this time next year and so we need to find the right person ASAP after 8 months without a person on the drum stool. Only serious applicants need apply and please remember you are joining a Mission and so it will cost you time and money and noone in this Mission gets paid.
I have had some amusing hate-mail from "christians" regarding Wonrowe Vision. What people need to realize is that now that the Classic Rock and Punk influences are going into Wonrowe Vision this leaves Mortification to just be a Death Metal Band. What you guys can look forward to in 2 years time is a Mort Album in the vein of the first 4 from 1990 to 1993. Knowing this, everyone needs to get off stupid gossip forums and just enjoy the Christian Bands that you like.
I can highly recommend the new Antidemon CD "Satanichaos", plus the Band's South American Tour DVD. I met these guys in 2001 and they have developed into a fine Christian Death Metal Machine! I have no idea what their songs are about because they are all in Spanish or Portuguese but when I met the Band they have a great little Underground Ministry happening in Brazil including their own Church outreach.
For those who like what you have heard of Wonrowe Vision on www.silverbulletrecords.com, you are in for a treat when our Debut Album comes out early next month. Our very Sabbath-influenced track Resident Spider features on the Roxx/Rowe/Mass Podcast #2. As always, my music is diverse and so those who love a range of 70's Heavy Rock styles with a Punk edge, this Album is for you! The inlay has some hilarious info relating to Robocoptor's Special Operations Specifications. Basically, Wonrowe Vision is a load of fun and we are enjoying performing this Jesus Street Rock! The June 19th Gig here went down like a storm - we were performing with 3 secular Metal Bands, including one of Melbourne's bigger Death Metal acts!!! Once the Album is out, Wonrowe Vision will be playing a lot of Christian Outreach concerts and Christian Festivals here in Oz! But we proved last month that even in a setting that would better suit Mort, Wonrowe Vision was a welcome change-up in style - Click this link to hear (and see) one person's opinion. I guess many Non-Christian Metalheads are more musically open-minded than some Christians are? But Hey, we love you all and so just hold tight regarding Mortification. Our Set next year will be a mix of Classics from The 90's along with the best of the 2nd decade! Death Metal shall arrive in your hungry ears on The 15th Mort Opus down the track. Until then, listen to The Mort Albums that you like and, if you have an open mind beyond the one dimensional, check out Wonrowe Vision "Mission Invincible".
"Mission Invincible" is available from iTunes and other legal pay download sites worldwide as of now - July 1st! You can sample listen or purchase from iTunes, which means that there is no excuse for stealing it! I just do not want any of you to go to hell because you are unrepentant thieves! I don't think eternal damnation is worth it for a few stolen tunes. Do you?? We must all Terminate Damnation and show the world how God really wants human beings to live and behave. If you wait to buy a hard copy of "Mission Invincible" not only do you receive the Killer layout, Artwork and Booklet but a "Free" Bonus DVD featuring the fist 2 shows in their entirity!! It will be available from Soundmass.com early August, but Pre-Orders are available in The Soundmass.com store now!!
Mighty Mick Jelinic is finishing up Terraphobia Album #5! It is a feast of Extreme Metal and the first Terraphobia Album with a Christian Message!! Look out for it coming your way later in the year!
Mortification is receiving some Killer reviews of the two 20th Anniversary releases. Here is a 9.5/10 review for "Break The Curse 1990 - 2010 Gold Edition" re-issue that is available now from www.roxxproductions.com and www.soundmass.com!
Until next month stay Metal For Jesus and Hear The Street Rock!!
Steve Rowe.
JUNE 2010
Official Rowe Productions Podcast: Roxx / Rowe / Mass
Please check out www.silverbulletrecords.com to hear 2 Full songs from The debut Wonrowe Vision Album - Mission Invincible: The White Rock, which is our Signature Song, and The Radio edit of Run In Circles. These will be the 2 songs that will be serviced to Rock Radio. There are 3 or 4 songs on The Debut that are heavier than The White Rock. One is Vaporizer, which you can see and hear live on YouTube - Mortification2010's Channel - along with live versions of The White Rock and the full version of Run In Circles.
Mick and I are searching for an evangelical Christian drummer for Mortification. You must live in Melbourne, Australia, and have your own professional drum gear and transport. You must be an accomplished metal drummer and be willing to serve in a missions orientated band, i.e. no one makes money from playing in Mortification or Wonrowe Vision. Any income goes back into these missions endeavours! Please apply through this address: info@roweproductions.com
I am excited about the Roxx / Rowe / Mass Podcast that you can click on and hear above. I have the Pastor Brad Break Out CD and it is a great slab of Classic Heavy Metal Rock. Featuring Vocal appearances from Ken Tamplin, Les Carlson and Ray Parra it is sure to please! The shreading guitar from Pastor Brad makes this a must buy from Roxx Productions or Soundmass.
Another great new release is the Soundmass album from Dead Moons Grey. Hailing from The US, this release is certain to please fans of Pantera style Metal with a vicious groove! Please note that Mortification's Twenty Years In The Underground, Break The Curse 20th and The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine are all available from Soundmass and Roxx at very competitive prices. Pick up your dose of Christian Metal today!
I was telling you all last month about the tremendous benefits of USANA health products. Besides my faith and family, without USANA health products I would not be alive today. You can help me obtain my monthly USANA products whilst helping yourselves stay well by signing up for your own ongoing supply of monthly USANA products. If you live in the US, please place an order and become an advocate for this fantastic product at www.usana.com. Check the same website for other country's USANA websites. *Please Note: It is extremely important to sign up under the associate number: 171406. This is the associate number of my mother-in-law Ann deVries. I do not have an associate number because it is complicated with my financial and health restrictions being on an Australian pension. Too difficult to explain here, but I know you can take my word for it. If you sign up under Ann who is an associate member, she will make sure any benefits come to me in USANA product only!
What you need to order each month for an incredible lift in health and well being is the following:
1. Essentials: Mega Antioxidant and Multi Minerals - Massive dietary supplements giving you all the daily nutrients needed for 100% health
Unfortunately folks with the way our foods are processed we never get the nutrients that we need from regular food! Combat the risk of cancer by supplementing your diet with the above USANA products in correct daily doses as instructed. Believe me - you do not want to go through cancer as I did! It is life destroying and even if you live through as I have you and your family will never continue on a normal path ever again.
Here are some facts about USANA:
*USANA creator Dr Myron Wentz, an Immunologist and Micro-Biologist, believes that nutrition is the most important science in medicine today. His team of experts who share his vision are at the forefront of nutritional science.
*Our daily diet must provide the essential nutrients for optimal health and proper cell function. Medical research is verifying the role of nutrients in health. Some nutrients are required in levels higher than can easily be supplied with food. Going to the supermarket and pulling different supplements off the shelf, whatever seems to be the latest fad, is not the way to supplement proper nutrition. Nutrition must be balanced. That's why USANA products are based on scientific discoveries in cellular nutrition.
*In addition, our bodies are constantly being assaulted by the damaging effect of free radicals, which overwhelm our antioxidant defences. USANA nutritional products are designed to provide a complete and balanced spectrum of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants to help counteract poor nutrition and free radical damage.
So please everyone out there look into this further and remember that by helping yourself achieve optimum health you are helping me also! Because of the monthly cost of USANA, 3 years ago I experimented with coming off USANA. After 4 days I had lost half the use of my left arm! Science will tell you that most L4 paraplegics are paralysed down one entire side of the body. Thankfully the day I woke up in 1998 an L4 paraplegic, 3 days after being given 2 hours to live for the second time, my mother-in-law put me on USANA!!... and The Mission of Mortification and Wonrowe Vision Plays On!!!!!!!
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
MAY 2010: Part 2
Yes, Jesus Metal Fans, the Very First Roxx - Rowe - Mass Podcast is up and ready for you to listen to. Bill Roxx gives you all the lowdown and the Link to listen in below. This is The Podcast that has taken Modern Technology by the throat and Will Be The Podcast that Changes The World! Sign Up Now as a friend and regular listener and spread the Word about this to everyone on your email list. Listen Streaming for free and stay tuned to this Rowe Productions Update to hear how you can support this vital Mission.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe
Roxx / Rowe / Mass Podcast Launch!
Roxx / Rowe / Mass is the combined effort podcast of several Christian metal labels! Roxx Productions, Rowe Productions and Soundmass have all teamed up to present you with this, the Ultimate Jesus Metal Podcast! Our plan is to present you with a new podcast every other month and present you with updates of all things happening between the three labels and beyond, with updates, reviews and interviews of all things Christian Metal!
This is the inaugural episode and features your host Bill Roxx and Steve Rowe of Mortification / Rowe Productions / Wonrowe Vision! We will have an in depth interview with Steve discussing the 20th Anniversary of Mortification and all things going on with Rowe Productions! Also this episode we have a very special interview with Vaughn Gregory of Grave Forsaken! We will also be featuring a very special segment called 'Three Minute Sanctuary' with a special message from Pastor Bob Beeman of Sanctuary International!
And plenty of news from the Christian Metal Scene and tons of new and even some exclusive music! Featuring tracks from Mortification, Pastor Brad (w/ Ken Tamplin), Crystavox, Grave Forsaken, Dead Moons Grey, Malchus and Ultimatum!
And most of all! It's FREE!!!! Check it out and give us your feedback!
http://info36113.podomatic.com/entry/2010-05-08T10_44_22-07_00
Visit us at:
www.roxxproductions.com
MAY 2010
May I start this month's Update with some very special Thank Yous! Please read this as it is important to my survival and The Survival of Real Christianity! Surviving all these years following Double caner has been a True Miracle. Not just surviving physically but in Music Missions. Not possible without the following people: Jesus my Lord and Savior. My Wife Kate who works full time and pays all the household bills! Always my Life's Love and Best Friend! My fantastic son Leighton.
Adam Soundmass. Without you Adam I would be Musically dead! Markus, Michael and The Team at Nuclear Blast Records. Truly amazing people, friends and supporters! Bill Roxx. Your work with Rowe Productions and on the new Podcast is a Huge Blessing. Doug HM. Without you there would be no Christian Hard Music Scene.
Mick Jelinic and Family. Such tremendous friends and supporters! Linc Bowen and family and Andrew Esnouf. You guys Rock! To all my financial supporters. I won't name you, but you know who you are. Without You I would be not only Musically dead but also Physically! To keep this Mission going in a world full of Art Thieves is impossible without your support. Add to that my growing Medical and health costs and I am Truly Grateful for all of your support. Finally, to Vic Campbell our new Manager and Record label. What an honour to be working with a man of your calibre in this Christian Music "business"! Yes, I hate the word business, but that is what it is sometimes and you Vic are the best!
Now, here comes this month's news! Please note that from now on the prices in the Soundmass.com store for Mortification "Twenty Years In The Underground" and "Break The Curse 1990: 2010" are Very competitive. The original prices have been lowered to compete with Bootleggers and help you guys buy The Real Thing! Please do not steal or Bootleg Music. If you do, you are Art Murderers. The prices are in line with other stores who are also fighting The eBay Bootleg War. Sad But True!
In great news this month I am very pleased to announce that I have signed a fantastic management and release agreement with Vic Cambbell and his label Silver Bullet Records. Vic is a pro of 30 years experience in The Christian Music Industry. Vic lives here in Melbourne but has lived in Nashville working with Rebecca St James' Manager. Vic is the cream of the crop of the most well connected Australian in Christian Music both in Australia and The US. Vic will be releasing The Debut Wonrowe Vision Album "Mission Invincible", with Bonus Free DVD, on September 1st! The Wonrowe Vision Album and DVD are finished in Mix and Editing! Art Layout for The release is now in progress.
The Official Worldwide Online Retail and Wholesale orders will be covered my Soundmass. Wonrowe Vision "Mission Invincible" will also be available for Pay Download via iTunes, etc. August 1st! So you can buy it then or listen to samples before making a Hard Copy Pre-Order from Soundmass.com. This gives you ZERO EXCUSE TO STEAL IT FROM THE NET!!
Vic will initally be working with Wonrowe Vision, and then also with Mortification next year, in Booking shows here in Australia and also working to get this Jesus Metal Rock back into The US and Australian Christian Bookstores! It is about time The CBA Market started stocking upfront Jesus Music at a higher % rate again.
The fact that Christian Bookstores here in Australia stock The Koran just goes to show what lengths they will go to for the Almighty $! So it's not surprising about some of the flake bake music they stock! Who knows - I guess soon they will have to sell the satanic bible because satanism is a "World Religion"! HELLO! WAKE UP PEOPLE! Your Christian Rights are being undermined! Speak up and help Stop This Madness! These CBA Stores are also stoking A lot of purely Motivational material. Being Positive and Motivated ain't gonna get you into Heaven! I am Positive and Motivated all by myself, but without Jesus I am Spiritually dead!
Silver Bullet Records is a great Label for Wonrowe Vision because they release Alternative Christian Blues, Country, Celtic and Blue Grass and now also some Street Level Heavy Rock. Vic Campbell is a Real Christian and a Realistic Person! Think Glenn Kaiser, John Smith/God's Squad and Pastor Bob Beeman and you get my drift about Vic being Real. Adam Soundmass is also this calibre of man, as is Bill Roxx! With these type of men working with Mortification and Wonrowe Vision we have a Real Future in doing This Jesus Metal Rock Mission Properly and with maximum impact and exposure!
Just on a side note - I will be doing my first phone interview with Bill Roxx today (May 1st) for the Premiere ROXX - ROWE - MASS Podcast. Mick Jelinic and I Recorded the Intro song for The Podcast in just 3 hours at Mick's house 2 weeks ago! HaHa! It was a load of fun to put together! Info on The Podcast and where to find it Online will be announced right here on June 1st!
I have been swamped with fan emails for the past 3 months and again I apologise for not responding to all of them. Please know that All your mail is read by myself personally and I Thank You for all of your encouraging words and Testimonies. As I stated before, my medical bills are endless, but all things considered I am in good health.
You will have noticed on my Mortification2010 YouTube Channel that all my new videos have an Ad for Fender Guitars and USANA Health Products. Fender will now be supporting Wonrowe Vision and Mortification with Fender products and I will have information next month about how USANA can help you and how you can help me by purchasing USANA for your own health. I believe that without USANA Health Products I would be gone. Because of my massive health expenses, I tried going off USANA 2 years ago and after 4 days I lost half the use of my left arm! In the past 2 years I have increasingly suffered Muscle, Bone and Ligament pain. 3 days ago the Ligament pain was so bad I could barely walk. 2 days ago I started another USANA Product called Procosamine II. Today I have Zero Ligament pain! USANA is the Real Deal - always remember: prevention is better than cure! We should all be on Vitamin supplements and, as a health nut, I know this Product is absolutely The Best. Next month I will let you know exactly how to order and what to order and, in doing so, you will not only reap the benefits for yourself but help me keep paying for mine!
If health is not your thing you can support my health battle and Jesus Metal Rock Battle by donating to Rowe Productions via PayPal - info@roweproductions.com
I want to be alive and well to continue presenting True Jesus Metal and Jesus Street Rock for the next 20 years! With your help This Mission Will Survive! People Will Be Saved Into The Kingdom and Christian Music Will Continue to be presented to non-Christians and once again to Christians in The CBA Market. Keep praying for and supporting The True Christian Music Underground that supports you!
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
APRIL 2010
The latest and greatest news from Rowe Productions is that The Wonrowe Vision CD/DVD Double is nearing completion in Mix and Edit! As to whom will release This Double Pak it is uncertain right now. I have 3 or 4 solid offers of interest from Record labels. Hopefully there will be Christian and Mainstream Record Company releases in Europe, The US and Australia!
The Wonrowe Vision Debut "Mission Invincible" will have a full Black and White Layout Art-wise for the 2 Discs and The Booklet. But The Bonus DVD is a Very Colorful Retro psychedelic! With the great work of Visual Media Masters Brent Furletti and Mark McCormack we have made The 1st Ever Concert into a real Artistic treat, especially Visually. The Second Show, Our First Club Show, will also be on The DVD as Bonus Material. Please click the following link to Mortification2010 YouTube to see and hear 3 Wonrowe Vision Songs Live from The Club show at Ruby's Lounge for The Very First Time!! The 3 songs presented are as follows: "Vaporizer" - which is our Heaviest most High Energy Song, "The White Rock" - a down-the-middle Classic Rock 'n Roll Tune and "Run In Circles" - one of our softer more Ballad-Orientated songs! So you can see and hear the spectrum of what Wonrowe Vision has to offer Musically.
The CD Production is Very High quality but, at this point, still in Mix. Thank You to Rowland Gwynne and Brian Terrell for your financial support last month towards the mix. All things running well, the CD and DVD Double will be presented to The interested Record Companies by early May. This means that it is unlikely to have a release before August/September. But all good things come to those who are patient! In the mean time, please enjoy The 3 Clips on YouTube!!
Thanks to Wonrowe Vision Drummer Andrew Esnouf we now have an Official Wonrowe Vision Facebook. Please search for Wonrowe Vision on Facebook and sign up as a friend. It is brand new so we do not have a URL as yet. Once we get 25 friends Facebook will give us a URL. *Please Note: this Facebook is run and operated solely by Andrew so if you ask any questions they will be answered by Andrew. Andrew is 20 so knows how all this great media works! He is a tremendous Guy, a great friend and a Solid Man Of God! It is great having someone in Wonrowe Vision who is 25 Years younger than me. Please sign up to The Wonrowe Vision Facebook for the latest and greatest Wonrowe Vision News!!
Questions for me need to be sent to The Rowe Productions email address. I apologize that I have not responded to a flood of fan emails lately. Life is extremely busy! But please be assured that all of your email get read and I am Grateful for your growing support and interest in Mortification and Wonrowe Vision.
Mortification "Break The Curse 1990: 2010 Gold Edition" Re-Issue is gaining some Rave Reviews. Please click this link to read one of them.
I have been inundated with both phone and email Interviews from all over Europe with Mortification "Twenty Years In The Underground" now out in The Stores across Europe and also available from Nuclear Blast Store and the Soundmass.com Store! Please support the release by Buying a Real Copy! Be True! Only pagans steal from the internet!! You can listen to samples and buy "Twenty Years In The Underground" from iTunes worldwide!! I know you guys are going to Love The Re-Recorded Classics!! You will hear The Brutal Death Metal Production that we put a Huge amount of time and effort into, plus all the most important Live concerts, as a Special and Unique 20th Anniversary Presentation for You Guys, The True Fans!!
Mortification "Break The Curse 1990: 2010 Gold Edition" Re-Issue - out now on Roxx Productions and also available from the Soundmass.com Store - will also be available worldwide In Full on iTunes very soon!
Next Month I have a Huge announcement to make regarding a United Force between Rowe Productions, Soundmass and Roxx Productions! It will be an ongoing project that will present a Strength Of Unity between The 3 Christian Companies and It Will Be A Huge Treat For All The Real Fans and Supporters Out There Of True Jesus Metal and Rock!
Until then, Stay True and Sound Of Faith and Brotherhood!!
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
MARCH 2010
Hi and Welcome as We March up to Belgrave for The 2nd Wonrowe Vision Concert! We are playing the first Wonrowe Vision Club Show at Ruby's Lounge - 1648 Burwood Highway, Belgrave. It is on Tuesday March 16th and we are On Stage early at 7:45pm. Entry is FREE but it is over 18's Only. So all you people from Melbourne please head on up to Belgrave for dinner and then into Ruby's for some High Octane Jesus Rock! We will have T-Shirts for sale on the night.
There has been a big stop with the Mix of The Wonrowe Vision Debut Album as The main Engineer was suddenly told he had to exit the premises he was renting to Record in. We have a fully Tracked Album that is not finished! Very Frustrating! Please all pray for a quick solution to this. We have Record Company interest in the release but at this stage we have nowhere to mix the Album!! It is proving to be a difficult situation! It looks as though I will need to have the Album mixed elsewhere which would cost $2000! If you wish to support the completion of this Jesus Outreach Rock Band Album you can do so via Paypal - info@roweproductions.com
Some great news - I now have my own YouTube Site: Mortification2010's site. Please click this Link. It would be great if you could All look through the 3 clips and build some view numbers and help support my advertising sponsors. At this stage I am only allowed to use their names - Fender and USANA. No official endorsements as yet! You will see these top of screen. The clips have been put together in HD for you all to enjoy. The clips were enhanced to top level HD and the site set up by Master Blaster Recordings at great expense! At present I am focusing on raising the profile of newer Mortification songs Priests Of The Underground, I'm Not Your Commodity and Erasing The Goblin. We will be performing these songs along with The 90's Classics on our 2011 20th Anniversary Tour.
These past 8 years I have been studying closely what makes Bands Great. It is one thing to create great songs and play them well, but successful Bands have the following strategies:
(1) A Killer Logo - I have this with Mort and now also with Wonrowe Vision
(2) Unique stage presentations - I am working on this with The Cross Of Light as seen on The Live Humanitarian DVD. We need to come up with more unique ideas because of my lack of mobility on stage. Any ideas? Send ideas to info@roweproductions.com
(3) A Mascot - This is why I made Robocoptor for Wonrowe Vision. He is a great Mascot. This is key with Major Bands like Iron Maiden with Eddy, Motorhead's Skull, Megadeth's Skull and Overkill's flying Bat
(4) The most important thing for people to relate to: A unique identity - After Judas Priest Recorded Metal Gods in 1980 Rob Halford became The Metal god. Same with Manowar who, following their 1988 release Kings Of Metal, became The Kings Of Metal. I like this idea but in no way want to glorify ourselves. In 2002 I came up with the song "Priests Of The Undergroud", similarly giving people something extra to identify with. So I am pushing the "Priests Of The Underground" moniker and we will do a shirt with this concept next year and possibly a Box Set of the same name Featuring The Best Of The 2nd Decade of Mort!
With My YouTube Page I am endeavouring to use The Internet in a Positive Way, with all the negatives of Internet stealing and bootlegging working against me. But I cannot believe it - These past weeks Google have targeted Mortification on YouTube with Filthy Flirt Ads! So satan's poison still attacks this Mission!!! Thank You to all the supporters who assisted in getting bootleg Jewel Case copies of "the evil addiction destroying machine" off Ebay! Together we will fight The evil!!!!!
I will have a Wonrowe Vision clip up on Mortification2010 YouTube next month and will add more clips as God provides the money to do so. So you will all get to see and hear Wonrowe Vision well before The Debut Album comes out. Keep watching my YouTube Site and tell you friends to View The Delux HD clips!
Fans do The greatest things! Mort fan Joey Neigh got together with his sister-in-law to make a fantastic Mortification 20th Anniversary Clip. His sister-in-law signs some of our short songs for people who are deaf. So The YouTube Clip is called "Christian Deaf Metal!" HaHa! Classic! Here is the Click Link to watch it and I will also be adding this fan clip to the Mortification2010 YouTube Site next month I hope. Unfortunately, even on this beautiful Tribute Clip, satan has his filthy flirt Ads on there! Now we have reached One Million YouTube hits we have been targeted by Internet satan across the board for everything Mortification! I hope that you are as disturbed about this as I am?!
Roxx Productions and Soundmass have some tremendous new Jesus Metal releases coming soon that you guys need to support and Buy! Quality Jesus Metal - to help our scene survive and To Clean Your Brain!! Soundmass has The 4th Grave Forsaken release "Fight To The Death" coming soon, plus some Awesome new Jesus Metal from Europe in Malchus and Coram Deo! Roxx has The Sacrificed (Kinda like Sacred Warrior), Crystavox "The 20 Year Mix" CD/DVD, Pastor Brad's new Album and Jesus Thrash Legends Ultimatum's "Puppet Of Destruction"! Pre-order the first 3 at Roxx!! Check them out along with The New Mort releases. I will have Mort "Twenty Years In The Underground" Nuclear Blast Release Double CDs in the Soundmass Store here later this month! Pre-Orders are now available HERE in the Soundmass.com Store!
March On Up To Belgrave Tuesday March 16th! Be Early and Rock On For Jesus!!
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
FEBRUARY 2010
Hi and welcome to The February Edition of The Rowe Productions Update. Not wishing to ever start on a negative but I just need you guys to look out for Mortification "the evil addiction destroying machine" bootlegs. "the evil addiction destroying machine" has only ever been released by Rowe Productions in DigiPak format. Someone has now done bootleg Jewel Case copies that are selling via Ebay, etc. If you see "the evil addiction destroying machine" in Jewel Case format please do not buy it as it Is A Bootleg! The Album has not been licensed to any other Company. Apparently The Jewel Case bootlegs are so Pro you cannot tell that they are fakes.
So not only do thieves steal Jesus Missions Metal from The Net but now people are making money from bootlegs! Such evil practice is not something Christians should ever be involved in. I heard a "Christian" say recently that taking Movies and Music from The Internet without paying is the way of the future?! ...and so he was saying "Stealing is the way of the future"?! Everyone is familiar with that terrible old saying "Everybody is doing it, so it is OK". Wrong!! I tell my 14 year old son all the time "If you hear the words Everybody Is Doing It then walk away because those words Always relate to doing the wrong thing and making Bad Life Choices". So please can you guys act directly against people selling Jewel Case copies of "the evil addiction destroying machine".
On a great note I wish to say a Huge Thank You to all of the fans who are emailing congratulations for The Mortification 20th Anniversary and also My 20th Wedding Anniversary. There have been so many mails I have not been able to respond, but please be assured that I read them all!! Without you guys and your support I have no Music Mission! You Guys are The Life Blood of this Jesus Music Mission! With 3 releases coming I have been busy beyond belief! With The Mortification "Twenty Years In The Underground" Double CD coming out on Nuclear Blast I have been doing some major media Interviews across Europe, plus checking Art Layouts for The 28 Page Booklet! It will Be A Metal Blessing and Treat for you guys - the fans and supporters! As the Pioneers Of Extreme Christian Street Metal, this release is very Special because it has five Re-Recorded Classic Favorites from The 90's, plus Live content from The Most important shows from The Past 20 Years. It can be pre-ordered from the Soundmass.com store HERE.
The 20th Anniversary Re-Issue of "Break The Curse 1990 - 2010 Gold Edition" through www.roxxproductions.com is also a release coming this month with many extras for you guys! Both Double Paks will be in stock here from the Soundmass.com Store hopefully before The March Update. Keep your eyes on the www.roweproductions.com site.
The First Wonrowe Vision Concert was a huge success and you can see photos from the very first show in The Brand New Wonrowe Vision Gallery right here (just click the Photos link on the left). Also pictured at this LINK is The Wonrowe Vision Logo and Album Cover in T-Shirt format. I had some of these T-Shirts Printed for the first show last Saturday. This T-Shirt design will be our main Merchandise this year along with The Debut CD that should be available by late May! As money is tight and Rehearsals $50 per weekly session, I am making these T-Shirts available for Donation Purchase directly from me via PayPal. For a Donation of $35 or more you can secure one of these Shirts Postage Paid anywhere in The World! Send your Donation of $35 or more via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com and please do not forget to include your address, including your Country. There are 2 Sizes to choose from: Large and Extra Large. Support The Jesus Rock as we support you!
The Wonrowe Vision Album Cover has been drawn by Disney World Artist Esly Carrero. Esly now lives in Australia with her Australian husband. Esly works as a full time artist. Such great talent is rare to be working with! The Band Logo has been done by a close friend of mine Dan Fraser who is also working on a Robocoptor Logo for our Mascot pictured in action here! Prior to cancer and paralysis I always loved running, but now it is A True Miracle that I can even stand and walk. So I decided it would be great if I could fly also! HaHa! A Very Special Thank You to my Friend Surfie who has been calling me Robocoptor for many years!
As I said, the first Wonrowe Vision Show was a Ripper! It was at a Skate Park in a small country town West of Melbourne called Ballan. When I had The idea to go back to the music I loved as a kid and create Wonrowe Vision I new that this type of situation would be perfect for the band - People of all ages who enjoy High Energy Rock for different reasons. Young kids can skate, ride BMX Bikes and Scooters to it while doing tricks on ramps and rails. Older people can stand around and listen or even bust out some dance moves! Bikers can appreciate The Rock n Roll Factor. All these people were in attendance and as the kids Skated and adults ate Barbeque sausages The Christian Biker Squad put on a Harley Burn Out Display to end our set! It was The Perfect first show and many seeds were sown into young lives needing to hear about Salvation! The show was filmed and will hopefully be a Bonus DVD with The CD release of The Debut Album "Mission Invincible"!
The Outreach was put on by a gentle Giant of a man named Scott who has a blue Mohawk to boot! Scott is looking to build a Youth Group called SOS at his Church in Ballan. Please pray for Scott as he follows up The Skater kids in these coming weeks! Everyone had an enjoyable afternoon and The Skate, BMX and Scooter Tricks Competition after we played was also a huge success! Glory To God! He does great things when people of a like mind unite in Missions Evangelism!
With so many bogus message-less bands scamming money and self-focused fame from kids at Christian Bookstores and Christian Music Festivals it is great to be working with Musicians and people who's Vision is souls! Lincoln Bowen and Andrew Esnouf are great players and Mighty Men Of God! Andrew just returned a week ago from a Beach Mission where he was a volunteer. On the last night, after a week of beach activities, a large number of kids gave their lives to Christ. This is what Christian Music is really All About also! Soul Winning! Anyone in Christian Music who does not have their primary goal being to lead people to Christ should do the honorable thing and battle it out in the secular music world. The sad truth is that it is too easy for people to scam sales and polish their egos in the Christian Music World with Zero Intention To Walk The Walk and Talk The Talk! So join with me and let us not be swayed from the task set before us to win souls for Christ! Buy CDs and Music from Bands with A Strong Jesus Message or from quality Bands in The Secular Market who are worth buying for their musical credibility! Please let us make this Christian Rock and Metal Scene truly Christian, Once and for all united with a Common Goal to win souls and encourage believers in their Faith!
Stay Strong In The Lord And Keep Your Armor On!
Blessings,
Steve Rowe
JANUARY 2010
Wow! What a year 2009 turned out to be. A lot of Recording done last year! Mortification "the evil addiction destroying machine", Re-Recorded Classics for The Mort "Twenty Years In The Underground" Double CD and the Tracking of The Debut Wonrowe Vision Album just completed. We will be mixing Wonrowe Vision "Mission Invincible" this month, hoping for a late May release! Track Listing for Wonrowe Vision "Mission Invincible" is as follows: (Order subject to change)
1- The Spirit Of The Rock.
The Very First Wonrowe Vision Concert is This Month!
Saturday January 30th - Ballan Oval, Ballan, Victoria. Ballan is 1 hour out of Melbourne on The Western Freeway heading towards Ballarat - MAP. Wonrowe Vision will be on stage at 1:00PM Lunchtime. The Event is Free and put on by The Churches of Ballan. The concert stage is near The Skate Park on Ballan Oval. Ballan Oval is on Edols St. at The Cooper St. end. Ballan is just off The Western Freeway. Exit to Ballan on Old Melbourne Rd. We are hoping to have Wonrowe Vision "Mission Invincible" Album Cover T-Shirts available for purchase on the day. This is an All Ages, Alcohol Free Event with a Free Barbecue for all!
Next Month I will have the "Mission Invincible" Album Cover for you all to see and hopefully Band photos from The first concert. Hope to see people from all over Victoria turning up! For Event information contact Scott Russell on 0400 711 409.
The Mortification "Twenty Years In The Underground" Layout looks fabulous! 28 page Booklet of all things Mort over 20 Years including 20 Album Covers, 40 photos and a 20 Year reflection from myself. This Double CD is out on Nuclear Blast Records Germany on Feb. 26th!
"Break The Curse 1990: 2010 - 20th Anniversary Gold Edition" is now available for Pre-Order from the Soundmass.com store right here! Pre-orders also available from www.roxxproductions.com. Here is the Album cover Art for this CD/DVD release out on Roxx Records on Feb. 26th! Pre-Orders will be sent out Late February from Roxx Productions and Late March from Soundmass.com
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
DECEMBER 2009
The latest in Music news is that Roxx Records USA will be releasing an extended 20th Anniversary Gold Edition Re-Issue of the very first Mortification Album "Break The Curse 1990". Roxx has some great Pre-Sale Offers for the first 100 orders. Check out the Official Press release from Roxx right here, including the click information to The Roxx Site so that you can get into that first 100 and grab all the extras!!
Roxx Productions/Records PRESS RELEASE
These albums would forever have an impact and leave their mark on the Christian Metal Scene. But one album and one album alone would turn the Christian Metal Scene upside down! Mortification's Break the Curse would hit the metal world like a raging storm!
This would be the world's first introduction to the band that would go on to pave the way for Christian Death Metal bands to come! Touring the world over, releasing multiple albums and DVDs, playing in front of thousands of raging metal fans across the globe! Bold and unashamed they would play anywhere and everywhere that would host them! Never afraid to speak their mind and let the world know their convictions!
Break the Curse was the initial release that would start it all. This release has long been out of print and a much sought after collectible for the Mortification fan! In celebration of the 20 year anniversary of this release Roxx Records is set to release a strictly Limited Edition 2 Disc Gold Letter Edition of Break the Curse.
Disc one is set to include the full remastered release of Break the Curse as well as 8 Bonus tracks!! The bonus tracks will consist of another much sought after Mortification release: Noah Sat Down and Listened to the Mortification Live E.P. While Having A Coffee. That's right, for the first time since its release, the much sought after EP will be made available for the first time and with this limited quantity of only 1000. If that's not enough for you, 2 more specially added bonus tracks will be included here that have not been made available since their original release. For the first time ever on a Mortification disc the studio version of Time Crusaders! Also, the long out of print Eyes of Destruction originally recorded by Lightforce and that is only Disc 1!!!!
Disc 2 will be a very special DVD release of a show that has never been released in its entirety! Not just any show, this is the VERY FIRST Mortification live show ever captured live in Melbourne, Australia, at the Harvest Centre! Recorded June 15th of 1990 and completely remastered and restored, this concert DVD is sure to become a true collectible for the Mortification fan!
Still not enough for you??!! The first 100 copies only will come with what is to be the first in a series for Roxx Records: a Limited Edition Signature Guitar Pick. That's right, series 1 of the Roxx Signature Guitar Picks will be a Steve Rowe signature guitar pick!
WAIT, that still is not enough for you??!! What if we had a special Ultimate Die Hard Mort Fan Edition with a very Special Limited Edition 20th year anniversary Break The Curse T-Shirt!!!
2010 is set to be the year for Mortification fans! Visit www.roxxproductions.com for details and to get in on the pre-order!!!
FULL TRACK LISTING
1- Blood Sacrifice.
Disc 2 - DVD: First Ever Mortification Crossover Concert
Captured Live the 15th Of June 1990 at the Harvest Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
1- Blood Sacrifice.
For Pre-Orders contact www.roxxproductions.com
Part of my Vision for The Fender Mustang is to present the idea of Bass playing to young teens looking to take up the Coolest Instrument possible! Most are put off by the difficultly of playing long scale Basses. The biggest lack of players in Churches and schools is Bass Players. So if you are young or simply find the long scale Basses too daunting to play then The Fender Mustang is The Coolest Instrument you should learn and play! Check them out online and tell them Steve Rowe from Mortification sent you. A truly great investment for life, learning to play, starting a Band and Serving your Church and Youth Group Worship teams!
The Layout for The Nuclear Blast release of Mortification "Twenty Years In The Underground" is looking Awesome! There is a big chance that the first pressing of this Double CD will be in quality Digipak format. I will have more details next month. "Twenty Years In The Underground" is set for a February 26th release. The Roxx Records 20th Anniversary "Break The Curse 1990" Gold Edition Re-Issue will be out the same day!!
Finally, as you all know this month Lincoln Bowen, Andrew Esnoug and Myself will be Recording The Debut Wonrowe Vision Album titled "Mission Invincible". It will be a Slab of Classic Rock n Roll and Stoner Rock with a Heavy 80's Punk edge and upfront Jesus Message!!! "Robocoptor" (Our Mascot) Sez - Keep It Real!! In The January Update I will give you the Track Listing and you will get to see The Killer Band Logo. I will present The Album cover in February. It looks set for a June release! If you wish to support the Recording of this exciting new Mission's Band you can do so via Paypal - info@roweproductions.com
Thank You to All The Dedicated Rowe Productions supporters!
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
NOVEMBER 2009
DISC 1
Re-Recorded Classics (2009)
First Concert (15th of June 1990)
Lincoln and Keith's First Concert (19th Of August 1995)
Busking in Christchurch City Square, New Zealand (3rd of May 1996)
Live at Revolution Metal Fest, Mexico City (20th of November 2004)
Live at Nordic Fest, Norway (9th of November 2007)
DISC 2
Live Planetarium (Live at Black Stump Festival - 1st of October 1993)
Acoustic Live at The Seaside Festival, Norway (With Norwegen Introduction) and on Dutch Radio (June 2001)
The latest Mort Album "the evil addiction destroying machine" has been receiving some great Reviews. Please click this link to read
The White Throne Online Zine Review.
A close friend and fan Brian Terrell was recently at a Hirax show in The US and gave the guys a copy of "the evil addiction destroying machine". Glenn Rogers is in the picture here with Hirax Frontman and Vocalist Katon De Pena. Hirax are one of my favorite US Thrash Heavy Metal Bands. The second photo is the entire band with Brian in the middle. That's what True Fans and Supporters are made of!!
GlennRogers was of course in both the Original Vengeance and Deliverance line-ups and was also responsible for the best of the songs musically on Vengeance Debut Human Sacrifice. Classic! Glenn has also performed with the Vengeance reformation Once Dead who shared the stage with us at Nordic Fest in 2007. I have been listening to Hirax since their Debut Album "Hate Fear Power" came out in 1985. Katon is a Catholic and his Faith is expressed in many of the Hirax tunes.
In just 6 weeks time Lincoln Bowen, Andrew Esnouf and myself will be Recording The Debut WONROWE VISION Album titled "Mission Invincible". Both the Album and Cover Art will be finished by late January. We have some great High Energy Classic Rock tunes ready to Record. The sound is Motorhead meets Deep Purple meets Status Quo meets 80's Alternative Punk with a Strong Christian Message like Altar Boys and Rez Band. Most of the songs have a Heavy Driving Edge and will be well received by Mort fans into the more accessible end of The Mortification Musical Landscape.
I truly wish to express my Gratefulness to all the fans, financial supporters, Mortification Im-Mort-Alized and Rowe Productions supporters for staying in support of this Mission in and through some tough times. Without you guys I would no longer have the financial power and prayer support needed to continue in this Vital Mission. Anybody wishing to financially support the Recording of The WONROWE VISION Debut Album, Mortification expenses or my vital health expenses can do so via PayPal: info@roweproductions.com
Until next month - Blessings To All!
Steve Rowe.
OCTOBER 2009
Welcome to the latest and greatest news from Rowe Productions for this month of October. Our Mortification "the evil addiction destroying machine" Album has just received a very positive review in The Mighty US Rock Magazine HM. Both writer Jamie Lee Rake and Editor Doug Van Pelt gave "the evil addiction destroying machine" 4 out of 5. Following is the exact review in the latest issue of HM by Jamie Lee Rake:
Mortification
In other October news, Wonrowe Vision continues in regular rehearsal, now onto our 8th song. With just 2 more to be finalized in writing and arranging, we are getting close to A Debut Album's worth of material. I am not sure at this stage when and where the Album will be Recorded, only that it will be next year and hopefully in the first half. I would like to release The Debut Wonrowe Vision Album before we start gigging. But we may have some Live opportunities next April. So stay tuned for news right here and also for Mortification 20th Anniversary shows later next year.
The Mortification 20th Anniversary Double CD release "Twenty Years In The Underground" will be put through the final Mastering stage this month. Keep your eyes right here because next month I will reveal The "Twenty Years In The Underground" Album cover and full Track Listing. Thank You once again to all those who support this Mission. If you wish to support True Jesus Metal and Rock you can do so via PayPal: info@roweproductions.com
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
SEPTEMBER 2009
Welcome to a new season all around. Spring here and Autumn (Fall) for most of you guys out there. It is also a new season for myself and Mick Jelinic. We have had a big crack at breaking back into a Major European indy Record Label with TEADM but, with the current environment, all the decent labels are not licensing Albums right now. The Mortification 20th Anniversary Recording "Twenty Years In The Underground" is now complete and artwork, layout, etc. is in process for release next year.
Mick and I both think, with the current environment in Music becoming difficult, it is time to Record Solo Projects. We have both actually begun the separate processes of preparing to Record these Solo Projects. Mick's as yet unnamed Project is along the path of Melodic Extreme Metal with heaps of fast sections. Fans of Mort are going to really dig Mick's ideas. I have heard some Demo preparation and it sounds Killer!
I have actually been thinking for some years now about Recording a Solo Rock Album. This has actually turned into a Solo Rock Band! I spoke with Lincoln Bowen early this year (Mort '95 to '02) and asked if he would be interested in playing in my Solo Rock Band. He was itching to get back into playing and said "Yes". I knew once I had Lincoln on board that this would be great. Lincoln, like Mick, is a Very Talented Guitarist! I have written a bunch of catchy Old School Rock tunes and Lincoln has worked out the Guitar arrangements. It is sounding every bit how I envisioned it should. Through a common friend, Lincoln and I found a young Christian Drummer, Andrew Esnouf, who has joined the band. It was a dilema coming up with a name because "The Steve Rowe Band", or something like that, is just not the way I wanted to present this Project. I wanted a Band Name, especially with this Project becoming a band entity. So here it is: My Solo Rock Project is called WONROWE VISION.
No, I am not getting older - I am getting younger. I am going back to my roots! Some of the bands I really loved when I was a kid, from Age 8 to 21, and still love and collect today: Motorhead, Slade, Status Quo, G.B.H and Tank. Of course, in 1984 I heard Christian Heavy Edge Rock for the first time and thus WONROWE VISION has strong influences from the early Heavy Edge Christian Rock Bands: Resurrection Band, 100% Proof, Altar Boys and The Crucified. WRV is best described as Old School Heavy Edge Rock n Roll. Mort fans will hear influences from some of the more accessable Mort songs. The sound is simply more Organic with a range of Guitar tones. We are rehearsing the songs every 2 weeks with a view to Record an Album early next year, followed by some local shows. The Vision of this band is to appeal to all ages and being more "accessable" gives us an "In" to play at Youth groups and Schools, ground that I cannot cover with Mort.
Mick and I will regroup later next year for some possible 20th Anniversary Mort shows and with a view to Recording another Album 2 or 3 years down the track. Exciting times for both of us! Mick has taken on a very big full time job this year and my health has not been good at all - a couple of other reasons to be doing these more localized Projects at this time.
Please pray for us with these new-found musical adventures, especially for Artistic Excellence, Financial income to support the releases and for my personal health and medical expense issues. If you wish to help support the ongoing Mission of Rowe Productions or my medical expenses you can do so via Paypal: info@roweproductions.com
So I will leave you there and say Blessings for another month. It is exciting times for Mortification and these other new projects. I will leave you with some important reflections from my friends at Retroactive/Bombworks Records. More exciting updates next month! See you then!
Steve.
"Though it has been beaten into the ground by so many different parties, for those of you who illegally download CDs, please stop. The idea that illegal downloads hurt only the big labels is a myth and the ever-increasing propensity of people who download music that wasn't paid for is taking it's toll.
Sales are the life blood of small and mid size labels and the bands they support and illegal downloads are slowly sucking the life away. It is so simple to sample music from a band these days, with sites like MySpace, before you buy the release. If you love the music that a band or a label is putting out then please support them by purchasing the music. Despite what many people seem to think, it is very expensive to put out a release and support it and the band properly. The future of music is bleak if this trend does not stop."
AUGUST 2009
Hello and welcome to a mellow August Update. I understand that the July Update was quite "in Your Face" but i think if someone elects themselves to stand up and say "Well what about this problem", like in any political setting, it is styled to bring people to discus a difficult topic. Thank You to everyone for airing your thoughts on the topic of Internet downloading. It was quite a black and white response - a lot of support and a lot of opposition. But I am glad the topic is now well and truly in people's thoughts.
I have had the opportunity this month to work with Warren Hammond at Penny Drop Studio mixing the Re-Recorded Mortification Classics for our upcoming 20th Anniversary CD "Twenty Years In The Underground". The result is very pleasing. We referenced some more modern Death Metal like Amon Amarth to find an up-to-date approach to our Old School Death Metal songs, especially Nocturnal, Grind Planetarium and Impulsation. Hammer Of God and The Majestic Infiltration Of Order (God Rulz) have also been Re-Recorded. Initially I was hesitant to Re-Record what was not broken but the end result sounds killer! The early songs obviously lend themselves well to the the more Brutal Death Metal vocal and Production. I think the Old School Mort fans will be stoked. But you will all need to wait until early next year. The 15 rare Live Tracks are yet to be added to the mix.
It has certainly been an interesting month in Metal world wide. Europe's biggest Distributor of almost 100 Indepedent Metal labels has gone under. This will bring very difficult times for hundreds of the world's biggest bands and some of the top Independent European labels. Thankfully Nuclear Blast are distributed by Warner (A Major Label) and so will survive this downfall. It is tough times for Metal and all music in general. With the increase of people buying or stealing from The Internet, CD sales are at an all time low, surprisingly even in Underground styles like Metal, Alternative and Punk.In Germany, surrounding counties and even here in Australia major chain stores have sacked specialist music buyers, opting rather to have one central buyer for Essential Major Label buying only. Many Metal labels including the best here in Australia have been floored by this collapse. It has been coming for months now, but with the biggest Distributor of Metal crashing in Europe the music that we love is in jeopardy. I know that this style of Essential Music only buying is also in effect in The US. This crash also effects the fleeting Christian Metal scene which is struggling to sell units for similar reasons. Hopefully the best artists will stay alive on iTunes and other Pay Dowload sites. Yes folks - it is time to put your dollar where your heart is and keep Metal alive!
Some of my comments last month were misunderstood and, as I guessed, many focused on the distracting side issues like comparing steal downloading to try before you commit relationships. But that was put there to see how many would note the real point - stealing music is killing it! Obviously listening to a CD in a store before you buy is fine, so why can't that store be iTunes? 12 out of the 14 Mortification Albums are available on iTunes and other Pay Download sites (including "the evil addiction destroying machine") to sample before you buy. Thus, no reason to steal.
If I am successful in obtaining email addresses from christian download sites I will not be suing people. I will simply send a letter asking for an apology and hopefully a small donation to this Mission. But if that happens it will really just be a note to let people know that The Legal System is catching up with Cyberspace. I will meet with my Attorney this coming week to finalize the Letter Of Copyright Infringment to the christian download sites. I will know just how effective this will be within the coming months.
So I can say this: Being completely Independent as an artist is a good place for Mortification to be right now. It seems the Major Labels and the little guys like ourselves are in the best possible place in a scene under siege. But please note Rowe Productions is also tinkering on the edge of collapse. I am planning to Record a Christian Rock project later in the year but that all depends on how this little Mission travels financially over the next 5 months. More info on the coming Jesus Rock Band next month.
The 20th Anniversary Album will initially be available for pay download in early February next year, hopefully along with The Jesus Rock Band. December/January is make or break time for Rowe Productions. Not only with the 2 planned releases but it is also the time in which I have to pay very high fees to my Accountant. At this stage we do not even have the finances to pay for The Mortification 20th Anniversary mix. But I am hoping we can cover that soon and move on to the next process with these projects.
I was speaking to my wife Kate the other day, telling her that after my love for Christ first, then Kate and my son Leighton comes my love for Rock and Metal Music - especially Christian Rock and Metal. I have been involved in Christian Metal Evangelism for 25 years now, so I am not going to give up easily. Thank you to all the people out there who support this Mission. Especially the Christian individuals and business people who have sent financial support over and above buying CDs or Pay dowloads. You guys are the only reason I am still here In Jesus Metal Mission. To survive right now and through this next 12 months I am hoping that more Christian business people in a position to support Evangelistic Christian Music Missions financially will do so. I am not just talking about Rowe Productions but other similar Music Missions. For example, just this past month I have discovered a killer Jesus Metal Band called Messenger. They have nothing to do with Rowe Productions but please check Messenger out at www.messengermetal.com. You will hear their songs streaming and have the opportunity to buy their CD from CD Baby. You will hear that Messenger are killer and the message is very evangelistic. It is bands like this that we as True Christian Metal fans need to support into the future. So I hope that the best of The Independent Metal labels world wide can survive, especially Christian labels like Soundmass and Retroactive Records (please note that Soundmass is our Distributor and hosts our site. Soundmass also supports us with site updates and modification and email outs. Rowe Productions and Soundmass are completely separate Companies that simply work together. We are not one and the same entity as it seems to many.)
So I pray you all have a great month and continue to challenge yourselves with the moral ethics that we face each day.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
JULY 2009
Hi everyone and welcome to Summer or Winter, wherever you are. It is winter here and so rather cold. Lots of flus going around so keeping up on the Vitamin C. I went through a kind of flu the last 2 weeks but thank God it was not the Pig Flu! Firstly, some tremendously good news. I did an interview last month with one of the UK's biggest secular Metal Magazines, "Terrorizer", so there will be a feature article on Mortification coming this month in the Summer Edition of Terrorizer. Look out for it in stores in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as it is an English publication.
I’m not sure how to start the bulk of this Update but I got a tremendous email this morning and asked the fan if I could share it here and he said yes. I got a giggle out of it but it also perfectly compliments the topic of this month's Update. So here we go from a fan who will remain anonymous:
"I have a two and a half year old son who has taken after his dad (me) with his taste in music. So far he calls it "monster music". He loves to sit and look at the album covers and wants me to pick out and show him CDs that have monsters on the cover like Iron Maiden's "Eddie" monster. Anyway, he digs the last Mort album because of the goblin on the cover and because your vocals sound like a monster. So now knowing he liked Morty I pulled out "Triumph of Mercy" because of the big warrior-esque angel on the front but he says "No daddy, not that one". I ask why and he then said, "That's not a monster, that's a nice man" looking at the drawing of you on the front".
Yes, very cute and a nice compliment. Maybe the kid is a Prophet!? HaHa! Anyway, the real valid point here is this: The boy likes Looking At The Covers. So the question we must ask ourselves is this: When he is 15 will there still be Hard Copy music available for him to buy on CD or Record so he can sit down, listen to his love of Monster Music and study the covers and layout? The way things are going I think "Possibly not". The world has become a sad place for supporters and collector's of Hard Copy Music.
Imagine spending 3 years writing and Recording an Album that in the end costs $20,000 to release and people do not buy it but rather choose to steal it for free from a "christian" music download website. Sure, many of you have bought the new Mort Album "the evil addiction destroying machine" but not in the quantities of any past Albums. Our early Albums all sold 50,000 units and the "Scrolls of the Megilloth" music clip on YouTube has been watched one quarter of a million times! The DVD re-issue of "Live Planetarium" that the “Scrolls...” Film Clip is on has sold less than 700 Hard Copies! Sad But True! At this stage it looks as though selling 2000 of the new Mort Album is going to be a challenge!
Last month my wife Kate and I were unable to pay some bills for the first time in 20 years of marriage. Kate works full-time and the financial load on her has taken us to the point where I must stop Recording Mortification Albums unless something changes. The promised “20th Anniversary Album” will be released next year by another Record Company. We just cannot go on losing on these releases and need to start counting the losses and planning new paths for me. I have even had to cancel vital medicines for my waning health. This is a big strain on an already struggling body.
I am not giving up. We are hoping to do some 20th Anniversary shows next year. But I doubt very much that there is a Record Company out there who would ever advance me $15,000 to Record an Album of the Production quality of “TEADM”. I think people are missing the Very Unique and original sound of “TEADM” - it is a Top Production on all levels and sounds like Nothing I have ever heard before.
Very specific free "christian" download music sites now exist and it is simply way to easy for people to steal Mortification and even Lightforce Albums. This is a travesty! I was watching a TV show last night on the bootlegging of Movies and it is a Massive worldwide problem with many bootleg DVDs being sold to finance *Terrorism*. So it has all gone beyond The Individual, The steal download sites, The Triads and The Mafia and is now a money making machine for international Terrorism!! What is music bootlegging financing? Maybe the end of the world? Most defineitly the end of True Music Art. Especially at the Independent level.
I spoke to a representative at The Australian Performing Rights Association last week and they put me through to the Australian Arts Law Centre. I left a message and was called back the next day. This service is a free Legal advice centre specifically dealing with Arts Law. The lady who rang me back is a US Attorney in the area of Arts Law. They are inundated with complaints similar to mine. I got a quick call back because this lady (who was not a Christian) could not believe that there were free "christian" download sites facilitating the stealing of Christian Music Art. Her first question: "Isn't theft against the Christian Faith?" I replied, "Absolutely, even down to being one of the Ten Commandments. You Shall Not Steal". This Attorney told me that, yes, technology and The Internet is advancing, but so is the International Legal System. People are getting caught and prosecuted the world over. Because of my Rights as the Copyright owner I will absolutely win any legal advancement against these “christian” download sites. I will be able to achieve this with a simple letter of demand against the infringement of my personal artistic rights and Copyright. These sites are scared because by facilitating the stealing of other people's property they all make money somehow, i.e. Pop-up Ads, etc. With a letter that will be drafted to these “christian” download sites by my Attorney I will have the immediate ability to have all my songs removed from their sites, a list of stolen quantities and a list of emails, websites and internet links to groups and individuals who have stolen my art. If you have stolen any of my music from “christian” download sites you will be legally tracked down.
Among other sins listed in Corinthians Chap. 6 v. 10 it says "Thieves will NOT inherit The Kingdom Of God”. Think about it! Do you wish to face eternal damnation because you are a compulsive thief? Of course, this is a New Testament Scripture and so we live under Grace, but as Jesus often said whilst here on earth, "Go and Sin No More!" So if you have ever stolen my art from a “christian” download site here is what you need to do before the legal system catches up with you. (1) Repent and steal no more and (2) Send $23 Australian dollars per CD that you have stolen from “christian” download sites. Via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com, along with an apology. I will be most happy to forgive you in a return email and make sure your name goes on a list so that you cannot be prosecuted.
Many out there claim that they download Albums to hear what they sound like before purchase. This is also an evil practice. The Bible tells us clearly Not To Try Before You Buy. It is like having sex with your girlfriend/boyfriend before you marry to see if you like them in bed or not. If you don't, then you don't get married. This too is a godless practice also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:10: The sexually Immoral Shall Not Inherit The Kingdom Of God. So your excuse Cannot Ever Be "I wanted to hear the Album before I bought it". If you support Christian Rock and Metal then buy the CD or a legal Paid download from iTunes, etc!!! Also remember that patience is a virtue and that what is worth waiting for IS worth waiting for and Far More Rewarding and Satisfying!
I apologise for submitting this Update to all those who do purchase my music legally by CD or Paid Download. However, this issue had to be addressed straight on. If this situation does not change all the True Mort fans out there will never hear another full-length Mortification Studio Album.
In Good Faith,
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
JUNE 2009
Hello Rowe Productions supporters and welcome to Morti world once again. The new Mortification Album "the evil addiction destroying machine" is now in the Soundmass.com store and ready for your hungry ears. With all new Mort releases there have been mixed response; pretty black and white. Some Really Like It and some really Don't Like It. But I knew with presenting the band in a reinvented way it was an excitingly dangerous move! I am very sure that after a few listens the Album will really grow on Everyone, like Mold! HaHa. Yes, just kidding. As with other Mort releases like "Hammer Of God" and "Silver Cord..." people are really getting into those Albums now as they have matured, like Cheese! HaHa! Yes, good to have a laugh, especially at yourself! But hey, this new Album is a Huge and Unique sound Production!!
I for one could not be more pleased with the way it all turned out in the end. The Production is great and the Digi-Paks and layout look and feel really good. So get behind this Jesus Metal Mission and purchase "TEADM" and help us reach the unsaved and those on "the edge of Church Culture" who need this Jesus Metal Alternative.
It is sad for me to read on forums that people are already stealing the Album from The Net. I guess it is "the world" we live in, but it is tough on Music Artists. I have 2 big releases coming out next year and so need your support to help get these 2000 Hard Copy Digi-Paks out there and into the stereos of people worldwide. Thank You to all my loyal supporters who have bought so many copies - for that I am Very Grateful. I just want to reach people for Christ. If you wish to support the ongoing Mission of Rowe Productions you can do so via PayPal - info@roweproductions.com
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
MAY 2009: Part 2
Welcome to the back end of May and the front end of the Hard Copy CDs of Mortification "the evil addiction destroying machine" in the www.soundmass.com store Now!! Thank You once again to all those who Pre-Ordered. Especially The "Mortification Im-Mort-Alized Supporters"! Your names all look great on the main page of the Digi-Pak! You will all have your CDs in the coming weeks!
...and so after 3 long years of very hard work and effort the new Mort Opus has finally arrived! Hoping now for the support of all the Mortification Metalheads worldwide! This Digi CD has been a huge investment in prayer, time and money to bring you the best Production possible on all levels. If I can see 1000 Retail sales and 1000 Wholesale from this initial pressing of just 2000 this project will be covered cost wise. Of course I will be pursuing mainstream Record labels for license in Europe and South America. I am also looking to present this Album and the Coming Mortification 20th Anniversary Album to an as yet undisclosed US Christian label!
For those who support Rowe Productions in Prayer, Please Pray that this Album and the coming 20th Anniversary Mortification Album will be received in good favor by all the above labels. God has laid upon my heart strongly a need to get Jesus focused Metal and Rock into the US Christian Bookstores in big numbers! This is my idea to approach Label ?? because they have US CBA Distribution. Many of the older bands are struggling along as Independents and it is one of my Missions to get some of the Older Jesus Metal back in those US Christian Bookstores.
So the hint here is that there is an exciting Jesus Rock Band coming to Rowe Productions very soon! Watch this space! I have also had a large number of requests for Mortification to Re-Record a bunch of 90's Classics. Thus early next year will see the release of Mortification "twenty years in the underground".
This coming release will feature 5 Re-Recorded Mort Classics! 1- Nocturnal, 2- Grind Planetarium, 3- Impulsation, 4- Hammer Of God and 5- The Majestic Infiltration Of Order. This project will be in process in August. The 5 Re-Recorded Classics will be added to 15 rare Live Tracks from stand out shows in The Mort History: The very 1st show (June 1990), Lincoln and Keith's 1st show (1995) including a Rippingly Intense rendition of Scrolls Of The Megilloth, Live Street Mission work as we performed on the Streets of Christchurch City Square New Zealand (1996), Revolution Metal Fest Mexico City (2004) with *Spanish Interpretation* and Nordic Fest Norway (2007)! Please pray that our South American friends will be Blessed by The Spanish Interpretation. Special Thanks to Marco and Miguel in Mexico City.
The reason for announcing this early 2010 release is simple. We need to sell this pressing of 2000 Digi-Paks in order to be able to release this next one! ...and so on with the coming "mystery" Jesus Rock Band, set for release this time next year. So as you can see I am relying strongly on you our Christian Supporters to really get behind "the evil addiction destroying machine" to help see Rowe Productions build once again and this time with quality Digi-Pak releases every time. This is The Vision and this is The Mission! Quality, Well Produced and Well Promoted Jesus Music that will Bless Christians and Minister to the unsaved through secular licensing deals. Not for the faint hearted! .....and so we are True!
I was one of those "Lost" Christian kids that just did not fit the "expected church image"! In early 1984 I was given the Album Colours by Resurrection Band and my life turned 180 degrees and back onto the path walking with Jesus! Within a couple of days I had bought the Inner City Christian Bookstore out of Resurrection Band, Jerusalem, Daniel Band, 100% Proof and Barnabas. Thus is the need for Jesus Metal for today's kids on the "edge of church culture". Sure there are some great young Jesus Rock and Metal Bands in The CBA market but as a Dinosaur of this scene I just pray everyday for more Jesus bands like Disciple and Haste The Day. Plus a reconnection of Old School Jesus Rock and Metal with the CBA stores.
All together the above Vision and Mission is a 50/50 Recipe to Bless The Christians and the unsaved in our sin sick world! Such Missions can only succeed with the support of you guys! The True Metal Church! Like any Missionaries, The Mission is only advanced as far as The Church supports it! Special sponsorship can be sent via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com
Please also keep in mind that this is a Mission under the strain of medical expense. Sure I believe in healing everyday. God has done a major work of inner and outer healing in my life, however there are some significant physical scars left behind following my miracle survival of double cancer and also my healing to the point of walking and performing live as a paraplegic! Please make special PayPal note if any donation is for essential medical expenses. As many of you well know there are others from the older generation of Jesus Metal suffering with illness and medical debt. You fight the devil and he fights back! Thus is our need for you! Our support crew!
I Love All Of You and You Are All In My Prayers! Many Many By Name.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
MAY 2009
Hello once again to all the Rowe Productions supporters worldwide. Firstly, another huge Thank You to all the people who continue to Pre-Order the new Mortification Album "the evil addiction destroying machine". The layout and artwork look fabulous! This really is a high quality release all round. I hope you all enjoy this Mort Album as much as I do when you hear it. I can for sure say this: The Music Production, cover artwork, Layout and Digi-Pak CD are all top notch quality!
Please note that not all Digi-Paks are top level in quality. There are varying degrees of quality in Digi-Paks being released around the world. Actually, "Digi-Pak" is a Trade Mark name just like "Band Aid". But we all know there are plenty of lower grade "band aids" around that are not "Band Aids" at all. This is the first Digi-Pak that I have ever released and although it is being pressed by an Australian Company called "Mad Pak", it is a True Top Notch level of thick cardboard with solid silicone CD tray in the True Quality of what is a "Digi-Pak". Hope you all get
the picture here. One of my main motos in life is this: "Quality is not quality unless it is quality". This CD release is top level value for your money. This Aussie Company is called "Mad Pak" because you have to be Mad like me to pay the price for this level of CD packaging! HaHa! I just want you guys to get the best possible product for your dollar. I also wish to promote the survival of Hard Copy Metal Music releases.
Please keep the Pre-Orders coming as the CDs will be at Soundmass and ready to post in just 3 weeks time! I will notify you all in a special update right here the day that the new CD is at Soundmass and being posted to you. I have many costs to cover so if you can continue the Pre-Orders I would be eternally Grateful. I am doing this fully
Independently at this stage and so it is a Big leap of Faith! Thank You all once again for your tremendous support.
On a completely different note, discussion has been raised on The Firestream Forum about Mick Jelinic's 90s Band Terraphobia. I was actually talking with Mick recently about
presenting Terraphobia to you guys here who support Rowe Productions releases and Mick has been hesitant because Terraphobia was not a Christian Band. Mick started playing Metal in the mid 80s at the same time I did. Mick is less than one year younger than me and so we are both veterans of The Aussie Metal scene. Mick was the Guitarist in successful Aussie Power Metal Band Lethal Dose in the second
half of The 80s. In the early 90s Mick started Terraphobia as a 4 piece Thrash Metal Band with a Lead Vocalist. On release 2, 3 and 4 the Band became Michael Jelinic's
Terraphobia with Mick taking on the roles of Lead Vocalist, Guitarist and sole songwriter. Through the course of Albums 2, 3 and 4 Terraphobia became a 3 piece entity. Someone on Firestream has mentioned very recently that they purchased all 4 Terraphobia CDs directly from Mick's old Website from Mick himself. So now is the time to demystify Terraphobia and let you all know exactly what you are in for when you purchase Teraphobia CDs directly from Mick. Terraphobia as mentioned was a Non Christian Band. Terraphobia Albums contain themes and some cuss words that some Christians may find offensive. Mick has walked a different path since joining Mortification in relation to his focus on Christ in his life. I can highly recommend all 4 Terraphobia Albums as great quality Thrash Metal releases with Mick's trademark shreding Lead Guitar work. Mick also has a strongly unique approach to Thrash Metal Vocals. So you now all know what you are in for! Mick has hundreds of all 4 Terraphobia CDs still available for purchase. Please support
Mick in purchasing these CDs but only if you realize that you are Not buying Christian product and some themes and some language can be offensive. Please also note that Mick
has only just updated the USD$ price in the last 2 days and so the first order from a Christian was sent with 3 of the CDs just as paper parts and CDs. The price now covers full postage and handling for all 4 CDs to be sent in their Jewel cases and trays individually or as 2, 3 or all 4. This issue had to be addressed at some point and now you all know the situation. You can buy all 4 Teraphobia releases from Mick by PayPal at the following link: http://www.angelfire.com/extreme3/terraphobia. Mick is somewhat hesitant about me presenting Terraphobia here. But I know that we have all progressed to a level of maturity in our Metal buying that to a large degree we all understand the situation here. I for one will always support my close friend Mick. I understand the walk Mick is now on and strongly support Mick's past work from a musical perspective. I hope that clears the situation up once and for all. Mick has been my greatest right hand man in Mort through the bands most difficult years.
Catch all of you later in the month.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
APRIL 2009: Part 2
Hello Mortification supporters and welcome to the most important Rowe Productions Update this year. It would be great if you could read this update before going to the Soundmass MySpace to hear the samples of two thirds of 2 brand new Mortification songs: 1- "the evil addiction destroying machine" and 2- "The Master Of Reinvention". Hope you enjoy 3 years of hard work and 5 months of Intense Recording. The full Album "the evil addiction destroying machine" will be available from us here at Rowe Productions in late May on Delux Edition Digi Pak CD. It is very exciting to be able to present you, our most valued supporters, with a release of top level Production. The journey is well worth the effort and the wait for me as much as anyone.
The "Mortification Im-Mort-Alized Supporters" really came through and we achieved an extrodinary number of Pre-Orders between March 1st and April 10th. The hundreds of
supporters who ordered within that timeframe will all be listed on the main inside panel of the Digi Pak. I am so very Grateful for your tremendous support of this Mission.
So here we have it - the first 25 people from around the world who pre-ordered "the evil
addiction destroying machine":
1- Sam Gibson
Also included in the Photo Gallery are some photos from the official photo shoot for "the evil addiction destroying machine" - just scroll down to 2009. So check those out along with the 2 sample songs on the Soundmass MySpace - two thirds of each song as a teaser. Please continue to Pre-Order. The May Update may be a little late but I should know by early May what is the expected late May release date for the new Album.
Blessings and Thank You to all,
Steve Rowe.
APRIL 2009
Hello once again to all of my fantastic Mortification Metal Mission supporters and welcome to the exciting April Update. I have some great reports for you all this month. Firstly, the new Mortification Album "the evil addiction destroying machine" is now complete in Production and almost ready for pressing.
The best news that I can report is that we are doing our first ever Rowe Productions DigiPak release!! Thank you to you, the most valued of supporters, we are able to make this special Delux Edition of "the evil addiction destroying machine" available. We have had many people make multiple Pre-Orders and so with all your great support we have a significant list of "Mortification Im-Mort-Alized Supporters" who will be listed on the main inside panel of the DigiPak available right here at Rowe Productions in late May.
I know there are hundreds of Mortification fans out there eager for this new release to arrive after a long 3 years since Erasing The Goblin. I am hoping another 100 supporters will Pre-Order within the next 10 days and have their name included with their Immortal bothers and sisters on this ground breaking new release.
"the evil addiction destroying machine" sounds like nothing I have ever heard before, not even any other Mortification Album.... and so for this the 14th Mortification Album expect a Massive, free flowing barrage of Intense and Brutal Metal Storms. Turn It Up Loud!!!!!!! On April 15th I will present the Top 25 "Mortification Im-Mort-Alized Supporters" in order of their Pre-Order! Did you make the Top 25? Stay tuned April 15th. Also on April 15th I will present a sample of one song from "the evil addiction destroying machine" plus photos from the Official Photo Shoot for the new release.
So if you have not yet Pre-Ordered your copy visit the Soundmass.com store immediately and get your name
Im- Mort- Alized before April 10th. Just 10 days to go!! The artwork layout is in Production and names are added daily to the list of Immortals! This is an exciting time to be involved in Metal Mission as the heat becomes too strong for most bands to stay True to releasing quality Extreme Metal! This Album is a big budget release with a huge Production! Check out www.pennydropaudio.com to see the Fire in which this Metal was Forged! The best Recording Studio for Metal in this country!
So please sit tight, keep your Armor On and meet me here April 15th for the most exciting Update this year! You will hear a brand new Mortification song, see the new photos and who made that Top 25!! If you are hungry for some quality Christian Metal please also check out www.fullarmorradio.com
See You All Right Here in just 15 Days!
Metal Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
MARCH 2009
Special new Mortification Studio Album "the evil addiction destroying machine" offer! Get your name Im-Mort-Alized!!!!!
Firstly, thank you to all our supporters who sent mails and were praying for our State of Victoria here in Australia during the recent wave of bushfires. The fires are now under control. We are safe here in the city but the fires came close. Currently 5000 Victorians who have either lost their homes or were evacuated are in camps around the state. So far the death toll looks as high as 300 and thousands have lost their homes. It is the worst disaster in this State's history. So far within Australia over 100 Million Dollars has been raised from donations to help those directly affected by the fires that raged through the hottest week in Victorian State History. Please keep praying for those who have lost everything including entire families dead.
Onto brighter news… This month we finalise the Mortification Recording of the new Studio Album "the evil addiction destroying machine". The Album is sounding Intense and Ripping! Well pleased with three years of hard work now coming to completion. "the evil addiction destroying machine" will be available from this site (www.roweproductions.com) through the www.soundmass.com store from late May. In the coming April update I will have some of the Official photo shoot available for all of you to view. Please see Album cover and Track List below.
We have a very special offer available to those supporters out there who Pre-Order "the evil addiction destroying machine" from now until April 10th. If you pre-order within the next 5 weeks your name will appear in the "Mortification Im-Mort-Alized Supporters" list within the Album booklet. Yes, your name will personally be listed as one of our most true supporters. The Most True Mortification supporters! The extra special addition to this is that your name will be listed in order of when you place your Pre-Order. As you read this update many others around the world will be ordering to gain that position of Top 25 Mortification supporters worldwide! Announced April 15th right here! Are you The Number 1 Im-Mort-Alized Supporter in The World!?
When we had the special 500 numbered Limited Edition version of "Erasing The Goblin" in 2006 we sold all 500 in 6 weeks. Can we see those same 500 Im-Mort-alized on this brand new release? Surely this will also be a tremendous help with the release. The more Pre-Orders in these next 5 weeks, the more Delux the packaging will become! Help us make The True Jesus Metal Statement Of The Century! United in this Mission we work together. Go to the www.soundmass.com store now and book your place in Christian Metal History!!
For the release to be in Delux DigiPak format we need to pre-sell over 400 units within the next 5 weeks before going to print. Maybe consider buying a copy for yourself and one for a friend or a person you wish to pass on The Most Important Message In The World to. If we sell fewer than 400 copies before April 10th the Album will be in standard Jewel Case Format. Help us to get the Delux DigiPak release happening. If we do a Delux DigiPak release "The Mortification Im-Mort- Alized Supporters" will be listed on the main section of the inside of The DigiPak! It is all up to you guys. If you support this Mission in this way we will supply you and the world with our Truly Supreme statement of beliefs.
"the evil addiction destroying machine" is being Recorded at Australia's finest Studio for Metal music, Penny Drop Studio Melbourne. You can check out Penny Drop on The Net. Penny Drop has the finest quality Recording equipment in the world. No expense is being spared with this Album to ensure a world class Production. The latest in all equipment relating to Audio Metal music Recording.
The Album has an initial limited release on Rowe Productions. You will still be able to pre-order up to the release date but you only have until April 10th to get your name on "The Mortification Im-Mort-Alized Supporters" list! At this point in time the best way you can support this Mission. Licensing deals will see "the evil addiction destroying machine" released worldwide with your name on it! Make your statement for the message to which we All Stay True!!!!!!!
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
FEBRUARY 2009
Hi everyone out there. I guess most of you are in winter right now, but here in Australia we are in the middle of a summer heat wave. It is currently the hotest week in 100 years here in Melbourne, so we are struggling with all the bushfire problems once again. I am glad that we live in the suburbs but even a house 2 minutes from here was burned down from out of control grass fires last week. Scary!
In Mortification recording news, all the bass and vocal parts have been completed. Drums, guitars and mix will be completed next month. The new Mortification album will be called "the evil addiction destroying machine". Look out for an initial release through us here at Rowe Productions in June. CDs will be available from Rowe Productions through the soundmass.com webstore.
Dave Kilgallon has been busy in Perth with personal commitments and recording the new Scourged Flesh and Grave Forsaken albums. I have heard both albums and they are killer releases! Dave will not be joining Mortification on the drum kit with personal, employment and band commitments in Perth being so huge right now. Do yourselves a favor and check out the new Scourged Flesh and Grave Forsaken albums when they come out soon on Soundmass.
Recently I went and saw Adam Zaffarese play in his rock band The Greeting Method. I asked Adam if he wanted to play on the new Mortification album and he said "Yes". Adam played on "The Silver Cord is Severed" in 2001 and toured the world with Lincoln Bowen and myself that same year. He was just 16 at the time. Adam also played on the 2002 Mortification release "Relentless". Adam is now 24 and has decided to rejoin Mick Jelinic and myself in Mort. Currently we are working through rehersing the songs with Adam, who is a very established player these days... and so the Mortification Machine lives on!
We are working towards presenting the highest quality production available to us here in Melbourne's finest metal studio Penny Drop. The bass guitar and vocal tracks sound MASSIVE! Penny Drop Studio has the most supreme recording technology available. We are using the same mics and studio gear that Metallica used on their most recent album. The cost is high and right now we do not have a mainstream record company behind us. Combine this with my medical bills and I am really pushing it to cover the costs. If this mission has blessed you over the years and you would like to keep Mort and myself alive, your support would be much appreciated. You can do so through PayPal: info@roweproductions.com
Way too many people are stealing our music from the internet, so I am very grateful for the supporters out there who do buy my CDs and help us keep releasing quality productions. Someone mailed me the other day and asked for the lyrics to a Mort song that they stole from the internet! In general, people see music as "free" and don't realise just how much it costs to make great sounding recordings, especially when a band is an independent artist or even on an independent label. Please support the bands that support you.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
DECEMBER 2008: Part 2
Just some brief good news for fans and supporters of Mortification in the US and the Americas. Scarecrow Records in Mexico has just officially released the double "Live Humanitarian" DVD in NTSC format under license from Nuclear Blast Records. Scarecrow Records is the metal label of Oz Productions in Mexico. The Oz Productiuons/Scarecrow Records site is in Spanish and apparently they also sell on eBay.
Blessings to all for a Happy Jesus Birthday.
Steve Rowe.
DECEMBER 2008
Hi everybody. Happy early Christmas greetings to you all from the huge team of one person here at Rowe Productions. HaHa! Hope that you all have a blessed time celebrating Jesus' birthday.
I have been busy with Mortification commitments as usual. I have completed all the pre-production for the new album. This month I will be recording all the bass guitar tracks and doing the first proper run at the vocal parts. I will add to these in March when we record the body of the album. I have built a strong foundation for the recordings with Warren Hammond, the engineer at Penny Drop Studio where we are recording the new Mort opus.
For the first time in 18 years Mort is finally getting some attention in the Mediterranean. As already mentioned last month, I did an interview with Kerrang Spain that should be available this month. I also just completed an interview with Rock Hard Italy. This is major media in these countries. The interviews have mainly been in relation to the "Live Humanitarian" DVD that is out now on Nuclear Blast Records.
Sales of the DVD continue to be strong and it is getting some killer reviews! Please take a minute to check out the 10 out of 10 review on the Metal In Oz Website by clicking this link. Metal In Oz is a mainstream metal site and the DVD is reviewed by a non-Christian headbanger!
I have had both my short scale Fender bass guitars modified to create a brutal new sound for the new recordings. The short scale basses are helping greatly with my lack of balance (due to paraplegia) and my loss of eyesight following all the cancer madness 10 years ago. They have been fitted with Badass bridges, one with Schaller machine heads and one with a Bartolini pickup. They are sounding nice and brutal, big and aggressive!
So the costs are rising. If you wish to keep this true Jesus Metal machine producing quality recordings that strongly represent the Christian faith, you can send support through PayPal to info@roweproductions.com
Medical bills are also very high at the moment. I am in need of ankle braces to assist in walking. I have been taking some nasty falls lately. I can't afford to break an arm while recording - oopps! The medical stuff is endless and expensive but, with all the media doors opening up for me, this true headbanging mission needs to continue. The Good News must be told in these evil days. I am actually very well, all things considered. I simply have a lot of body damage from almost dying twice from cancer 10 and 11 years ago.
I was a bit of a kamikaze when I was a kid, doing all sorts of stunts on skateboards, BMX bikes, jumping off roofs and on trampolines and in pools. My son Leighton is just like I was. Yes, he has inherited my crazy gene! Click this YouTube link to see Leighton on his flying fox in his homemade adventure park in our front yard.
Stay true to Jesus Metal!
Blessings to all,
Steve Rowe.
NOVEMBER 2008: Part 2
Hi everyone. Yeah, I am not too happy about this but the "Live Humanitarian" DVD cannot be played on the majority of USA DVD players. Nuclear Blast Records and I made every arrangement to make sure that the DVD was pressed in Region 0; in other words, playable world-wide. However, here is the catch - even Region 0 has 2 different format types: Region 0 NTSC and Region 0 PAL. The "Live Humanitarian" DVDs are in Region 0 PAL, which is the standard format for Australia and Europe. If you live in the Americas and do not have a recent model, top level DVD player, you may not be able to play the DVD through your TV and sound system. However, the DVD should play on all computers with a DVD drive.
No one is more sorry about this than I am. But it is just a fact that this is the format of the pressing. I am very sorry to all disappointed fans. The feedback so far is that the DVD looks and sounds great on computers, so this is one plus if your US DVD player is an older or cheaper model. Don't worry - all my stereo equipment is cheap, old and second hand. HaHa! I watch all my DVDs on my computer anyway. That way I can watch my favourite bands without disturbing those in the family with inferior music tastes! HaHa!
Nuclear Blast also has the same problem with the latest Dimmu Borgir DVD, so it is a pressing issue that they will work at fixing with other releases. They are not able to change the format of "Live Humanitarian" with future pressings. However, we can thank God that the first pressing has almost sold through. NB have less than 100 remaining. This is a great blessing after just one month of sales. Thank you all for your support with this.
I am doing some great interviews because of the interest in the DVD. It was a huge honour to be interviewed by Kerrang Spain last week. Kerrang is the oldest and biggest metal magazine in the world, so anyone out there in the Spanish speaking parts of the world can look out for that interview in next month's issue. Those in the USA who speak Spanish should be able to pick up a copy of the mag on the internet at Kerrang Spain.
I enter the studio to start recording the new album in just 2 days time.
Blessings and Peace,
Steve Rowe.
NOVEMBER 2008
Yes folks, this month I am 1 week early rather than 2 weeks late. HaHa! The reason for such craziness is that we start recording the new Mort studio album on November 3rd, so we will be very busy indeed.
Firstly, I apoligise for the delay in getting the "Live Humanitarian" double DVDs into the Soundmass.com store. There were some delays with the freight company and customs. However, they are now in the store. We only have a little over 100 copies at this stage and Nuclear Blast have pre-sold the entire first pressing. This is great news! However, it may be some weeks before Nuclear Blast do the 2nd pressing, so pick up a copy today before this lot sells through. Can I please suggest that fans and supporters living in Germany and Switzerland buy a copy from your local music store. If Warner Distribution did not get one in the music store nearest you, the store can order from Warner Distribution or Nuclear Blast Records Germany directly.
On to other news... The two "Live Humanitarian" DVD launches here in Australia went really well. We had a killer turn-out for a Thursday night up in the hills here in Melbourne. Dave Kilgallon played amazingly for his first shows with the band. We had sound difficulties at both Ruby's Lounge here in Melbourne and also on mainstage at the Black Stump Festival, but Dave played like a true pro and we had a really great time. All our immediate family members flew into Sydney with us for the Black Stump appearance; my wife Kate and son Leighton, Mick's wife Pauline and daughter Melissa and son David and Dave's dad Mark also flew over from Perth to be with us. It seems that monitor guys have trouble with the sheer volume we play at on stage! No surprises there! HaHa! At both shows, once we got 2 songs into the set, we settled in for a ripping good time. The young crowd up at Stump really dug the set and it seems we have gained a whole new bunch of teenage supporters, with many of them buying CDs and DVDs from us following the set. This year Black Stump's mainstage was in a huge arena at the Sydney Olympic Equestrian Centre. The mosh pit was huge! It was great to see hundreds of people in a giant circle mosh in front of stage, fists in the air and jumping up and down. Leighton got into his first ever mosh pit and is thus now a man! We did a long interview after the set and also did a signing session. All in all, an incredible time was had by all.
Just last weekend I competed in the Australian Transplant Games. Anyone who has seen the Bonus DVD in the "Live Humanitarian" pack will be familiar with my throwing hobby. I was pleased with my throws, throwing two personal bests with the shot and hard ball. I'm still hoping to compete at the World Transplant Games next August. There is no issue with compeating, it is just that the expenses for the trip to Northern Australia are currently beyond my personal funding. However, I am confident that, one way or another, I will make my way up there for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Thank you once again to the financial supporters of this mission. Of course, to continue in it involves not just recording and touring costs, but also keeping healthy enough to keep this Jesus Metal machine in motion. It is a great honour to work for the Kingdom as a 100% mission. It is difficult being stamped "unemployable" by the Australian Government because of my health condition and medical commitments. However, being free to work for God full-time keeps me very busy. I praise God daily for my wife Kate who pays all the day-to-day bills and works a very full-time job to keep us and put my son through a decent education. None of us know why the "bad" things in life come to test us. Living with paraplegia is a painful and frustrating existence. However, it is in our weakness that we are strong. What counts in this apprenticeship for eternity in our short physical life is how we overcome all life's troubles and pain with a Good News attitude to all those in "the world" who have their eyes on us constantly. Please continue to pray for both the secular and Christian metal scene. Many people are on their way to hell and, for those who pray, it is our duty to lead as many into the Kingdom as we possibly can. Those wishing to support this mission can do so through PayPal: info@roweprodutions.com
Please, if you live in South or Central America, place any missions money into South/Central American poverty missions work. God knows they need it more than anyone in the western world. For those in the western world, please consider sponsoring a child in a third world country through Compassion International before supporting any missions work in the west.
I will catch you all in December with the next Update. We will be recording the new album in parts. I will be doing all the pre-production, bass tracks and vocal guides next month. In late December, Dave will be adding all the drum parts and then Mick will record guitars and I will do the final vocal tracks in March. Finally, in late March, I will do the final mix with engineer Warren Hammond. I will be producing the album with Warren's assistance at the delux Penny Drop Studios. Expect a huge and brutal production! This is the first time we have ever had 3 years between studio recordings. The 10 new songs are killer! We are all very excited as we head towards our 20th Anniversary celebrations in 2010.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
OCTOBER 2008
Welcome to October and the crazy world of Mort! It has been a busy time with new drummer Dave Kilgallon here as we rehearse for this weeks "Live Humanitarian" DVD launches in Melbourne and at the Black Stump Festival in Sydney. We have been practicing the set list and also beginning pre-production for the new studio album which will be recorded between November and March. The 10 new songs are sounding brutal!
Any day now the Nuclear Blast released double DVD "Live Humanitarian" will be in the Soundmass.com store; almost 3 hours of viewing all things Mortification. DVD 1 features a full production Mortification live concert in a theatre in Perth, Western Australia. DVD 2 features 2 segments at Steve's house, the 19 minute EnVision EvAngelene film from 1996, highlights from the 2007 Live Humanitarian European Tour and a section about my throwing hobby (seated discus, shot put and javelin).
I recommend that you take the time to view At Steve's Place Part 2. This segment gives a full overview of my musical history: band influences (both Christian and secular), my interests from a young age in classic rock, right through to what metal and rock I am into and why; the entire low-down on all things that make me tick artistically. The musical progressions in Mortification will make sense when you watch this section in particular.
Thank you so very much for the people who continue to support this mission financially. It is keeping the true message alive! Donations can be sent via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com
Blessings, Steve Rowe.
SEPTEMBER 2008
Well, the month has finally arrived! The Live Humanitarian double DVD pack will be released by Nuclear Blast, Germany, on the 26th of this month. We should have copies in the Soundmass.com store here before the end of the month. For those who truly support this mission, can I please make a suggestion. Buying a copy from roweproductions.com really helps the band and our work. However, now that we have 1 foot back in the door at Nuclear Blast, I am truly hoping they will resign the band. Can I ask that our supporters also consider buying a copy from www.nuclearblast.de at their online store. We have 6 months to prove to NB that we are a viable band with a strong fan base. The more Live Humanitarian DVDs we sell, the better chance we have of NB signing our next studio album which will be recorded between November 2008 and March 2009. Maybe you could buy a 2nd copy for a friend for Christmas?
I did say a couple of months back that the DVD would be a digipak, but it will actually be a standard DVD release. However, it has extended artwork, 2 DVDs and almost 3 hours of viewing and listening pleasure. The production manager at Nuclear Blast and I have worked hard together to get the art layout just right. The release will be in Region 0, so it will be viewable worldwide on any DVD player or computer.
Thank you once again to all the supporters who have sent donations to help keep this mission alive. Costs are high but the message Mort presents to the metal world is so very important. The Live Humanitarian DVD release is a real Good News evangelistic tool. I am still simply amazed that Nuclear Blast are releasing it. Any support can be sent via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com
We hope to see many of our Aussie supporters at the Ruby's Lounge concert on October 2nd at 8:30 pm and at Mainstage at the Black Stump Festival on October 4th at 8:00 pm. We will be pulling out some more old classics including Nocturnal and Impulsation.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
AUGUST 2008
Wow! This year is going fast! Seems like yesterday I was touring Europe with the band and that was ten months ago! All things are in preparation for the worldwide release of the "Live Humanitarian" double DVD set through Nuclear Blast Records. This project has turned out to be a real blessing. A bunch of guys over in Perth, Western Australia, put this package together for next to no charge. Considering this DVD production has a value of $50,000, it is amazing just how God's people worldwide help to keep this Mort mission alive. Due to this being done for us as a mission, I was able to present it to Nuclear Blast at no charge. So let us believe that the images and words presented will impact people's lives and sell well for the mighty NB! There is no way I could have presented such a great production to NB without the tireless work of Steve Mullen and all his team at Metal Mission Australia. Eternal gratefulness to all involved!
We have some new photos in the Photos gallery and one here featuring Mick and myself with Dave Kilgallon our new drummer. It is great to have a young man in the band again. Dave was just 7 when Mort started! We also have the poster for our Melbourne show here for you all to see. We are opening the night for Melbourne metal legends Medusa and a new band called Luthor. We are catching an early flight to Sydney on Friday October 3rd for our Mainstage appearance at the Black Stump festival on Saturday October 4th. We are on stage in Melbourne at 8:30pm and at Black Stump at 8:00pm.
For all those coming to the Melbourne show at Ruby's Lounge, please be early because we have some great giveaways including one copy of the "Live Humanitarian" DVD. I am hoping Nuclear Blast will have copies of the DVD to me by late September. I will also be giving away one copy of the DVD at Black Stump and two "Live Humanitarian" CDs will also be given away at both shows.
We will be recording a demo of a new song very soon at Penny Drop Studio, where we plan to record the new album next year. Penny Drop Studio is the old St Andrews Studio where we recorded EnVision EvAngelene and Bloodworld. The new songs are sounding very heavy with, once again, a fresh approach in the vein of Erasing The Goblin, but different! Ha, ha! Re-invention is the master of all art! Yes, there is plenty of fast stuff but expect the unexpected. The next album will be a very sudden, out of the blocks, in your face, aggressive thunder ball! We are not letting out album or song titles until next year.
Thank you once again to all the amazing people who have helped support this mission this past month. I see Mortification as a dying breed of metal, with most Christians in bands opting to have little or no message anymore. This is something that I find discouraging. That said, I do understand that tolerance for the Christian message is lessening and, thus, bands are simply singing about other stuff. Anyway, if you are on my wave-length and want to see the message continuing to go out through channels like Nuclear Blast Records, you can support through PayPal. Simply donate to info@roweproductions.com to save this mission.
Hope to catch some of you at the upcoming shows.
Blessings to all. Yeah, even to all you mockers out there!
Steve Rowe.
JULY 2008
...and a happy month of July for us all! Big announcements this month with some exciting news. The "Live Humanitarian" DVD is now finally finished in edit. It sounds and looks massive! The official release date for the DVD is September 26th through Nuclear Blast Records, Germany. Yes, you read it correctly, the biggest and best Mort live release will be soley released by the world's biggest and best heavy metal label. The DVD will be in Region 0 and thus playable worldwide.
I was speaking with Nuclear Blast owner Markus about the DVD last November when we were on tour in Europe and had dinner with him and production manager Michael. Michael and Markus have been a huge support for me since they had to let us go in late 2001. It has been a dream to work with Nuclear Blast once again. The release of "Live Humanitarian" is a foot back in the door with the world's best metal label. My main connection with Markus and Michael since 2002 has been one of friendship. There has always remained a strong bond between Mortification and Nuclear Blast. Markus and Michael have helped tremendously over the past 6 years with tour merchandise and support, even as an unsigned artist. They are truly just the best!
We are confirmed to play mainstage at this year's Black Stump Festival. We will hit stage at 8pm on Saturday, October 4th. This mainstage appearance will be the official Australian launch for the "Live Humanitarian" DVD. The DVD will be a double digipak release! Delux supremo!
In more huge Mort news, Dave Kilgallon has officially joined the band on drums. Firstly and most importantly, Mick and myself would like to thank Damien Percy for his amazing 3 year commitment to the band. Damien being involved with us for "Erasing The Goblin" and "Live Humaniatian", plus the related tours, was another great chapter in the Mortification history. Damien, your dedication and input to Mort has been truly tremendous. You have blessed many people with your skill and ideas. It is great to have a growing family of Mortification members and friends.
I recognised Dave Kilgallon's drumming prowess 2 years ago when hearing his band Scourged Flesh. Dave, along with Vaughan Gregory (Grave Forsaken), were a big part of the "Live Humanitarian" DVD concert even happening. Damien was playing Dave's kit on the night in Perth, Western Australia, when the DVD was filmed. Since the recording of "Live Humanitarian", I have been involved in personally supporting both Scourged Flesh and Grave Forsaken releases. Dave will remain living in Perth and continue his drumming commitments with Scourged Flesh and Grave Forsaken. Dave Kilgallon is an awesome young talent.
Dave was over here in Melbourne recently for an extensive time of rehearsing both the new set list and songs for next year's new studio album. Dave will return in September as we prepare for the Black Stump show and once again work on new material. The new songs are sounding massive!
...and so begins a new chapter in Mort history. I am planning a "warm up" show in Melbourne for October 1st. Watch this space for details. Dave will be back here once again in February as we prepare to spend the entire month of March next year recording the 14th Mortification opus.
Last, but absolutely not least, a huge "Thank You" to all who responded to last month's Update with financial support for my ongoing medical expenses and the Mortification mission. With cuts in government funding, under our newly elected Labor Party, for vital health products and equipment, my medical debt continues to rise. Plus, doctors have asked that I use more expensive, highly sterile medical products which, of course, are much more costly. I am continuing with my essential alternative health products due to the help from you, our most generous supporters.
Band expenses are high and sales much lower due to people stealing our music from the internet. In the 90's Mortification sold one quarter of a million units. Sales in this decade, from 4 studio albums and many CD and DVD re-issues, are around 10% of that. Like all metal bands big and small, by the end of this decade we will hopefully be at about 20% of last decade's sales. Considering that the "Live Planetarium" DVD re-issue has sold under 2000 copies worldwide and that over 140,000 people have watched the YouTube clip of "Scrolls of The Megilloth" - you do the math. The "Scrolls..." clip was a classic addition to the '93 "Live Planetarium" video package.
I love YouTube and how it has exposed all of our clips to a new generation of metal fans, creating some strong discussion about Christianity and metal music. YouTube is not stealing. But with the viewers of our clips all giving 4.5 to 5 star ratings, imagine the stealing of our music that is going on. Return to math 1! Of course, I was never involved with putting our clips on YouTube - it was done by fans without my permission. I am not angry about this. However, I will personally place 1 or 2 clips on YouTube from the new "Live Humanitarian" release. Fans will be stopped very quickly if this DVD ends up on YouTube! I will also YouTube myself later in the year in an ad directing people to where they can purchase the high quality DVDs.
Mortification is NOT surviving financially and I wear the brunt of this. I will always continue in this mission because it is my calling to do so, but if the stealing does not stop - this mission may have to. I know how much Mort means to thousands of people. The emails that you, our great supporters, send me are the fuel that keeps us going. If you wish to continue in keeping Mortification and myself alive you can do so by sending a donation via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com
I have received many emails in the past month, some of financial support and many of prayer support and encouragement. All of these have been awesome! If you wish for me to respond personally to you email, please keep it down to a maximum of 1 or 2 short sentences. I love hearing your life stories but cannot attend to huge emails. My need to keep fit and active in sport and to attend countless medical appointments makes time very precious. You know I love you all but I just ask that you keep the emails short and simple. You are the reason Mort continues and for your support, in every way, I am very grateful.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
JUNE 2008
Welcome to the Rowe Productions and Mortification June Update. This is a very different update to usual, just seeing if some supporters out there, who have had their lives effected in a good way by this ministry, may be able to partner me in support. I have spent the past 22 years offering the best metal productions possible with a strong Christian message. As you are all well aware, it has been difficult to survive all these years in this ministry area that loses money every year.
On top of this, I went through cancer 12 years ago which killed Rowe Productions' real ability to continue and almost killed me physically. I was given just 2 hours to live twice. The backlash from that time has been serious health issues, including paraplegia, and the inability to keep Rowe Productions afloat. Somehow Mortification survives and I lend a hand to a select few Aussie Jesus metal bands. From now on it has come down to just keeping myself and Mortification alive.
The cost of my medical and natural therapies just gets higher and higher each year. As you all know, I still keep fit competing in Para sports and doing Mort shows and small tours as I am able. Every year there is some new health issue relating back to the hell I went through in '96, '97 and '98. I am at the point where I am going to have to stop vital medical visits, therapies and medications because the medical debts just keep rising. God has been good to my wife Kate and I but the pressure on Kate has become more difficult each year.
Mortification is not a profit system - it never has been. It is purely a vision to provide quality metal music with a strong Christian message. Next April I am planning to record a new Mortification album, followed by a 20th Anniversary album. The idea is to release the new Mort album mid 2009 and the 20th Anniversary album in 2010. The 20th Anniversary album will be quite special; we plan to re-record 8 classic Mort songs with bigger, brighter production and tons of new guitar solos. The songs will be vocally true to the original recordings. The album will also include 6 never before released live tracks, 3 from 2007 and 3 from 1990.
We have had a hard time trying to get the Live Humanitarian DVD finished in edit, not helped by the fact that the main editor was very ill throughout May. We are still planning to have the DVD available in the next 3 or 4 months and it will be worth the wait.
I am planning some shows and possible small tours for the 20th Anniversary but everything is just in the ideas stage right now. We may be playing at a Christian festival later this year.
Nothing happens in this ministry without money and nothing happens in this ministry if I cannot receive needed medical treatments due to financial debt. Playing music and being actively involved in metal ministry is part of why I have survived these past years. There are only 3 people from the hospital where I had the bone marrow transplant who have lived more than 10 years from the leukemia that I suffered, let alone the secondary spinal cancer. I am now over eleven and a half years out from the transplant.
There are many areas where I need your support. Medical bills, both phamacutical and natural medicines, the recording of the above Mortification projects, tour planning expenses and sporting costs. I was out training this morning - the sport keeps me healthier and walking better. If this seems to be a mission God lays on your heart to support, you can make a donation via PayPal to info@roweproductions.com
If you do decide to send some support, please email me at the same address so that I can thank you in person. I did not really want to write this update but after praying about it, I feel that some who feel they have gained from this ministry may be in a position to help in return.
In all Good Faith. Thanks and blessings.
Steve Rowe.
MAY 2008
Hello once again from chilly Melbourne, Australia. Yes, we are moving into winter here next month and will be keeping the gas companies in business with our heating costs. However, it is a nice day today so I have been out throwing discuss, shot and h-ball in a field nearby, which is one of my favourite things to do. It makes me feel alive! I will be competing once again at this year's National Transplant Games and will be working out and training towards the World Games in August 2009.
I have been busy as usual. Last week I did a 1 hour interview with an American radio station that broadcasts live to stations across the US and Canada. All their shows are podcast, so my interview is available for download, just CLICK THIS LINK.
I have almost completed my best new songs to be recorded for the next Mortification album. From 20 songs I have written in the past 2 years, I am currently presenting the best 8 to the other guys. Mick is still working on his best new tunes, too. We will colaborate on these and then I will put lyrics to Mick's 2 or 3 musical contributions. I have a title for the album but that is under lock and key until next year. We are looking at recording throughout next March and April for a mid 2009 release. Things are moving slowly because the edit of the "Live Humanitarian" DVD is taking much longer than first expected, but I can assure you that it will be worth the wait.
On a different note, I am wondering if anyone can hook me up with a copy of the classic thrash Tempest "Annihilation of the Wicked" demo from the mid 80's. I am not talking about the glam Tempest featuring Jamie Rowe of Guardian; this is the original Tempest. My copy was stolen from my house in the early 90's, so I wish to get hold of a copy of this classic release if someone has it available. Please click "Contact Us" (on the left side of this web page) and shoot me an email if you can help me out.
Be blessed,
Steve Rowe.
APRIL 2008: Part 2
Hello everyone for the second time this month. Just released is the fantastic new Grave Forsaken CD "Destined For Ascension". "Destined.." is a huge step forward for the band and absolutely the most Jesus Metal CD that I have heard in recent years.
This is intense thrash extreme metal that requires the support of all the Jesus Metal supporters out there. Grave Forsaken have the world's most important message upfront in their agenda. So for any metal fan inside or outside the Christian faith this release is a must. It is one of those albums that will go on to challenge all of us as to where our life is at.
I had the privilege of adding some vocals to this release and know that Grave Forsaken are one of a kind in a world arena of music where the message is not so upfront. I thank God for such a great band that has blessed me personally in so many ways; young men of God standing and performing for that to which they behold.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
APRIL 2008
Again, thank you to all for your patience in waiting for this month's update. I have endeavoured to order a bulk quantity of the "Conquer The World" DVD re-issue from Metal Mind Productions in Europe but, between their bank and my bank, the transaction has not been completed. We have a new plan, so I should have more copies of the "Conquer The World" DVD in the next few weeks. Right now, we have just 17 copies available in the Soundmass.com store. Really, this is a great re-issue because it is in digipak format, has the classic Mortification logo on the cover, has been 24-bit remastered and is in 5.1 surround sound. The absolute best thing is that it is in Region 0, so can be viewed anywhere in the world on any DVD player or computer.
"Conquer The World" is a documentary of our 2001 World Tour featuring myself (Steve Rowe), Lincoln Bowen on guitar and Adam Zaffarese on drums. It was absolutely the biggest tour the band has ever done and was a great step-of-faith journey across the unknown. It also features 3 professional video clips, plus a ton of on the road, around the world footage. The undertaking of a tour of this size by an Aussie Christian metal band seemed impossible but, as you will see, with God all things are possible.I hope you enjoy watching the journey for yourselves. There are a lot of crazy things that happened along the way, so it is a fantastic documentary of a mid-sized metal band making this path happen with divine intervention.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
MARCH 2008
Welcome to a belated but very exciting March Update. Finally, all the digipak re-issues have arrived from Europe and are in the Soundmass.com store to cleanse your hungry ears and feed your hungry eyes. I was dreaming these past 2 years about the possibility of the entire Mort history being re-issued on delux digipaks. Finally that dream has come true and was, of course, kicked off last year by Soundmass with our '91 self-titled digi re-issue.
The new set of 8 digipaks go beyond all expectations with extended photos, media clippings and bonus tracks. Highlight layouts include EnVision EvAngelene, Primitive Rhythm Machine and The Silver Cord Is Severed/10 Years Live Not Dead double. That said, all 8 are outstanding in presentation and value. From the masters of digipak re-issues - Metal Mind Productions in Poland - it is an honour to see Mortification unleashed once again in such stellar fashion. Metal Mind are responsible for hundreds of re-issues from Sony BMG, Universal, Roadrunner, Music For Nations and now Nuclear Blast.
10 Mortification releases are amongst the 80 given the honour of these delux re-issues from the Nuclear Blast back-catalouge. The list available of these strictly limited edition releases is Scrolls Of The Megilloth, Post Momentary Affliction, Blood World, Primitive Rhythm Machine, EnVision EvAngelene, Triumph Of Mercy, Hammer Of God and The Silver Cord Is Severed/10 Years Live Not Dead double. The Silver Cord Is Severed now has the classic Mortification logo on the cover, as does the "Conquer The World" DVD which will be available in the coming weeks in Region 0 format. This means it will be viewable worldwide!
Here at Rowe Productions we can offer you an exceptional deal - all 8 digipaks for the price of 6. That is actually 9 CDs for the price of 6 (just find the "Metal Mind Productions 8 CD Pack" in the Soundmass.com store). Plus our individual CD prices are lower than the stores out there. In stores here The Silver Cord Is Severed/10 Years Live Not Dead double is $35 on it's own - here it is just $25, as are the other 7 re-issues if you buy them individually. But buy all 8 digipaks and save $50!
These limited edition digipaks will not last long. The pressing of 2000 numbered copies on gold discs are already in stores worldwide. I have 125 of each title and believe that from the enthusiasm of you, the supporters, I will soon be able to afford a second 125 of each. However, that will depend upon your direct support of the band and just how quickly I can place the re-order. Wholesalers and stores worldwide are onto all the Metal Mind digipaks fast because of their supreme quality, so I am believing that I will have the financial return quickly in order to keep these gems at Rowe Productions as long as possible.
So here's to a new old era revisited! It's like buying a classic car, pulling it to pieces and re-polishing, re- painting and re-building each tiny part. All releases are digitally remastered using 24-bit process. I encourage you to purchase the 8 CD Pack and listen and see how the band progressed over a 10 year period. Many of the mockers in the mainstream can now see the natural progression and are eating their words in review. The re-issues are creating a buzz in the European Metal mainstream with my vocals on the latter albums being compared with Volker from the legendary War Hammer and Paul Speckman from death metal pioneers Master.
A must for all collectors! Be first to own a set of these tasty treats on which to feed your healthy and hungry ears and eyes for all the metal years arriving upon us. Now here and soon to be gone, it would be great to be able to share the excitement of these re-issues with you all. It's a testimony to the fact that a band can stand strong for Jesus in the secular metal realms. Long live true Christian metal!!!!!!!
Blessings.
Steve Rowe.
FEBRUARY 2008: Part 2
Hello Rowe Productions supporters for the second time this month. Just a quick note that there are some cassettes from my private collection for sale in the Soundmass.com store. I was running out of space in my office so had to clear out a lot of stuff from years of collecting different metal related stuff. I have always kept at least 2 copies of all my releases dating back 22 years. The Mort cassettes are not huge collectors items, but the 3 Lightforce cassettes are. 1 copy of the original 1987 Battlezone pressing and 2 copies of the original 1990 Break The Curse pressing (from before we changed the band name to Mortification). These Lightforce cassettes will be snapped up by collectors, so be quick. All 3 Lightforce cassettes are signed.
There will be another update in a couple of weeks about the re-issue digipaks and the Live Humanitarian DVD. The DVD is a monster and will be way worth the wait! It is such a dream come true to finally have such a world-class visual production. I will chat with you all next month.
Jesus Metal!
Steve Rowe.
FEBRUARY 2008
Hello once again Mortification and Rowe Productions supporters. Apologies for no January Update. It is summer over here so I had somewhat of a break last month. It is nice warm weather here in Melbourne. A quite warm 30 degress celcius today. I also had the privilege of adding some vocals to the upcoming Grave Forsaken album last month. Stay tuned for details on that release.
As you will see in the Soundmass.com store, there are now signed Mortification: Live Humanitarian Tour posters for sale. There are less than 100 left so be sure to place your order today. Please note that the self-titled 1991 album is also now available to purchase through iTunes and a dozen other legal download sites. Relentless and Brain Cleaner should also be available to buy from iTunes in the coming months.
The big news this month is that everything ever released by Nuclear Blast from 1992 to 2002 is being re-issued by Polish label Metal Mind Productions. Under license from Nuclear Blast, 8 CDs will be re-issued in delux digipak format packed full of extras like bonus songs, photos, media clippings, linear notes and complete new layouts. I have been completely involved with the art direction with each CD. We will have these available through the Soundmass.com store within the next weeks. The re-issues include Scrolls Of The Megilloth, Post Momentary Affliction, Bloodworld, Primitive Rhythm Machine, EnVision EvAngelene, Triumph Of Mercy, Hammer Of God and The Silver Cord Is Severed. For all you avid collectors, I will be making a very special price for all the people who order the entire set of 8 CDs. No one is more excited about these re-issues than myself. Metal Mind have been around for 20 years and have been really great to work with these past weeks in getting all these digipaks just perfect!
The Conquer The World DVD is also in the process of being re-issued through Metal Mind in Region 0 format, which means it can be watched anywhere in the world. The artwork has been redone with the classic logo replacing the not-so-popular sword logo. The Silver Cord Is Severed will also feature the classic logo. The re-issue of the Conquer The World DVD will also contain bonus footage from the 2002 Black Stump Festival, with classic songs "Grind Planetarium" and "Brutal Warfare" included.
Talking of DVDs, the Live Humanitarian DVD will finally be finished in edit by early next month. No fixed release date just as yet, though. I have seen some of the final edits and the Live Humanitarian DVD will be the finest Mortification live release to date. With a 7 digital camera shoot and 5.1 Dolby surround sound, this is a MASSIVE production, 18 months in the making. It out-does Live Planetarium hands down for sound and picture quality. It will also have some bonus footage including classic songs and on-tour antics from last year's Live Humanitarian European Tour.
Please also check out the latest additions to the Photo Gallery, with some classic shots from the European Tour. Thank you to all our friends and fans who captured us in the moment on the highly successful trek through middle Western Europe. Do not forget to pick up the remaining tour shirts and merchandise from the Soundmass.com store while it lasts. I will keep you well posted as to when the Metal Mind re-issues will be available for purchase.
Blessings and Metal!
Steve Rowe.
DECEMBER 2007 A Mortification story made front page news in one of Norway's biggest newspapers. It is so amazing that 10 to 13 years ago news, both in Norway and around the world, relating to metal music in Norway told of the infamous black metal scene there, with church burnings, murders and, more recently, rapes at the hands of some of Norway's black metal artists. Yet just three weeks ago one of their daily street newspapers ran a story on an Australian Christian metal band playing at a Christian metal festival in Oslo called NordicFest. It just never ceases to amaze me how God turns things around. The members of Nuclear Blast band Benediction told me backstage in Germany in September 1995 that my name was #1 on Norway's black metal mafia's death list. Following are some pictures from the article and links to PDF pages of the article (in Norwegian).
Yes! Finally the remaining Mortification European Tour 2007 merchandise has arrived at Soundmass. Please see the Soundmass.com store for all the items pictured here in the December Update. Be quick because the larger shirt sizes are already going and the prices are excellent for the quality you will purchase.
The tour merchandise includes:
*Awesome old-school Mortification logo jacket patch
*Classic Mortification logo sticker
*Plus still coming are the big full-color Tour posters (we must sign them all first - they should be in the store by Christmas).
A huge extra special Thank You to our awesome tour manager Peter Gerber who ate so many vegetables that he was able to pack the merchandise left at the end of the Tour and get it to Australia in 3 weeks! The man is a machine! Thanks also to Nuclear Blast for tremendous quality merchandise as always, plus the Reusch's for the poster prints.
God is good all the time!!
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
NOVEMBER 2007
Yes, here I am once again. I realise that I stated there would not be a November Update due to the European Tour but I just need to ask some things from you, our supporters, and thank some very important people.
Firstly, the European Tour went way beyond our expectations. There were great turnouts at all of the shows and surprisingly a ton of new young fans under the age of 21. There were also some great young bands coming through delivering some brutal Jesus Metal. From the supports we had across the shows, Fallen Walls from Germany and Docile from Holland were stand-out young bands for me. We were all really well on the tour thanks to much prayer and support. I personally handled this tour better physically than I did the similar '99 tour of Europe. Miracles continue!
NordicFest ruled! I was just disappointed that we could not stay around to meet the fans because our shedule was sooo tight. A huge thank you to Soundmass.com, Corey Shotter our roadie back here in Australia, Peter Gerber who ran the Bern show and did an amazing job of tour managing. Peter, you are the greatest. Without you the tour would have been way to hard. You are the tour manager of the century for sure! Let us do it again.
A massive Thank You to Toni Kaelin, Daniel and Daniel Krakenpfleger for the Zurich show and Atomic Cripples and Wedgies; Marc, Johannes and the crew in Eschwege; Jonathan and Hans in Bielefeld and mortification.de; Roeland in Holland; Paal and all the crew at NordicFest; and Andrea and Stephen Reusch in Stuttgart. You all did a stellar job. A very special huge Thank You also to Markus, Michael and Katarina at Nuclear Blast Records for the awesome merchandise and hospitality. Left over tour shirts and other merchandise will be on the www.soundmass.com store here in a few weeks. It is currently being shipped to Australia via Surface Mail, which usually takes 2 months. Stay tuned and get in quick when it arrives.
For all the fans and supporters who came out to the shows we salute you. Without your attendance and buying the merchandise we would not be able to do this. We love you all and thank you for your support. PLEASE, if anyone has any photos or digital video footage they could send us on DVD, that would be really awesome. We will use some small select cuts as bonus footage on the still being edited, still arriving "Live Humanitarian" DVD. Please send it to us as soon as possible because the edit will be finished mid-December. Send to:
Rowe Productions
Blessings to all our fans and supporters worldwide.
Steve Rowe (A Happy Man!!!!!!!)
NEW INFO FOR MORTIFICATION TOUR: Details of Wednesday November 7th show
Elfenbein Entertainment (www.elfenbein-entertainment.de)
Pre-orders available from http://en.mortification.de/concert
Doors open at 6:15pm
Support: Fallen Walls (Germany) at 6:45pm and Admonish (Sweden) at 7:45pm. Mortification on stage at 9pm.
Refer to September Update for all other tour dates and venue information.
OCTOBER 2007
Hello all and welcome to the very late October update from myself in Morty-land. Everything is finalised and going ahead for our European Tour. We are really looking forward to playing once again for our supporters in Switzerland, Germany, Holland and Norway. We leave from Australia on October 30th to begin the tour on November 2nd in Bern. Please see last month's update for all the details relating to the shows. We hope to see all our European fans come out once again and hopefully a few American fans at Nordic Fest.
We have the most KILLER merchandise for the tour put together for us by the mighty Nuclear Blast, so you know the quality is going to be top notch! At each show we will have full-color tour long-sleeves with sleeve prints, full-color t-shirts, jacket patches, buttons, stickers and posters. It will be a feast for all you collectors out there! There will be a very special offer for people who purchase both a long-sleeve and a t-shirt.
Please note that there will not be a November Update due to the tour commitments, but be sure to visit us here in December for the low-down on all the tour news. Thank you to our Aussie fans who came out and supported us at the Black Stump festival and also The Pelly Bar show down here in suburban Melbourne. A great time was had by all. A special thank you to Grave Forsaken, Scourged Flesh and Fearscape for a great show in Frankston. Also a huge thank you to Matt Brown from Fearscape for organising the Black Stump Metal/Hardcore night.
Check out all the following killer new Aussie metal releases: "Scent of Divine Blood" by Fearscape, "Horror and Sadness" by Grave Forsaken, "Bury the Lies" by Scourged Flesh, the Horde "Alive in Oslo" DVD and Jayson Sherlock's progressive rock project Soundscape. Great to see all the Aussie bands kicking hard! May we all unite in the cause for which we stand!
See you on tour or back here in December. Please note, I will not be answering emails from October 29th through to November 19th.
Metal blessings,
Steve Rowe.
SEPTEMBER 2007
G'day international Mortification friends. It's good to be back with a new update. Thank you to all our supporters who have purchased a copy of our new "Live Humanitarian" CD. Let us keep the metal underground alive by committing ourselves to NEVER steal metal from the internet. It is not worth the possibility of going to hell for stealing just from being greedy! Support the bands that support you.
Everything is firing on 12 cylinders for our Live Humanitarian Tour. Following is as much detail for the tour as I have right now:
1) Saturday Sept. 29: -Venue- Black Stump Festival, Appin, NSW, Australia. Mort on stage at 9pm (Metal/Hardcore Stage). www.blackstump.org.au
2) Friday Oct. 5: -Venue- The Pelly Bar, Frankston, Vic., Australia. See poster above for details
3) Friday Nov. 2: Bern, Switzerland. -Venue- The Rock, Burgstrasse 6, 3600 Thun (20km from Bern). Doors 8pm. Mort on stage at 10pm. Support: Pesticide on stage at 9pm. Tickets from The Rock (www.therock.ch or 033 221 66 06) or contact Peter Gerber (mr.event@bluewin.ch)
4) Saturday Nov. 3: Zurich, Switzerland. -Venue- Faegtory Duernten, Edikerstrasse 16, 8635 Duernten. Doors 6:30pm. Mort on stage at 9pm + support. Ticket info from late September at www.mortification-live.ch.vu. Contact: mortification.live@gmail.com and tonikaelin@gmx.de
5) Sunday Nov. 4: Eschwege, Germany (near Kassel). -Venue- Jugendzentrum Eschwege (JUZ), Schlossmuehle 37269, Eschwege.
Mort on stage at 9pm + support. Contact: dobat@gmx.de
6) Monday Nov. 5: Steve Rowe doing Spoken Word at YMCA House, Leuchtbergstr. 10 b, 37269 Eschwege. Contact: dobat@gmx.de
7) Wednesday Nov. 7: Bielefeld, Germany (near Dortmund). Contact: jonathan.schluessler@gmx.de and stormtroopersoflight@web.de
8) Thursday Nov. 8: Amersfoort, Holland. -Venue- Podium De Kelder, Eemlaan 1, 3812 ED Amersfoort. Mort on stage at 9pm + support. Contact: r.oudejans2@chello.nl
9) Friday Nov. 9: Nordic Fest, Oslo, Norway. -Venue- Sub Scene, Kirkegata 34, Oslo. Doors 7pm. Mort on stage at 9:30pm. www.nordicfest.no (also appearing on the same night is ONCE DEAD (ex-Vengeance Rising) from the USA. Any serious American metalhead needs to jump on a plane for this one! The ultimate thrash metal onslaught night of the year!)
10) Saturday Nov. 10: Rock Without Limits, Stuttgart, Germany. -Venue- 72116 Moessingen (South of Stuttgart). Mort on stage at 11pm. Also performing: Crushead (DE), October Light (HR), The Spirit That Guides Us (NL), D:Projekt (DE), Line Of Vision (DE), Antz Of Glory (DE). Special tickets can be purchased just to see Mort but these "Mortification Only" ticket holders will not be allowed into the venue until 10:30pm. Tickets: 10 Euro pre-sales, 12 Euro Doors, 8 Euro "Mortification Only Ticket". www.rockwithoutlimits.de. Contact: info@rockwithoutlimits.de, webmaster@musicfreaks.de and andreareusch73@aol.com
See you all on tour.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe
AUGUST 2007
Hello once again Mortification and Rowe Productions supporters. Things are hotting up as we get closer to the Live Humanitarian Tour. Please see last months update for the European Tour dates. Next month I will have all the info on venues, door times, etc. for the 7 European shows. What I can tell you now is that we are putting together some killer merchandise with the help of Nuclear Blast Records. We are planning full-color long-sleeve tour shirts with sleeve prints, full-color Erasing The Goblin t-shirts with the Aussie release album design on the front, Grind Planets full-color jacket back patches, Mort logo jacket arm patches, badges, stickers and posters. These will all be available at the European shows and online right here following the Tour.
We have 2 shows here in Australia leading up to the European outing:
Sept. 29th - Black Stump Festival, Appin, NSW. On stage at 8:30.
Oct. 5th - Pelly Bar/Pier Hotel, 1 Davey St., Frankston, VIC. $12 entry at the door. Doors @ 7:30
Catch the train from Melbourne Central, take the Frankston line all the way to Frankston. Venue is 5 minutes walk from Frankston Station. Last train returning to Melbourne Central is at 12:30.
This is the first Mini-Metal-Fest in Frankston ever! People with mullet haircuts get in for the special price of $13. People wearing black moccys get in for the special price of $14. If you wear moccys and have a mullet you are a legend! (especially if you are a female). All jokes aside it will be a great night of positive metal intensity!
See you here next month.
Metal Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
JULY 2007
Hello once again Mortification and Rowe Productions supporters. Yes! They are finally here! The new Mortification "Live Humanitarian" CD and the re-issue of Mortification's '91 self-titled album are both in the Soundmass.com store ready for you to order. We are very pleased with the production that we achieved on "Live Humanitarian" - very big and very REAL sounding. It
was great to self-produce this release along with Mick Jelinic. Recorded live at the Imax Theatre in Perth, Australia, the venue was perfect for capturing a huge live sound. This is not an automatic festival crowd, either, but a true Mortification concert. Just us, on the level, with our true metal brothers and sisters. Special thanks goes to our
awesome support network in Perth, especially Vaughan Gregory from Grave Forsaken, Steve Mullen and Dave Kilgallon from Scourged Flesh (make sure you pick up the debut Grave Forsaken and Scourged Flesh CDs from the store if you have not already done so).
The re-issue of '91s self-titled album is a ripper too! Remastered, it is a special limited edition digipak release (1000 copies) with killer artwork. The front cover is faithfully restored from the original "gory" artwork by Jayson Sherlock. So do yourself and your neighbours a favour and jump into the Soundmass.com store to pick up "Live
Humanitarian" and the self-titled by Mortification (pictured in the June update below), as well as both the Grave Forsaken and Scourged Flesh CDs (at new special prices). Special thanks to all the people who pre-ordered - your orders are on their way to your hungry ears. The "Live Humanitarian" DVD is not too far away either - stay tuned for further news in coming updates.
On a lower note, the US section of our proposed Tour has been postponed at this stage due to time restraints in securing Performance Visas. We hope to be back in the US as soon as it becomes feasable. All good things come to those that wait. The European Tour is 100% going ahead with these 7 shows:
Nov 2 - Bern, Switzerland
We hope to catch up with all our European fans in these countries and from beyond. Keep watching this space for venue and time details.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
JUNE 2007: Part 2
1- Erasing The Goblin
Please pray for us as we prepare for the US and European Tours in October/November. We need to secure P1 Performance Visas for the US. These are very difficult to obtain. Thankfully my US attorney who got my P1 Visas in the 90's has taken on the challenge to secure these for me once again. The cost for this type of visa is huge and there is a lot of legal ground for us to cover in the next 3 months.
People interested in booking shows for Mortification in the US can contact Doug Kirchner at End Of Silence Booking Agency:
endofsilence1@yahoo.com
On a sad note, original Lightforce guitarist Chris Miller, who was in Lightforce in '86 through early '87, died suddenly of a heart attack 3 weeks ago. Chris played on the '86 Lightforce demos. I saw Chris just a month ago at a Christian rock concert. He was full of smiles as always, talking about Jesus, church and Christian rock. We were at a Barlow Girl concert (Barlow Girl are a US all-female, all-sisters true Jesus rock band). Chris was really into evangelistic Jesus rock and we both shared a passion for souls.
Chris, like myself, was writing Christian literature and recording Christian music. Chris and I grew up in the same neighbourhood and his sudden promotion to glory happened on a road I walked and ran up almost daily in my first 24 years of life. Chris was the youngest and healthiest looking 41 year old you could ever meet. None of us know our time. Here is me still alive after being given 2 hours to live exactly 10 years ago. God's work for Chris was done and now he is home forever. May we all stop and consider where our heart is with God.
See you on Tour and in Heaven.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
JUNE 2007
Hello once again Mortification and Rowe Productions supporters. I have some great news for you all this month. Coming next month is the "Live Humanitarian" CD release. The DVD will be released early next year, delayed by upcoming tour costs and the fact tha
www.myspace.com/wonrowevision
Mortification2010 YouTube
2. Jerusalem - In His Majesty's Service
3. Stryper - To Hell With The Devil
4. Tourniquet - Stop The Bleeding
5. Altar Boys - Gut Level Music
6. Bloodgood - Self-Titled
7. Vengeance - Human Sacrifice
8. Barren Cross - State Of Control
9. Deliverance - Weapons Of Our Warfare
10. Tempest - Annihilation Of The Wicked
11. Rose - Healing
12. 100% Proof - Self-Titled
13. Barnabas - Feel The Fire
14. Sacred Warrior - Rebellion
15. Narnia - Long Live The King
16. The Crucified - Nailed
17. The Lead - Burn This Record
18. Bride - Live To Die
19. Antidemon - Satanichaos
20. Glenn Kaiser Band - Octane
21. Daniel Band - Run From The Darkness
22. Crashdog - Mud Angels
23. Grave Forsaken - Fight To The Death
24. Mortification - Post Momentary Affliction
25. Wonrowe Vision - Mission Invincible
This month Wonrowe Vision will be heading out to The South Eastern Suburbs for a huge night of Metal and Heavy Rock! All the details are above. We will be on stage at 8:30pm. It will be great to see all of our supporters from Melbourne on the night for our first big club show! *It is extremely important that you say that you are there to see Wonrowe Vision when purchasing your Tickets at the door*! This entire show (All 4 Bands) will be filmed by an Australian film maker who will spend the next 12 months putting together a world-class Documentary on Australian Metal. I have aleady done a full day of interviews for the film. All the more reason to come out and get your head on the camera while jumping around in the pit!!
2. Poly C: High dose Vitamin C to ward off colds, flu and viruses
3. Active Calcium: Strengthens bones and ensures against Osteoporosis (Bone crumbling) in old age
4. Proflavanol: For well-being
5. Pro-Biotics Tablets: to balance the digestive system perfectly.
www.roweproductions.com
www.soundmass.com
Mortification "Break The Curse 1990: 2010 20th Anniversary Gold Edition" is now In Stock right here in The Soundmass.com store. Here is a picture of The Front Cover for you once again. www.roxxproductions.com have done a tremendous job with this release. With The Full Album Bonus Noah Sat Down... Live EP, Studio Version of Time Crusaders and The Classic Lightforce Eyes Of Destruction from 1987, this is a True Collectors item! Add to this the entire first Concert from June 1990 on DVD and you have one amazing Underground release of Blitzkrieg Jesus Metal!!!!!!!
www.roxxproductions.com now also has copies of Mortification "the evil addiction destroying machine" in their store. The Real DigiPak Ones!! Also available here through the Soundmass.com store and in the www.nuclearblast.de store!
2- Mission Invincible.
3- Resident Spider.
4- Vaporizer.
5- Run In Circles.
6- The White Rock.
7- Smile Your Way Through Life.
8- I'm Not Afraid Of The Dark.
9- Wreath The Passion Of My Fire.
10- Radical Parrot.
Please get behind all of these releases and keep this Jesus Music Mission Alive! Donations can be made via Paypal to info@roweproductions.com - With The Recording of The Wonrowe Vision Debut Album funds have run out. We would be Very Grateful for any support. All money donated is put into This Music Mission! This is a not-for-profit Missions Endeavor!!
Hello and welcome to all the exciting December news here at Rowe Productions. Firstly, and most importantly, I have the best of all 20th Anniversary announcements happening today, December 1st. My wife Kate and I were married in The 80's! Legendary Decade! Yes, we were married December 1st 1989 and I am proud to say that I married my Best Friend and Soul Mate. Kate is a Mighty Woman of God who has stuck with me all these years through some of the toughest of times any married couple could face. Not only with me being in Music Ministry all these years, but also surviving double cancer. I was given 2 hours to live twice in '97 and '98 and now living with paraplegia and ill health. Kate is the most tremendous gift God ever gave to me!! "He who finds a Godly wife finds a good thing". Hope you enjoy the collage of photos here - some from '89 and some taken a week ago. I love you Kate!!
__________________________________________
1990 was a year that would forever change and have an impact on the Christian Metal scene. The world would see releases from some of the most seminal artists in the scene:
Vengeance Rising - Once Dead; Deliverance - Weapons of our Warfare; Believer - Sanity Obscure and Tourniquet - Stop the Bleeding, just to name a few!
__________________________________________
Disc 1 - CD: Mortification - Break The Curse 1990 - 2010 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition
2- Brutal Warfare.
3- Impulsation.
4- Turn.
5- New Beginnings.
6- Break The Curse.
7- Illusion Of Life.
8- Your Last Breath.
9- Journey Of Reconciliation.
10- The Majestic Infiltration Of Order.
11- Time Crusaders - Studio version taken from Godspeed Australian Christian Metal Compilation (Bonus Track)
12- Envision a Beginning (Noah EP)
13- Buried into Obscurity (Noah EP)
14- Steve Talks (Noah EP)
15- Noah was a knower (Noah EP)
16- Interview with Steve (Noah EP)
17- Eyes of Destruction 1987 Lightforce Recording (Bonus Track)
2- Brutal Warfare.
3- Illusion Of Life.
4- Break The Curse.
5- Journey Of Reconciliation.
6- Searching.
7- Infectious Growth.
8- City Streets.
9- Impulsation.
10- Bathed In Blood.
11- Eyes Of Destruction.
12- Your Last Breath.
13- New Beginnings.
14- The Majestic Infiltration Of Order/Turn.
In other exciting news I am now supported by Fender! The biggest Guitar Company in the world!! These past 3 years I have started playing Fender Mustang Short Scale Bass Guitars to help with my balance and poor eye sight while standing on stage. I have seen the value of these tremendous instruments in other ways also. My 13 year old son Leighton has now taken up Bass Playing over Drums and Keys because he has a Bass that he can get his smaller hands around. The Vintage Mustang Re-Issues are made for young players and people who prefer the shorter scale for whatever reason. They are a Mighty Pocket Rocket of an instrument!
The Big News this month is that Metal Major Nuclear Blast Records (Germany) will be releasing the Mortification "Twenty Years In The Underground" Double CD on February 26th. This is a big opportunity for the band to reach into The European Mainstream Market in a big way once again. Please see here the Cover Art and Track Listings for each CD. Please note that the background of The Front Cover will be Gold Print - hopefully Gold Foil.
MORTIFICATION
Twenty Years In The Underground
1- Nocturnal
2- Grind Planetarium
3- Impulsation
4- Hammer Of God
5- The Majestic Infiltration Of Order
6- Eyes Of Destruction
7- Searching
8- City Streets
9- Bloodworld
10- Scrolls Of The Megilloth
11- Spoken Word Part 1
12- New Beginnings
13- Spoken Word Part 2
14- Chapel Of Hope
With Spanish Translation - Thank You to Marco and Miguel
15- Spoken Word Part 3
16- Too Much Pain
17- Spoken Word Part 4
18- 12 Men
19- I'm Not Your Commodity
20- Priests Of The Underground
1- Grind Planetarium
2- Distarnish Priest
3- Brutal Warfare
4- The Destroyer Beholds
5- Inflamed
6- Scrolls Of The Megilloth
7- Symbiosis
8- Time Crusaders
9- From The Valley Of The Shadows
10- Human Condition
11- The Majestic Infiltration Of Order
12- This Momentary Affliction
13- Metal Blessing
14- Standing At The Door Of Death
15- Your Life
16- Grind Planetarium
The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine
It's the album with the kitsch-iest cover in this veteran extreme metal trio's nigh 20-year tenure, but tackles a pretty broad artistic and textual swath. At its heart, the band's original thrash inclinations take precedence, though there's room for touches of doom, death, prog, power and groove variations. And with one of the more comprehensible vocal styles in their milieu (i.e. it's pleasant to hear a band like Mortification that doesn't require keeping one's eyes peeled to a lyric sheet to understand the words), songwriting bassist and Mort's leader Steve Rowe sounds like he's largely solidifying themes he has tackled in the past but he has it in him to surprise, too. Though he may strain metaphor on "Pilots Hanging From Shoulder Dust" and "Elastisized Outrage," Rowe bears some resemblance to Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister in the latter. And he comes at least a smidgen closer to his far less guttural speaking voice in his tribute to some of his spiritual and musical mentors on "Resurrections Band (A Tribute To Rez)." Though the more meticulous Bible references in previous albums' notes are missed, and this is more a reassessing of ground covered than breaking new terrain, there's little disputing the sincerity and quality Mort continue to maintain here.
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Written by David Bixler (Bombworks Records) and 100% approved by Matthew Hunt (Retroactive/Bombworks Records):
2- Jason Parkin
3- Kim Andre Vesterbukt
4- Brian David Terrell
5- Brian Madsen
6- Daniel Rose
7- Jorge R. Trevino
8- John Rogers
9- Jairus Pascale
10- Jeremy Bonebrake
11- Mark Christopher Scott
12- Rowland D Gwynne
13- Frank Murray
14- Ewen Cameron Ebsworth
15- Jeff Bradshaw
16- Jay Stuetelberg
17- Brendan Stewart
18- Patrick Held
19- Open Grave Records
20- Kris McGraw
21- Bob Haagsma
22- William Pagan Rivera
23- Jeff Hoskins
24- John Clauser
25- Aaron Endsley
TRACK LISTING: (subject to change)
the evil addiction destroying machine
A Sense Of Eternity
Elastisized Outrage
Pushing The Envelope Of The Red Sonrise
I'm Not Confused
The Master Of Reinvention
Pilots Hanging From Shoulder Dust
One Man With Courage Makes A Majority
Alexander The Metalworker
Resurrection Band (A Tribute To Rez)
Pre-orders are now available in the Soundmass.com store as the DVDs are less than a week away. I have limited copies for the Aussie launch gigs but I am expecting 150 copies to arrive at Soundmass.com any day now. Click the image on the left to go straight to the DVD listing on the Soundmass.com store.
As much as I totally respect and aplaud the impact that many of the new heavy Christian bands are having, it is so great to hear some young guys still presenting such a strong Christian message. This is the 46th Rowe Productions release, Grave Forsaken being one band that I am compelled to support strongly.
*Live Humanitarian European Tour 2007 long-sleeve with color sleeve prints and tour dates on the back
*Full Aussie limited edition release cover Erasing The Goblin t-shirt with the warrior throwing the dagger through the heart of the goblin
*Set of 4 old-school badges -set includes (1) "Scrolls.." cover, (2) "Primitive Rhythm Machine" cover, (3) "Mort" nickname logo 
(my favorite little item) and (4) "Live Humanitarian" cross image
P.O. Box 2222
Carrum Downs
VIC. 3201
Australia
Bielefelder Straße 57
32051 Herford
Germany
*Please be VERY early as this venue only has a 120 person capacity!*
Presenting:
Scourged Flesh (Perth, featuring Dave Killsatan) - 8:00 to 8:30
Fearscape (Woollongong, featuring Matt Bloodbath) - 8:45 to 9:30
Mortification (that's us from Melbourne! Metal!!) - 10:00 to 11:10
Grave Forsaken (Perth, featuring Foghorn Gravery) - 11:30 to 12:15)
Nov 3 - Zurich, Switzerland
Nov 4 - Eschwege, Germany
Nov 7 - Bielefeld, Germany
Nov 8 - Amsterdam, Holland
Nov 9 - Oslo, Norway
Nov 10 - Stuttgart, Germany
Hello for the second time this month. I am just interupting your day to let you know that our new live Mortification CD "Live Humanitarian" (Pictured) is now avialable for pre-order from the Soundmass.com store. Be the first in your city to own this brutal new release! Pre-order copies will be shipped around July 6th and will be given first priority. This CD will satisfy your hungry ears until the DVD of the same show is released late '07/early '08. While you're at it, you can also pre-order the Soundmass re-issue of Mortification's self-titled '91 album, presented as a limited edition (1000x) digipak.
"Live Humanitarian" features songs not on "Live Planetarium". The classic era was well covered on "Live Planetarium". When playing live on the US and European Tour later this year we will be bringing more of the classic era than is featured on the "Live Humanitarian" CD and DVD. Here is the the full concert track list:
2- I'm Not Your Commodity
3- Hammer Of God
4- Purest Intent
5- Medley: Lymphosarcoma/The Destroyer Beholds/Distarnish Priest/Love Song
6- Priests Of The Underground
7- The Dead Shall Be Judged
8- Spoken Word Part 1
9- Humanitarian
10- Spoken Word Part 2
11- Dead Man Walking
12- Standing At The Door Of Death
13- Spoken Word Part 3
14- Escape The Blasphemous Tabernacle
15- Spoken Word Part 4
16- Chapel Of Hope
www.myspace.com/endofsilence
www.endofsilence.org
216 288 6773