MORTICIAN is a Traditional Heavy Metal band from Feldkirch, Austria. This is the third album since they came back from a 19 year hiatus back in 2009. They were founded back in 1983 by Patrick Lercher and Thomas Metzler, still there to this day in this band. This is also the first album to feature Twain Cooper as lead vocalist, replacing the departing Daniel Khan than sang on the previous release called ''Shout for Heavy Metal'' back in 2014.

According to what I could gather, when they were on the 2018 Hard and Heavy Festival, they really gelled with this new singer and it gave new life to the band. It only took a few months and they already finished recording this new opus. It safe to say that the chemistry in on point and the magic flowed in the studio back in Italy during those few weeks. They have opened for so many bands in their long career, from JAG PANZER, to SEPULTURA, VICIOUS RUMOURS, SODOM, JAGUAR, MAGNUM, BURNING WITCHES among countless others. The band has been at it for a long time and seem to have cultivated a lot of fan support throughout that time. Now its now or never for this band to shine and make it worthwhile for the Traditional Heavy Metal Fans out there.

Well on this album, they really showed to you never lose your touch and the band has adapted really well to this new singer. This new singer is very reminiscent of singers like Mille Petrozza from KREATOR or Steve Souza from EXODUS. He really has this harshness and distinct tone. Those are two singers that really stood out in Thrash Metal and still to this day nonetheless. Twain Cooper embodies these types of singers and makes a definite impact and makes this album stand out among so many Traditional Heavy Metal bands out there. Some people say that he sounds a bit also like Chris Boltendahl from GRAVE DIGGER.

His gruff vocals makes this album shine and it's a throwback to bands like RUNNING WILD, ACCEPT and RAGE. Those were bands that didn't give a damn and did their own thing whether you liked it or not. They want to play their own way, sing their own way and make the music that they damn well pleased them. Those were bands with no compromise, and I felt that MORTICIAN really was something along those lines. They play a brand of Traditional Heavy Metal mixed in with early Thrash Metal elements and they did a fine job on this release. It may or may not be the most original music out there but it sure as hell a great headbanger.

This band rattles some cages especially on the last two songs. I really enjoyed those two songs because it brings light to some unique subject matter. They talk about the recording labels that are leaches on artists and always there to make a quick buck on unsuspecting artists. The song ''Blood Sucking Industry'' is calling out every label or producer or public relations manager that harm the artists and try to con them. It's a social critique of people that are always there for themselves and don't care about the artists and the artists work, they only care about the money and the fame. I thought the message was a real highlight of the album and it was very powerful.

They finish with ''Can't Stop Rock'n Roll'' which is a great crowd-pleaser. I guess you can say this is a real direct response to the remarks of Gene Simmons back in 2019 saying that Rock was Dead, Rock was completely done with. I know a lot of artists really felt that was a huge F-You to the Rock N' Roll community and that it was definitely not dead and buried. Rock and Roll will never die like AC/DC would say, it will always be there even after all we are gone from this world. You definitely can't stop Rock and Roll and it will be a driving force well above time and space!

If you like bands like RUNNING WILD, ACCEPT and JAG PANZER, this band will really be a nice discovery for you fans out there!