http://www.soundmass.com/rowe/frames_index.htm

We need to really encourage and pray for Steve, his family, and the ministry of Mortification right now.

it is a Top Production on all levels and sounds like Nothing I have ever heard before.

I mean...really?!?

I'm sure there will be some repercussions stemming from this...

hmm although i agree with steve on people stealing music, this is over the top!
To be honest i think Mortifications music has gradually lost its vibe and quality which is why most fans arnt buying the albums.
i havnt brought an album since Envision which steve gave me anyway:) But the later stuff just doesnt do anything for me so i dont buy there stuff anymore, and No ive never dowloaded a Morts album either.
isnt the ultimate gradification in that people hear the Good news anyway?
people have downloaded teramaze albums but really it doesnt bother me, record companies have ripped of bands much more than the fans have.
But if you like morts new stuff go out and BUY it !!!!!

I bought it. I like it.

Steve is struggling financially and definitely needs our prayers. I have been plugging the new Mort CD everywhere pushing people to buy it because I do think it's a good album and because I love Steve and know he needs the finances. I know a few people that have read the review on my site have decide to buy it, so that's good news.

It's very hard these days to make a living off playing music. My band never has so it's not as much a struggle for us. People steal our music all the time. I actually ran into a guy at the gym who told me how much he loves our last CD. When I asked him where he bought the CD, he told me he downloaded it from a free site on-line. I just smiles and said, "cool". At least he is listening, but that's just one example. If people keep stealing music, it will be difficult to get new music out. It costs money to do a quality project.

bought it and love it.

BAH!
...once I get the funds flowing again, Mort is one of many I plan on buying, either through (legal) download, directly from the bands themselves, or through places like CD Baby or Divine Metal Distribution...a worker is worth their wages...

I feel sorry for Steve but I think expecting Mortification to make money after releasing the latest album is not realistic.  I don't think many will download and keep the album anyway as the myspace samples will be enough to deter most and I don't agree with using God's Word to make sex before marriage the same as downloading a music album.  I would recommend that Steve find an alternative source of income unless he hands over the vocal duties and considerable writing input to another artist.Its like trying to make money selling dial-up internet now that broadband is here! 

I feel bad that Steve is having a hard time financially, but this particular excerpt form his update is comical:

Quote:

[i]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"

[/i]
The Bible DOES NOT teach against "trying before you buy"! Yes, the Bible does prohibit pre-marital sex, but this is not tantamount to "trying before you buy"! The Bible also prohibits extra-marital sex, therefore it must be a sin to have more than one cd! The Bible teaches against homosexuality, therefore if you're a musician, you must listen only to music that is the opposite of your own music!

It is precisely this type of BS and twisting of God's Word in order to suit one's own indivdual desires, that has led me and I'm sure many others, away from going to church.

_________________
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Mathew 6: 3-4

Just read Steve's update...

I've been thinking about this and I'm wondering if maybe it's in Steve's best interest to retire Mortification. I understand that he has a passion for metal and evangelism and that is awesome, but when it comes to the point that you can't pay for your medicine or your bills maybe it's time to call it a day. Maybe this is God's way of getting Steve's attention... maybe it's time for Steve to do something different.

And really... since when has doing ministry (which is what I figured Morty was) ever really been profitable? Not that there aren't profits to be had in ministry but when you play the specific genre of metal that Morty plays, and you're Christian, and you don't have good distribution, and you don't have good advertising, what do you really expect? It's not like someone can walk into WalMart or Best Buy and pick up the new disc. Christian music is a niche market and Christian metal is a niche of a niche, especially now that REAL METAL like most of us like here isn't the focus of most bigger Christian labels.

All I'm saying is that if the situation is THIS bad... maybe it's a sign. I just want to see Steve, himself, happy and healthy and discovering new things in God like we all do (not that he isn't now). Maybe that means no Mortification, but I'd rather have a better Steve than another Morty disc.

I write all this because I'd like to know... am I off base here?

Music is going to be a tough gig to make it in and actually make a living and for christians it will almost be impossible. It really will be a ministry and it's a shame, as was said, the worker is worth his wages.

Quote: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"Quote:

This is ridiculous IMO. I always listen before I buy an album. Not the whole album, but I want to make sure it's worth buying. This would be like saying... "Don't test drive a car before you buy it, because it's a sin to waste the salesman's time and the dealerships fuel".

Stealing music is different than listening before you buy! If I like something... I buy it... if not... I don't!

i think labelling music as CHRISTIAN music is alienating people anyway , most people are not going to walk into a Christian book shop to by a metal c.d are they?
we are supposed to be in the world and not of the world so id say being on a secular record company should be an aim for most bands with a faith yeah?
and i dont think most bigger labels like roadrunner etc are going to sign any bands if its not great quality music..
So what im saying and ill probably get in trouble for this is that theres Hardly any good CHRISTIAN metal bands playing ground breaking music with amazing quality songs musicianship and productions so we will always be behind the eight ball.
im sure God says somewhere whatever you do, do it with excellence ?? not sure what scripture it is .
you know what im getting at:)

I'm old enough that I actually bought a copy of Post Momentary Affliction in a birck and mortar Best Buy around '94 or so......I haven't bought a NEW Mortification disc since Primitive Rhythm Machine. They actually started to lose me a bit with Blood World....... I think I traded for a copy of Relentless a few years ago, bought Silver Chord and Envision in a local used joint, and I have to honestly say.....I'm pretty well thru with the band. the music is too hit or miss, the vocals just AREN'T good anymore....the band just doesn't tickle my fancy anymore. It's almost as if the band has become an unintentional parody of it's former glory to me......and it's just....SAD.

I'm sorry...but Steve Rowe has quite simply gotten SEVERELY out of touch with the "reality" of today's music scene......and he's (unfortunately) just out of touch with Mortification's place in TODAY's landscape of metal.



I sMortification a touchstone type band in the world of Christian metal? undoubtedly. But in the OVERALL worldwide metal community......they were a bit of a NOVELTY factor thing....I mean, they were a CHRISTIAN band on NUCLEAR BLAST....and back in the day, that in itsel;f was enough to pique interest amongst secular metalhead types that would have never even known the band existed otherwise (tyhat's actually how I ended up giving Mort a shot).....but 20 years dwn the road, that novelty factor just isn't there, and they are relegated to a priamrily christian audience. The impact of the novelty and exposure of being a Christian band on one of the big secular extreme labels in the early 90's apparently is rather underestimated in Steve's mind.


then, you have the development and evolution of the extreme metal scene over the last 20 years to contend with as well. Mort, back in the day, actually were a cutting edge band. that's simply not the case nowadays. They just AREN'T the type of music that will garner attention from most of the teenage/young adult metalheads out there today. They simply aren't "brutal" or "technical" enough.

throw in the 3rd factor that I call the "attrition of age", where many metalheads step away from the music as they get older, and you have the explanation for the difference in Morts sales between now and 15 years ago. It's a perfect storm of circumstances, but it has far, FAR more to do with the lack of sales than ANY sort of downloading. He also fails to take into account those that download and listen to the material.....and decide it's not for them. Apparently, the more responsible "chirstian" thing to do is for these folks to pay Mr. Rowe their hard earned cash, and THEN discover that the music is not to their liking.......

Now, as far as Steve and his financial woes related to his production expenses go? I'm sorry, but if you are spending $20 grand to put a disc together....you must not be aware of what can be done for much less than that in this day and age......just listen to the Bombworks and Retroactive rosters for evidence of that. I'm reasonably sure that Dagon, Sympathy, and Ultimatum aren't throwing around that sort of cash, and they'll all come out with GREAT sounding discs in the process. this ISN'T the early 90's heyday of metal, and to continue to proceed as if the same process will still work in this day and age is pretty much nothing short of folly.

exo im with u on this one

I've not heard the new album, but after reading his July update it does make me scratch my head about the 20k pricetag.... He makes some good points but so do the posts on this thread (exo nailed it about popularity and sales and niche markets...)....

to me he blames this on Christians who download illegally and that's it.... I know his music has reached out to many, but perhaps it's time to call it a day?.... I don't know... God uses many different things to get our attention, not all of them pleasant....

Just an FYI, the price tag for him includes studio time, mastering, paying the artist for the cover, paying an artist for the layout of the booklet and digi, CD duplication, printing the digi's, etc. I doubt he spent $20,000 in the studio alone.

Second, some of you have some good points about people growing out of styles of music, or the quality of the music, the current state of metal, etc. However, there is not doubt that illegal downloading of music has a big hand in this as well. I too think Steve's comparing downloading to premarital sex is off base, but the point still remains that stealing music hurts the artists, especially artists like Mortification that make a living from their music.

With the onslaught of new thrash bands sounding like the classic ones I don't think Morty is out of touch. The last album had a very classic sound to it and the new one has a solid mix of punk and thrash. And like Scott said, you add up all the costs of what goes into making a whole album $20,000 isn't that unrealistic.

I get most of my christian music on secualar labels now anyway and i'm glad that most of the christian metal i get is on secular labels. It's a good feeling to walk into a local shop such as JB HiFi here in Adelaide and get a christian cd in the metal section - eg Virgin Black, Rob Rock, Believer or i order it off the internet - eg Theocracy, Harmony, Orphan Project etc...

The only other christian metal i usually get is independent - eg Jacobs Dream, or from Retroactive records.

As far as Mortification goes i haven't been into them for years - just find the music and overall themes and song titles are bit too cheesy. I find Morty to be a bit embarrassing artisicly. I don't have any problem agaisnt Steve Rowe personally but i find alot of their albums a bit childish in the constantly corny song titles and hype about it continuing the tradition of 'true christian metal' ...I'm sorry but if you have to keep saying it is then the music can't really speak for itself. I have never ever seen Morty in the same category as bands such as Believer, The Crucified, Deliverance, Vengeance Rising, Tourniquet, Sacred Warrior etc....

There won't be any chance of me downloading a Morty album.