Scrolls of the Megilloth is considered by many to be Australia's Christian death metal band Mortification's best album. Originally released on Nuclear Blast back in 1992, Scrolls of the Megilloth now sees the remaster treatment from Metal Mind Productions out of Poland, and they've done a good job here on the sound as well as the packaging. Mortification's always been one of those bands who have a strong cult following, but for some reason their CD's just have a raw, underproduced sound that leaves their releases rather underwhelming. Scrolls of the Megilloth is one of the exceptions, this one a solid example of brutal death metal, with plenty of biblical and occult imagery. The three-piece of bassist/vocalist Steve Rowe, guitarist Michael Carlisle, and drummer Jayson Sherlock, rampage through 10 tracks here (with three live bonus cuts also included on this reissue), the album featuring some quality headbanging moments that will surely please old school extreme metal fans. Opener "Nocturnal" has a sort of Obituary-meets-Nile flavor, and look for some truly heavy moments on tunes such as "Eternal Lamentation", "Raise the Chalice", and the bludgeoning title track. Blast beats and crushing riffing abound throughout the album, but as always it's the work of leader Rowe that rises to the top, his solid, upfront bass lines always impress, and his evil growls here are some of the best he's ever recorded. Lyrics here are based on the five scrolls found in the Old Testament, and the booklet provides some interesting reading for those who care to take the journey while grooving to the punishing music.
All in all, in a discography that's short on classics, Scrolls of the Megilloch is the one Mortification CD that you should really seek out if you are fan of the death metal genre, especially now with this Metal Mind reissued edition.
Track Listing
1. Nocturnal
2. Terminate Damnation
3. Eternal Lamentation
4. Raise the Chalice
5. Lymphosarcoma
6. Scrolls of the Megilloth
7. Death Requiem
8. Necromanicide
9. Inflamed
10. Ancient Prophecy
11. Time Crusaders [Live][*]
12. Inflamed [Live][*]
13. Destroyer Beholds [Live][*]