MORTAL SIN: Face of Despair

Produced by Randy Burns

Released: 1989

Recorded in early 1988 but unreleased for almost a year, Face of Despair was the difficult follow-up to Mortal Sin's debut, an album that probably surprised all but the band themselves when it won strong accolades throughout the metal world in mid-87. Ultimately, however, this was doomed to disappoint, for almost exactly the opposite reason the previous album had been such a success.

With a budget and a producer (Randy Burns, who had previously worked with Anthrax), Mortal Sin should have been able to develop their songs and ideas further than the ridiculous constraints placed on them before allowed, but as the last track's transparently throwaway nature would prove, for some reason the ideas just didn't seem to be there. Whereas the first Mortal Sin album had been memorably catchy, Face of Despair simply wasn't. Indeed, while I could still find Mayhemic Destruction songs like "Blood, Death, Hatred" or "Liar" bouncing around in my head hours after I heard them, virtually the entire second half of Face of Despair is almost immediately forgettable.

What this album does have, however, is a killer trio of opening cuts. "I Am Immortal" begins this veritable thrash feast and silly lyrics notwithstanding ("the master will scorn you, he'll even forlorn you" ...Huh?), the riffs Paul Carwana and Mick Burke weave together here are just 100% classic thrash. That's nothing, however, because what they come up with in "Voyage of the Disturbed" is little short of genius. This could well be one of the best thrash songs of all time, and Carwana's solo here is just perfectly fitting to the subject matter. Next track "The Infantry Corps" is also a clear album highlight even if it doesn't quite hold up to the one before it, but "Voyage of the Disturbed" is such a great song that it's hardly surprising.

From that point on, Face of Despair starts to fall away. "For Richer, for Poorer" is OK but suffers from the lack of a solid hook. "Martyrs of Eternity" is somewhat better without really being in the same ballpark as the first three songs, but everything after that is merely ordinary. Three songs is hardly enough to carry an entire album, even if one of them is as good as "Voyage of the Disturbed", and one could even suggest this is partly why the label dithered for so long before releasing it. One could also do much worse, however; in any case, this is almost worth getting just for the second track alone.

1. I am Immortal


2. Voyage of the Disturbed


3. The Infantry Corps


4. For Richer, For Poorer


5. Martyrs of Eternity


6. Innocent Torture


7. Suspended Animation


8. "H"


9. Terminal Reward


10. Robbie Soles

Rating: 62%