MORTIFICATION leader Steve Rowe has checked in with the following update:

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 dilemma 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: MOTÖRHEAD, 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 accessible Mort songs. The sound is simply more organic with a range of guitar tones. We are rehearsing the songs every two 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 'accessible' 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 two or three 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."