MORTIFICATION leader Steve Rowe checks in with the following update:

"Yes folks, this month I am one week early rather than week weeks late. Ha Ha! The reason for such craziness is that we start recording the new Mort studio album on November 3rd, so we will be very busy indeed.

Firstly, I apologize for the delay in getting the Live Humanitarian double DVDs into the Soundmass.com store. There were some delays with the freight company and customs. However, they are now in the store. We only have a little over 100 copies at this stage and Nuclear Blast have pre-sold the entire first pressing. This is great news! However, it may be some weeks before Nuclear Blast do the 2nd pressing, so pick up a copy today before this lot sells through. Can I please suggest that fans and supporters living in Germany and Switzerland buy a copy from your local music store. If Warner Distribution did not get one in the music store nearest you, the store can order from Warner Distribution or Nuclear Blast Records Germany directly.

On to other news... The two Live Humanitarian DVD launches here in Australia went really well. We had a killer turn-out for a Thursday night up in the hills here in Melbourne. Dave Kilgallon played amazingly for his first shows with the band. We had sound difficulties at both Ruby's Lounge here in Melbourne and also on mainstage at the Black Stump Festival, but Dave played like a true pro and we had a really great time. All our immediate family members flew into Sydney with us for the Black Stump appearance; my wife Kate and son Leighton, Mick's wife Pauline and daughter Melissa and son David and Dave's dad Mark also flew over from Perth to be with us. It seems that monitor guys have trouble with the sheer volume we play at on stage! No surprises there! HaHa! At both shows, once we got 2 songs into the set, we settled in for a ripping good time. The young crowd up at Stump really dug the set and it seems we have gained a whole new bunch of teenage supporters, with many of them buying CDs and DVDs from us following the set. This year Black Stump's mainstage was in a huge arena at the Sydney Olympic Equestrian Centre. The mosh pit was huge! It was great to see hundreds of people in a giant circle mosh in front of stage, fists in the air and jumping up and down. Leighton got into his first ever mosh pit and is thus now a man! We did a long interview after the set and also did a signing session. All in all, an incredible time was had by all.

Just last weekend I competed in the Australian Transplant Games. Anyone who has seen the Bonus DVD in the Live Humanitarian pack will be familiar with my throwing hobby. I was pleased with my throws, throwing two personal bests with the shot and hard ball. I'm still hoping to compete at the World Transplant Games next August. There is no issue with competing, it is just that the expenses for the trip to Northern Australia are currently beyond my personal funding. However, I am confident that, one way or another, I will make my way up there for the opportunity of a lifetime.

Thank you once again to the financial supporters of this mission. Of course, to continue in it involves not just recording and touring costs, but also keeping healthy enough to keep this Jesus Metal machine in motion. It is a great honour to work for the Kingdom as a 100% mission. It is difficult being stamped "unemployable" by the Australian Government because of my health condition and medical commitments. However, being free to work for God full-time keeps me very busy. I praise God daily for my wife Kate who pays all the day-to-day bills and works a very full-time job to keep us and put my son through a decent education. None of us know why the "bad" things in life come to test us. Living with paraplegia is a painful and frustrating existence. However, it is in our weakness that we are strong. What counts in this apprenticeship for eternity in our short physical life is how we overcome all life's troubles and pain with a Good News attitude to all those in "the world" who have their eyes on us constantly. Please continue to pray for both the secular and Christian metal scene. Many people are on their way to hell and, for those who pray, it is our duty to lead as many into the Kingdom as we possibly can. Those wishing to support this mission can do so through PayPal: info@roweprodutions.com Please, if you live in South or Central America, place any missions money into South/Central American poverty missions work. God knows they need it more than anyone in the western world. For those in the western world, please consider sponsoring a child in a third world country through Compassion International before supporting any missions work in the west.

I will catch you all in December with the next update. We will be recording the new album in parts. I will be doing all the pre-production, bass tracks and vocal guides next month. In late December, Dave will be adding all the drum parts and then Mick will record guitars and I will do the final vocal tracks in March. Finally, in late March, I will do the final mix with engineer Warren Hammond. I will be producing the album with Warren's assistance at the delux Penny Drop Studios. Expect a huge and brutal production! This is the first time we have ever had three years between studio recordings. The ten new songs are killer! We are all very excited as we head towards our 20th Anniversary celebrations in 2010."