Hello and welcome to a mellow August Update. I understand that the July Update was quite "in Your Face" but i think if someone elects themselves to stand up and say "Well what about this problem", like in any political setting, it is styled to bring people to discus a difficult topic. Thank You to everyone for airing your thoughts on the topic of Internet downloading. It was quite a black and white response - a lot of support and a lot of opposition. But I am glad the topic is now well and truly in people's thoughts.
I have had the opportunity this month to work with Warren Hammond at Penny Drop Studio mixing the Re-Recorded Mortification Classics for our upcoming 20th Anniversary CD "Twenty Years In The Underground". The result is very pleasing. We referenced some more modern Death Metal like Amon Amarth to find an up-to-date approach to our Old School Death Metal songs, especially Nocturnal, Grind Planetarium and Impulsation. Hammer Of God and The Majestic Infiltration Of Order (God Rulz) have also been Re-Recorded. Initially I was hesitant to Re-Record what was not broken but the end result sounds killer! The early songs obviously lend themselves well to the the more Brutal Death Metal vocal and Production. I think the Old School Mort fans will be stoked. But you will all need to wait until early next year. The 15 rare Live Tracks are yet to be added to the mix.
It has certainly been an interesting month in Metal world wide. Europe's biggest Distributor of almost 100 Indepedent Metal labels has gone under. This will bring very difficult times for hundreds of the world's biggest bands and some of the top Independent European labels. Thankfully Nuclear Blast are distributed by Warner (A Major Label) and so will survive this downfall. It is tough times for Metal and all music in general. With the increase of people buying or stealing from The Internet, CD sales are at an all time low, surprisingly even in Underground styles like Metal, Alternative and Punk.In Germany, surrounding counties and even here in Australia major chain stores have sacked specialist music buyers, opting rather to have one central buyer for Essential Major Label buying only. Many Metal labels including the best here in Australia have been floored by this collapse. It has been coming for months now, but with the biggest Distributor of Metal crashing in Europe the music that we love is in jeopardy. I know that this style of Essential Music only buying is also in effect in The US. This crash also effects the fleeting Christian Metal scene which is struggling to sell units for similar reasons. Hopefully the best artists will stay alive on iTunes and other Pay Dowload sites. Yes folks - it is time to put your dollar where your heart is and keep Metal alive!
Some of my comments last month were misunderstood and, as I guessed, many focused on the distracting side issues like comparing steal downloading to try before you commit relationships. But that was put there to see how many would note the real point - stealing music is killing it! Obviously listening to a CD in a store before you buy is fine, so why can't that store be iTunes? 12 out of the 14 Mortification Albums are available on iTunes and other Pay Download sites (including "the evil addiction destroying machine") to sample before you buy. Thus, no reason to steal.
If I am successful in obtaining email addresses from christian download sites I will not be suing people. I will simply send a letter asking for an apology and hopefully a small donation to this Mission. But if that happens it will really just be a note to let people know that The Legal System is catching up with Cyberspace. I will meet with my Attorney this coming week to finalize the Letter Of Copyright Infringment to the christian download sites. I will know just how effective this will be within the coming months.
So I can say this: Being completely Independent as an artist is a good place for Mortification to be right now. It seems the Major Labels and the little guys like ourselves are in the best possible place in a scene under siege. But please note Rowe Productions is also tinkering on the edge of collapse. I am planning to Record a Christian Rock project later in the year but that all depends on how this little Mission travels financially over the next 5 months. More info on the coming Jesus Rock Band next month.
The 20th Anniversary Album will initially be available for pay download in early February next year, hopefully along with The Jesus Rock Band. December/January is make or break time for Rowe Productions. Not only with the 2 planned releases but it is also the time in which I have to pay very high fees to my Accountant. At this stage we do not even have the finances to pay for The Mortification 20th Anniversary mix. But I am hoping we can cover that soon and move on to the next process with these projects.
I was speaking to my wife Kate the other day, telling her that after my love for Christ first, then Kate and my son Leighton comes my love for Rock and Metal Music - especially Christian Rock and Metal. I have been involved in Christian Metal Evangelism for 25 years now, so I am not going to give up easily. Thank you to all the people out there who support this Mission. Especially the Christian individuals and business people who have sent financial support over and above buying CDs or Pay dowloads. You guys are the only reason I am still here In Jesus Metal Mission. To survive right now and through this next 12 months I am hoping that more Christian business people in a position to support Evangelistic Christian Music Missions financially will do so. I am not just talking about Rowe Productions but other similar Music Missions. For example, just this past month I have discovered a killer Jesus Metal Band called Messenger. They have nothing to do with Rowe Productions but please check Messenger out at www.messengermetal.com. You will hear their songs streaming and have the opportunity to buy their CD from CD Baby. You will hear that Messenger are killer and the message is very evangelistic. It is bands like this that we as True Christian Metal fans need to support into the future. So I hope that the best of The Independent Metal labels world wide can survive, especially Christian labels like Soundmass and Retroactive Records (please note that Soundmass is our Distributor and hosts our site. Soundmass also supports us with site updates and modification and email outs. Rowe Productions and Soundmass are completely separate Companies that simply work together. We are not one and the same entity as it seems to many.)
So I pray you all have a great month and continue to challenge yourselves with the moral ethics that we face each day.
Blessings,
Steve Rowe.
Subject: Mortification August Update 
Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:50 am
