Mortal Sin

Mortal Sin ranked among the earliest Australian thrash metal acts to earn substantial attention beyond their home country. Drawing primary influence from Metallica and Anthrax, the lineup of vocalist Mat Maurer, guitarists Paul Carwana and Steve Krstin, bassist Andy Eftichiou, and drummer Wayne Campbell generated significant excitement through their strong 1987 debut album Mayhemic Destruction. At the time viewed as a minor thrash classic, the record prompted Kerrang! Magazine to label the group the “next big thing.” Their 1989 sophomore effort Face of Despair, issued on major label Polygram and featuring replacement guitarist Mick Burke in place of Krstin, failed to meet those heightened hopes; even its improved production values could not conceal largely uninspired songwriting. Looking back, signs of creative stagnation were already evident, and although the band supported Metallica on Australian dates that same year and joined Testament and Faith No More for European shows in 1990, internal conflicts led to a split after a chaotic benefit performance in Sydney where fans damaged the venue. With members dispersed, Mortal Sin’s short run seemed finished until bassist Eftichiou quietly formed a new configuration that included vocalist Steve Sly, guitarists Tom Dostoupil and Dave DeFrancesco, and drummer Nash Hall. Outraged former colleagues quickly filed legal action to block use of the shared band name, yet the move came too late to prevent the 1991 release of the questionable third album Rebellious Youth. After a six-year hiatus spent settling disputes, original members Maurer, Eftichiou, and Campbell eventually regrouped Mortal Sin alongside guitarists Anthony Hoffman and Troy Scerri to record the EP Revolution of the Mind. Issued in 1997, the EP marked the last new material, though the band has since staged occasional reunion concerts.