MORDRED

Funk Metal / Thrash Metal • United States
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Mordred is an American alternative metal, funk metal, thrash metal band based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mordred stood out from the crowd with their ideas on expanding and experimenting with the thrash metal sound, incorporating turntables and funky bass lines into their sound. Before the release of the album In This Life, Jim Taffer was replaced by James Sanguinetti. At this time the band were hitting their peak in popularity. Changes hit Mordred again when Scott Holderby left the band due to creative differences, and Paul Kimball became the new vocalist, and appeared on The Next Room, their last album to date. After this period, the band decided to go their separate ways. Mordred announced a reunion in 2001. In the following year, they played a gig in their home town of San Francisco, and went on to perform again. Source: Wikipedia.

See also: https://mordred.bandcamp.com/
Thanks to UMUR for the addition and Lynx33, Unitron, tupan for the updates

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MORDRED Discography

MORDRED albums / top albums

MORDRED Fool's Game album cover 3.45 | 6 ratings
Fool's Game
Thrash Metal 1989
MORDRED In This Life album cover 3.10 | 6 ratings
In This Life
Funk Metal 1991
MORDRED The Next Room album cover 3.50 | 4 ratings
The Next Room
Funk Metal 1994
MORDRED The Dark Parade album cover 3.75 | 2 ratings
The Dark Parade
Funk Metal 2021

MORDRED EPs & splits

MORDRED Vision album cover 2.92 | 2 ratings
Vision
Funk Metal 1992
MORDRED Volition album cover 3.00 | 2 ratings
Volition
Funk Metal 2020

MORDRED live albums

MORDRED demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

MORDRED Demo I album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Demo I
Thrash Metal 1986
MORDRED First Demo album cover 2.00 | 1 ratings
First Demo
Thrash Metal 1986
MORDRED Demo II album cover 2.50 | 1 ratings
Demo II
Thrash Metal 1987
MORDRED Noise Demo album cover 2.00 | 1 ratings
Noise Demo
Thrash Metal 1989

MORDRED re-issues & compilations

MORDRED singles (9)

.. Album Cover
3.00 | 2 ratings
Everyday's A Holiday
Funk Metal 1989
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Falling Away
Funk Metal 1991
.. Album Cover
2.25 | 2 ratings
Esse Quam Videri
Funk Metal 1991
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Grand Summit
Funk Metal 1994
.. Album Cover
2.00 | 1 ratings
Splinter Down
Funk Metal 1994
.. Album Cover
4.00 | 1 ratings
The Baroness
Funk Metal 2014
.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
Demonic #7
Thrash Metal 2021
.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
Malignancy
Thrash Metal 2021
.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
All Eyes on the Prize
Thrash Metal 2021

MORDRED movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
In This Live Video
Funk Metal 1992

MORDRED Reviews

MORDRED The Next Room

Album · 1994 · Funk Metal
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UMUR
"The Next Room" is the third full-length studio album by US, California based thrash/alternative/funk metal act Mordred. The album was released through Noise Records in June 1994. It was Mordred´s final release before their initial breakup in 1995. There´s been one lineup change since "In This Life (1991)" as lead vocalist Scott Holderby has been replaced by Paul Kimball (who had performed with the thrash/crossover act A.M.Q.A. in the 1980s). While three years between albums were a long time in those days, Mordred released no less than four EPs and a live video in the years 1992-1994, so there were plenty of releases to fill the gap between the two full-length studio albums.

While Scott Holderby was a pretty unique singer, the change on the lead vocalist spot has actually been good for the band as Kimball is an overall better and more versatile frontman. He is able to deliver both raw and powerful vocals, but also bluesy/soul influenced warmer parts, alternative rock vocals (not too far removed from vocalists like Layne Stayley and Scott Weiland), and talking/singing funky type vocals. Mordred were always a very creative act, combining many different music styles (initially predominantly thrash metal and funk metal), and the material on "The Next Room" are as diverse as ever.

The album is not only varied though, it´s also memorable and generally of a high quality. Although not all tracks feature riffs which can be classified as heavy metal riffs, all tracks still pack a punch. It´s one of the great assets of the album how much power and attitude the band are able to deliver. The drumming is quite technical and the drummer plays one infectious groove after another, while the two guitarists play sharp heavy riffs and just as many non-distorted funky riffs. The bass is clearly audible in the mix and add the right groovy and funky bottom to the music, while keyboard player/sample & turntable man Aaron Vaughn adds atmosphere and something unique to the music. No better experienced than on the instrumental "The Next Room Over".

As if that wasn´t enough "The Next Room" features an exceptionally well sounding production job, suiting the music perfectly. Upon conclusion "The Next Room" certainly was a great (at the time) swansong for Mordred (they´ve since reunited and have released further material), and to my ears it´s the release where all their different influences and styles most successfully came together. The dark melodic alternative rock/metal touches suits the music well, and paired with the heavy riffs, groovy rhythms, and funky guitars/bass, it´s overall a high quality release by Mordred. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

MORDRED Vision

EP · 1992 · Funk Metal
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UMUR
"Vision" is an EP release by US, California based thrash/funk metal act Mordred. The EP was released through Noise Records in August 1992. The EP (and a few other minor releases) bridges the gap between the band´s second and third full-length studio albums "In This Life (1991)" and "The Next Room (1994)".

Stylistically the material on "Vision" is a natural continuation of the funk/alternative metal style of "In This Life (1991)". Funky guitar riffs, slap bass and energetic funky drumming, turntable scratching, occassionally heavy riffs (not many thrashy parts on this EP), and lead vocalist Scott Holderby singing/semi-rapping his way through the songs. Contemporary artists like Infectious Grooves/Suicidal Tendencies and Faith No More are valid references, but Mordred had a sound of their own and aren´t a clone act by any means.

"Vision" features a powerful, clear, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well. The 6 tracks on the 24:08 minutes long EP are well composed too, and the musical performances are also on a high level, so upon conclusion it´s a high quality EP filled to the brim with funky alternative rock/metal. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

MORDRED In This Life

Album · 1991 · Funk Metal
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UMUR
"In This Life" is the second full-length studio album by US, California based thrash/funk metal act Mordred. The album was released through Noise Records February 1991. It´s the successor to "Fool's Game" from 1989 and features one lineup change since the debut album as guitarist J. Taffer has been replaced by James Sanguinetti.

Mordred continue the rather distinct sounding funk/alternative metal tinged thrash metal style of the debut album, but add even more funky slap bass parts, talking/rapping type vocals, funky beats, and scratch/turntable sounds to their music. There are still thrash metal guitar riffs and rhythms featured on the album, but they aren´t always a dominant part of the band´s sound. One of the greatest assets of the music are the many well played, powerful, and melodic guitar solos. They are in a similar style to what Rocky George produced on contemporary releases by Suicidal Tendencies. The most alternative output by the latter mentioned is actually a valid reference point when describing the music on "In This Life" as well as the Infectious Grooves side-project.

"In This Life" features a decent sounding production, and the musicianship is also strong, although lead vocalist Scott Holderby is probably a bit of an aquired taste. He doesn´t often sing raw but instead delivers a vocal style which sounds like a combination of Mike Muir (Suicidal Tendencies) and early Mike Patton (Faith No More), but without possessing as distinct sounding a voice or as powerful a delivery as any of those two. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

MORDRED Fool's Game

Album · 1989 · Thrash Metal
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UMUR
"Fool's Game" is the debut full-length studio album by US, San Francisco, Bay Area based thrash metal act Mordred. The album was released through Noise Records in 1989. Mordred was founded in 1985 right in the hotbed of US thrash metal in the Bay Area in San Francisco. Not content with playing "straight" thrash metal they soon started incorporating funk and alternative metal elements into their sound...

...which is already apparent on "Fool's Game" even though it is first and foremost a Bay Area sounding thrash metal release. Acts like Testament and Heathen could be mentioned as references but the list is long. You can call this generic or "straight sounding" but it´s both well played and, for the time, well produced. It´s the tracks "Every Day´s a Holiday" and the Rick James cover "Super Freak", that make "Fool's Game" stand out a bit from the crowd. Funky bass and the use of turntables were not something you regularly heard on thrash metal releases in the late eighties. Band´s like Suicidal Tendencies and Sacred Reich would also soon experiement with funky elements, but Mordred were innovators in that area.

"Fool's Game" is not the most memorable Bay Area thrash metal release from the late eighties, but it has probably influenced a great deal of other thrash metal artists to go in a more alternative direction, which a lot of acts did in the early- to mid nineties, thereby making it an interesting album in a historical context. As a listening experience it´s not bad either and I´d say a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

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