For those of you out there wondering why Mortification has been playing more classic power metal as of late, here's your answer. Studious adherents to C-rock history know that Steve Rowe was once the bass player for this Iron Maiden-esque band before forming Mortification.
Anyhoo, The Best of Lightforce is a culmination of cuts from the band's two Pure Metal releases (Battlezone and Mystical Thieves), plus some un-released live cuts from the 1989 Blackstump Festival in Australia. Sure, I admit sometimes the lyrics and vocals seem a tad cheesy (even by the 80s standards). . .check out the "Rock for the King!" cry on the "Atomic Decay" cut. . .but the guitars shred, and the hooks are very infectious indeed. The standout cuts are "Babylon", "Eyes Of Destruction", "Metal Missionary" (so contrived it's fun, really), and the live "Back To Basics".
As said before, fans of Iron Maiden and Coven should get into the style here. Not to mention those into collecting artifacts. . .
7/10
Other coverage for this album
Heaven's Metal #51Reviewed by Doug Van PeltIf this name rings a bell, it's because this is a special CD re-issue that Steve Rowe of Mortification put together to document the beginnings of his present band. Of course, I hated the Mystical Thieves album by Light Force when it came out. Listening to it now, the sonic rough edges almost make more sense, but I still don't find singer Steve Johnson's vocals, nor the band's predictable song…
