Description

Original Noise pressing In the late 80s, San Franciscos Mordred was one of the first bands associated with the brief but extremely media-hyped stylistic fad called funk metal. The band never truly distinguished themselves amongst the many thrash contenders of the period, however, and much like their funk metal niche, quickly faded away into obscurity. Originating in the exciting Bay Area thrash metal scene, Mordred included vocalist Scott Holderby, guitarists Danny White and J. Taffer, bassist Art Liboon, and drummer Gannon Hall. While their precise style of power metal riffing was no different from that of other Bay Area stars such as Testament and Forbidden, the band distinguished themselves thanks to Liboon's uncommonly upfront bass work and a tentative flirtation with funk. In fact, their 1989 debut, Fools Game, contained a cover of Rick James' funk classic ‘Superfreak’, featuring scratches courtesy of DJ Aaron (Pause) Vaughn. Another track that shows that Mordred were experimenting with funk were the self-penned ‘Everydays A Holiday’. Meanwhile, ‘State of Mind’ and ‘Spectacle of Fear’ are the best examples of the band's more mainstream power metal sound. Track listing: 1. State Of Mind 2. Spectacle Of Fear 3. Every Days A Holiday 4. Spellbound 5. Sever And Splice 6. The Artist 7. Shatter 8. Reckless Abandon 9. Super Freak 10. Numb