Christian industrial metal is one of those things that sort of went under the radar for those outside of the underground Christian metal scene. It's sad because a lot of these bands offered some of the most potent, and just some of the best, in the genre (Christian or otherwise), period. You had Circle of Dust (headed by Klayton, who later became Celldweller) and the side project Argyle Park (which had their second release under the name AP2), Klank, Under Midnight, and Chatterbox. Another one of the big ones was Mortal. Like Blackhouse did for the Christian industrial music scene of the 80s, Mortal were ones who helped pioneer the industrial metal and rock sound in the 90s CCM sphere.

Their first two albums, Lusis and Fathom, are ones I go back to and regularly listen to. However, I believe their crowning achievement is their last release, Nu-En-Jin. Released in 2002 through Tooth and Nail Records, it's an earth-shattering, mindsplitting, and (dare I say it) life-changing listening experience. The industrial sounds found on their previous releases are cranked up to eleven here, with these pulsating, warbling noises sounding like machinery flickering back to life. The majority of the album features a raw, unfiltered, gritty, and aggressive sound that gives this sense of being in some sort of sci-fi laboratory with equipment that's seen far better days, all of which is echoed in the vocals through a raspy and dry delivery. This sound that defines the album will be what makes or breaks this album for listeners. However, there are a few songs in here I could recommend to just about anyone.

The opening track, "Tenno," starts the album off well, showcasing the sound and tone of what the majority of the album has to offer with a driving, pulsing riff. The sound gains more traction into "Mr. Arochet" and "Dymenshan." A contrast to the heavier sound of the first three tracks, "Mujo" takes on a different tone that wouldn't have sounded out of place on one of their Fold Zandura albums. The vocals take a much softer turn, and the sound and overall tone take on this almost dreamlike, ambient, and chill quality featuring undercurrents of electronic notes complementing the overall atmospheric feel. This track is one I could easily recommend to folks who I know wouldn't like most of the album. "Vilan Corp" dives back into the heavier side, with hints of nu-metal alongside the mechanical-sounding instrumentation. "FMZ4" is one of my personal favorite tracks off the album, and I do feel like it's what the album up to this point was leading up to. If the machines were coming back to life on the previous tracks, they really have here! It wouldn't sound out of place in a Cyberpunk 2077 action sequence. This trails off into another ambient-type track with the instrumental "Floranclaude," and like with "Mujo," I could easily recommend this one to just about anybody. "Teraferma" kicks the album back up a notch, also featuring hints of nu-metal alongside the industrial sound. The album essentially caps off and winds down with "Cloudburst," which almost feels like a culmination of the heavier and lighter sounds the album took up to this point, with portions of the vocals being akin to what was heard on "Mujo," before cranking it back up with the gravely-styled vocals on the chorus. The last two tracks are reprisals/redos of songs from their first album, Lusis. "Mytho Ex" is done in collaboration with fellow Christian electronic musicians, The Echoing Green. This is another one I could recommend to most folks. Ending the album fully, we have a version of "Enfleshed (The Word Is Alive)" done in the album's overall style, with the gravely-styled vocals and pulsing riffs. It does a great job bringing everything full circle, with this song having been the first track of their first album and the last on their last album.

Like I stated before, the style is this album's greatest strength or its greatest weakness, depending on who you ask. Nu-En-Jin won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for folks who love industrial, electronic, and experimental music (like myself), I highly recommend it!

JFH Reader Review: written by Jaden Rose, 11/27/24, for Jesusfreakhideout.com