I'm a really picky person when it comes to thrash. I do like it, when it's done well. Mortal Enemy is a good band. Tame the Beast Within is a fair tape. The lyrics on this 6-song tape are very well written. Much time and effort must've been spent on them. I think it's great when a Christian band writes "no compromising" lyrics, and that's exactly what Mortal Enemy has done. The reasons I had a hard time enjoying this tape are: for one, the production. For thrash to sound more than just noise, the production has got to be good and, in this case, it isn't. When the band slows down, it's tolerable. When they're moshing, only the drums come through decent. Another problem I had was with the length of the songs. They are way too long. The tape runs almost 50 minutes. It almost became a chore to review it, because I was wondering if the songs were ever gonna end. Mortal Enemy is a very talented band with lots of potential. Better production, shorter songs, and maybe a more original vocal style (a Roger Martinez clone), and this band could be a force to reckon with.
