The Mark Of Cain - Reloaded

Battlesick and The Unclaimed Prize are the first two albums from Adelaide heavyweights The Mark Of Cain.

Formed in Adelaide in 1985 and featuring the brothers John and Kim Scott at the helm, The Mark Of Cain eschewed all contemporary influence of the time and instead dug deep into the likes of Joy Division, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Big Black, Black Flag, Gang of Four and Magazine, as well as authors like Herman Hesse, Jack Kerouac, Colin Wilson, Fydor Dostoyevsky and John Fante in creating a dark and brooding, intellectual take on post punk.

Consequently, these albums, (released respectively in 1989 and 1991) sounded like nothing else on the planet let alone Australia at the time. Local Adelaide release also, meant the albums remained largely buried and unrecognised - even within the Australian underground - until their re-release in 1998 via BMG as part of the 4CD box set The Complete Recordings. The albums then remained in print for a time but were eventually deleted. Despite those set backs, both albums found release in Europe in the early nineties via German label Normal. Whilst more recently, uber fan Henry Rollins released his beloved Battlesick on his own 2.13.61 label for North America.

"Music that is aggressive but lacks intellectual intensity is just dull music played hard by careless people. The Mark Of Cain albums Battlesick and The Unclaimed Prize are airstrikes executed with mission specific precision by careful men whose objective is to overwhelm and neutralize. They are cursed with power." - Henry Rollins

Since that time the band has gone on to considerable success, namely with the album Ill At Ease (1996) featuring the radio hits First Time, LMA, Interloper, The Contender and Pointman as well as the groundbreaking remixes album - Rock and Roll (1997) and This is This.. (2000) the band's most recent album and the first to feature John Stanier the former drummer for Helmet and current drummer for Tomahawk.

As far as content goes, Battlesick contains the band's tour de force and live anthem of the same name, as well as classics like The Hammer - later remixed for the Rock and Roll remixes collection (BMG, 1997) - and the epic Summertime. This new edition also features both sides of the bands first single Can You See Now?/The Lords of Summer originally released on the Phantom records label in 1988.

The Unclaimed Prize, recorded just months after Battlesick but delayed a release until 1991, contains the classic R & R< (later remixed for Rock and Roll), the endless groove of Wait For Me, as well as Cripple and Shadows two tracks recorded in Adelaide and featuring just the Scott Brothers and a drum machine and mixed by Steve Albini (ex-Big Black, Rapeman) in Chicago. It must be noted also that The Mark Of Cain were the first Australian band to work with Albini, recognising his genius long before the likes of even Nirvana or Page and Plant came to the same conclusion. Ill At Ease also shows the depths of the band's influences and reveals a cover of Alan Vega (ex-Suicide singer) classic Viet Vet. As harrowing as it gets.

For insights into the lyrics and workings of The Mark Of Cain, check out the website www.tmoc.com.au/

THE UNCLAIMED PRIZE

1. Fire in Her Heart
2. Four Grey Seasons
3. Drive On
4. Wait For Me
5. The Unclaimed Prize
6. UCD
7. Long Haul
8. Cap On John
9. R&R
10. Shadows
11. Cripple
12. Tell Me
13. Viet Vet

BATTLESICK

1. You Are Alone
2. Attrition
3. The Last Judgement
4. Dead Man's Mail
5. Call In Anger
6. The Setback
7. Battlesick
8. The Hammer
9. Wake Up
10. Visions Of Love
11. Summertime
12. Can You See Now?
13. The Lords Of Summer