The Mark of Cain (also seen as the
initialism
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
, TMOC) are an
alternative metal
Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With r ...
band from
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, South Australia. Their style has been likened to that of
Helmet and
Rollins Band
Rollins Band was an American rock band formed in Van Nuys, California. The band was active from 1987 to 2006 and was led by former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins. They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and " Liar", which both e ...
, yet this band pre-dates both groups and was influenced by the early work of
Joy Division,
Big Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Nake ...
and United States
hardcore groups. The Mark of Cain were formed in mid-1984 by brothers, John (
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
) and Kim Scott (
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
), with Rod Archer on
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
and Gavin Atkinson playing
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
. Before long, Archer had left the group and John Scott took on the lead vocal role and the group has remained a trio ever since. The Scotts have been the core of the band which has featured 15 different drummers. Since January 2001, former Helmet member
John Stanier has been their drummer; he is also concurrently with
Tomahawk and
Battles. Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane
Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017.
As a journalist ...
, described the group's sound as "Gloomy, monotonous vocals and bleak slabs of metallic guitar did battle over a lurching rhythm section to arrive at a harsh sound."
Rod Archer died on 26 February 2016. 2019 marks the 30th Anniversary of the release of the ''Battlesick'' album. A major national tour is planned to celebrate the occasion. Eli Green again tours with the band fulfilling the drumming duties.
History
1984–1989: Formation and ''Battlesick''
The Mark of Cain were formed as a punk rock group in Adelaide in mid-1984 by Rod Archer on lead vocals; Gavin Atchison on drums (ex-Spiral Collapse); John Scott on lead guitar (ex-Spiral Collapse) and his younger brother Kim Scott on bass guitar.
Their name references the Hermann Hesse's novel, ''
Demian'' (1919), which in turn recalls the Genesis story regarding
the mark of Cain
The curse of Cain and the mark of Cain are phrases that originated in the story of Cain and Abel in the Book of Genesis. In the stories, if someone harmed Cain, the damage would come back sevenfold. Some interpretations view this as a physica ...
.
John had read ''Demian'', which featured " a loner who thought his dark feelings were there for anyone to see as he walked down the street – the Mark of Cain."
Atchison and John's earlier group, Spiral Collapse, broke up as John was concentrating on his university course, he also wanted a "new, harder sound" and disliked that band's lead singer.
John assisted Kim to develop his bass guitar skill and met Archer at one of Spiral Collapse's last gigs.
Ian McFarlane
Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017.
As a journalist ...
, an Australian musicologist, described "the band's penchant for militaristic imagery and lyric themes (to say nothing of the members' close-cropped, marine-styled looks) only added to the sense of desperation and solitude displayed in the band's music."
By the end of 1985 Archer had left and John Scott added lead vocals to his guitar work.
They replaced Archison with a succession of drummers: David Graham, Roger Crisp, John Rickert, Neil Guive and then Campbell Robinson by late 1988.
During 1987 they supported an Adelaide gig by United States group,
Big Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Nake ...
, during their Australian tour.
The band's first release was a single, "The Lords of Summer", issued on Sydney label,
Phantom Records
Phantom Records was an Australian record store and independent record label established in 1978 by Dare Jennings and Jules R.B. Normington. Phantom Records was one of Australia's first indie labels, and the store was known for its guerilla m ...
, in September 1988.
It was co-produced by the group with Anthony Bannister and was recorded at Adelaide's Soundtrack Australia studios in January of that year.
They covered two tracks by former Phantom groups, "Journey by Sledge" (
the Visitors) and "Seein' Double" (Shy Impostors) for a gig give-away album, ''Assorted Desecrations and Magnificent Mutations'', in October, by various artists, to celebrate the label's tenth anniversary.
Phantom's owners "had heard something different in the group than what they wanted to deliver, and their progress was periodically interrupted as they kept changing drummers."
The band signed with local label, Dominator Records, which issued their debut album, ''Battlesick'' in August 1989.
It was co-produced by Stuart Sheldon and the group, which was recorded at Artec Studios, Adelaide in February and March of that year.
Patrick Emery of ''i-94 Bar'' felt ''Battlesick'' was "dominated by the band's Joy Division streak. On 'You Are Alone' John Scott intones in his best Ian Curtis manner while Kim Scott's bass pounds with the relentless precision of artillery session captured on loop."
''Ox Fanzine''s Joachim Hiller opined that it "combined gloomy early eighties sounds with brachial, bass-heavy Noiserock."
1990–1995: ''The Unclaimed Prize'' and ''Ill at Ease''
Their second album, ''The Unclaimed Prize'', was released in March 1991.
It was recorded at Artec Sound Vision Productions during January to May 1990.
Emery described how it "opens with the pummelling beat of "Fire in Her Heart", complete with John Scott's semi-demented ranting. It's a style the band built on – and arguably perfected – on its ''Ill at Ease'' album released in 1995 ... The lyrics suggest a love song of sorts, yet this is no sappy Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young 'Judy Blue Eyes' folkie-lust. It's as if the warmth and tenderness of the opposite sex merely serves to break down the narrator’s sense of self and internal emotional structure."
Emery opined that the group's "style has been interpreted as misogynist, arrogant, aloof and even just too bloody loud, but its potency has never been questioned, nor the Scott brothers' commitment to duty. If ever there was a musical metaphor for human endurance, its TMOC. This music doesn't date, especially not in the current security-constructed climate."
McFarlane felt the album "offered up more sonic blasts of rough-hewn guitar riffs and booming drums."
In 1995 the Dominator label issued both albums, ''Battlesick'' and ''The Unclaimed Prize'', as a 2× CD set.
The Scott brothers, each took sabbaticals from the band during 1990 (John) and 1991 (Kim) to undertake a "work-related project", including travelling to Chicago.
In mid-1992 the group reconvened.
Steve Albini (of Big Black) produced their next release, a six-track extended play, ''Incoming'', released in June 1993.
Albini had met the Scott brothers back in 1987 when Mark of Cain had supported his group's tour.
The EP was the recording debut for Robinson's replacement, Aaron Hewson (ex-Order of Decay, Grunter), who had joined on drums, after the release of their second album, ''The Unclaimed Prize''.
The tracks were recorded at Artec Studios and Soundtrack, Adelaide and Chicago Recording Studios, from 1988 to 1991.
Early in 1994 the group performed on the
Big Day Out tour and followed, in February, with a non-album single, "Tell Me", on the Insipid Vinyl label.
McFarlane felt "the band's influences had broadened to include
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...
,
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the title Fall of Because but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals and programming) and G. C. Gree ...
and Helmet."
Dominator released their next EP, ''The Killer Within'', in July 1995.
The group had supported a run of international visiting groups,
Rollins Band
Rollins Band was an American rock band formed in Van Nuys, California. The band was active from 1987 to 2006 and was led by former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins. They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and " Liar", which both e ...
,
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...
,
Helmet, Albini's
Shellac,
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers are an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas, by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been ...
,
Killdozer,
All
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All al ...
,
Pavement and
Primus.
Albini's involvement with the Mark of Cain led to
Henry Rollins
Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Rolli ...
(of Rollins Band) financing and producing the band's breakthrough album, ''
Ill at Ease'' (November 1995).
It was recorded at Nesci Studios, Adelaide, in July–August of that year.
''Ill at Ease'' became the band's first released to chart inside the ARIA top 100, peaking at number 73.
It gained wide radio support for the group with national youth broadcaster,
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
, providing their singles, "First Time" and "LMA" with substantial airplay. ''
Tharunka''s reviewer, opined that "LMA" is "One of the weaker songs on an album that's as heavy and intense as a death in the family. Verging very close to a ballad, 'LMA' displays all the trademark MOC stop/start syncopation at a much reduced tempo, showing that beneath the hard and tough engineering bloke exteriors they have sentimental sides."
A national tour followed, after which Hewson left and Campbell Robinson returned.
1996–2007 ''This Is This''
In December 1996 the Mark of Cain released, ''
Rock and Roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
'', a compilation album of remixes of the group's earlier material.
McFarlane described the work as comprising "off-kilter remixes" of "band favourites."
The group contributed two songs to the soundtrack of the Australian feature film, ''
Idiot Box'' (1996): "Hindsight" and a cover version of "Degenerate Boy" (originally by early Australian punk band
X).
The latter track was issued as a single and listed at No. 78 on the
Triple J Hottest 100, 1997
The 1997 Triple J Hottest 100, was a countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J, and was broadcast on Australia Day 1998. A CD featuring 31 of the songs was released. A countd ...
.
Robinson was replaced by Stuart Baguley on drums in late 1998.
Baguley was replaced in turn by
John Stanier (ex-Helmet, also member of
Tomahawk and
Battles) in early 2000.
He provided the drumming on the Mark of Cain's next album, ''This Is This'', which was co-produced by
Andy Gill
Andrew James Dalrymple Gill (1 January 1956 – 1 February 2020) was a British musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the rock band Gang of Four, which he co-founded in 1976. Gill was known for his angular, jagged style of gu ...
of
Gang of Four
The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang ...
, one of the Mark of Cain's early influences, and
Phil McKellar
Phillip Jeffrey McKellar is an Australian record producer and audio engineer. At the ARIA Music Awards McKellar has received nine nominations in the categories of either Producer of the Year or Engineer of the Year. These include You Am I's "Goo ...
(Grinspoon, Regurgitator, The Cruel Sea).
It was released by
BMG BMG may refer to:
Organizations
* Music publishing companies:
** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008
*** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...
in mid-2001 with the announcement that Stanier was the band's permanent drummer.
Australian rock music journalist,
Ed Nimmervoll, declared it as his Album of the Week for 30 June 2001, explaining "With each album they reach deeper into that well of human darkness, trying to finish what they started...
his
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, in ...
album finds the Scott brothers linking arms with
tanier It's an album that nails home its message, song after song, line after line. 'I never wanted this'. 'One time was too many'. 'I sleep better when I'm alone'. The thoughts of the outsider, which have fascinated literature forever and are at the core of rock and roll. When we lose that, rock and roll will be just entertainment."
Jasper Lee of Oz Music Project opined that "
tsees a more refined anger that is shown in particular by the drumming prowess of new drummer
tanier which adds to the intense vocals of John Scott... the sound on this album is clear and crisp, bringing down the line all the bile and angry bits to be expected of the band with many a reeling, robust audio left hook that blasts the listener through the speakers."
''This is This'' peaked at number 26 on the ARIA Charts.
2008–present: ''Songs of the Third and Fifth''
The Mark of Cain, with Stanier aboard, commenced recording a new album, ''
Songs of the Third and Fifth
''Songs of the Third and Fifth'' is the fifth full-length studio album by the Australian alternative metal band The Mark of Cain. It was released in November 2012 by Feel Presents and produced by singer John Scott and Tim Pittman. Former produce ...
'' at Broadcast Studios (Adelaide, Australia) in February 2008,
with engineer Evan James. Mixing commenced in December 2010 in Melbourne with Forrester Savell. In December 2011 its lead single, "
Barkhammer
"Barkhammer" is a song by Australian alternative metal band The Mark of Cain (band), The Mark of Cain. Released on 6 December 2011 as the first single from their fifth studio album ''Songs of the Third and Fifth''. Their first new music to be rel ...
", was issued and played on Triple J. A second single, "Heart of Stone", was released in September 2012 and finally the long-awaited album, ''Songs of the Third and Fifth'', appeared on 2 December of that year, through Fuse/Feel Presents, earning favourable reviews.
''i-94 Bar''s the Barman described how "TMOC occupies the space where hardcore, punk and metal collide and makes unique with a lyrical heaviness that makes listening to Black Sabbath a Sunday walk in the park."
In March 2013 the band toured Australia with Eli Green on drums, sitting in for Stanier who was unable to tour due to his commitments with US band, Tomahawk. They completed further tours in 2014 and 2015, with Green on drums.
Rod Archer, their original vocalist until 1985, died of cancer on 26 February 2016. In June 2015 the group had performed a benefit concert for Archer who was then undergoing chemotherapy.
In July 2019, the band announced a national tour to play ''Battlesick'' in its entirety, for its 30th anniversary. A similar tour for 2020 marking the 25th anniversary of ''Ill At Ease'' was postponed.
In 2022, The Mark of Cain was admitted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.
Timeline
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20
PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:5 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1984 till:01/01/2022
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:Studio value:black legend:Studio_album
id:bars value:gray(0.95)
BackgroundColors = bars:bars
Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1984
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:2 start:1984
LineData =
at:08/01/1989 color:black layer:back
at:01/01/1990 color:black layer:back
at:11/01/1995 color:black layer:back
at:06/01/2001 color:black layer:back
at:11/01/2012 color:black layer:back
BarData =
bar:archer text:Rod Archer
bar:jscott text:John Scott
bar:kscott text:Kim Scott
bar:atkinson text:Gavin Atkinson
bar:crisp text:Roger Crisp
bar:rickert text:John Rickert
bar:guiver text:Neil Guiver
bar:robinson text:Campbell Robinson
bar:hewson text:Aaron Hewson
bar:lockey text:Charles Lockey
bar:baguley text:Stuart Baguley
bar:stanier text:John Stanier
bar:green text:Eli Green
PlotData =
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:archer from:01/01/1984 till:01/01/1986 color:vocals
bar:jscott from:01/01/1984 till:end color:guitar
bar:kscott from:01/01/1984 till:end color:bass
bar:jscott from:01/01/1986 till:end color:vocals width:3
bar:atkinson from:01/01/1984 till:04/30/1985 color:drums
bar:crisp from:07/01/1985 till:01/31/1986 color:drums
bar:rickert from:04/01/1986 till:05/31/1986 color:drums
bar:crisp from:06/01/1986 till:07/31/1986 color:drums
bar:rickert from:08/01/1986 till:01/31/1988 color:drums
bar:guiver from:03/01/1988 till:08/31/1988 color:drums
bar:robinson from:12/01/1988 till:05/31/1990 color:drums
bar:hewson from:01/01/1991 till:10/31/1996 color:drums
bar:robinson from:11/01/1996 till:03/31/1997 color:drums
bar:lockey from:04/01/1997 till:06/30/1997 color:drums
bar:baguley from:01/01/1998 till:07/31/1999 color:drums
bar:stanier from:01/01/2000 till:end color:drums
bar:green from:03/01/2013 till:end color:drums
Discography
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilation albums
Extended plays
Singles
Awards and nominations
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as
AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
, -
,
AIR Awards of 2013
The AIR Awards of 2013 (or Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards of 2013) is the eighth annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association Music Awards (generally known as the AIR Awards) and was an award ceremony at Revolt Art Space, in Mel ...
, ''Songs of the Third and Fifth''
, Best Independent Hard Rock or Punk Album
,
, -
ARIA Music Awards
The
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
are a set of annual ceremonies presented by
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the
music of Australia
The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. They commenced in 1987.
!
, -
,
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
, , ''This is This'' , ,
Best Rock Album, , , ,
[ARIA Award previous winners. ]
, -
Fowler's Live Music Awards
The Fowler's Live Music Awards took place from 2012 to 2014 to "recognise success and achievement over the past 12 months
ndcelebrate the great diversity of original live music" in South Australia. Since 2015 they're known as the
South Australian Music Awards
The South Australian Music Awards, also known as SA Music Awards, commonly SAM Awards, formerly Fowler's Live Music Awards (FLMA), are annual awards that exist to recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary mu ...
.
, -
, 2013
, Mark of Cain
, Best Punk Artist
,
, -
References
;General
* Note: Archived
n-linecopy has limited functionality.
;Specific
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mark of Cain, The
Australian alternative metal musical groups
Musical groups from Adelaide
Musical groups established in 1984
Australian musical trios