Band:	Mark Morton
Album:	Anesthetic
Style:	Groove thrash metal
Release date:	March 2019

01. Cross Off [feat Chester Bennington]
02. Sworn Apart [feat Jacoby Shaddix]
03. Axis [feat Mark Lanegan]
04. The Never [feat Chuck Billy and Jake Oni]
05. Save Defiance [feat Myles Kennedy]
06. Blur [feat Mark Morales]
07. Back From The Dead [feat Josh Todd]
08. Reveal [feat Naeemah Maddox]
09. Imaginary Days
10. The Truth Is Dead [feat. Randy Blythe and Alissa White-Gluz]

A lesson in not judging a book by its cover.

I've always been skeptical when it comes to albums heavily reliant on guest appearances, usually gaining attention due to who rather than what is on the music and a level of hype that revolves solely around their other work rather than what you are given; to say I went in to Mark Morton's Anesthestic with a level of hesitation would be accurate. Coming out of the other side, it earns itself the distinction of being one of the exceptions to the rule, showing itself to be a strong album in reality rather than on paper alone.

While I've never been the biggest fan of Lamb Of God owing to their sonic footprint, I do appreciate the level of musicianship in the band's music, and Mark Morton's six-stringed riffage. Anesthetic proves to be the moment Morton's guitar work is extricated from the sonic aesthetic that has made me a distant admirer of the man's work to front row headbanger.

Those expecting Lamb Of God-esque tracks or guitar lines should drop those expectations now for they won't be met; Morton explores sounds and styles that wouldn't fit on said band's work, though he does come close at times to ideas that wouldn't be too far removed. For the most part, Morton is using the album to take advantage of this musical freedom. Going from bluesy musings on tracks like "Axis" to arena rock groove on "Save Defiance", Morton expands his sonic palette a good distance on Anethesthic.

Running through all the different people who appear on this album would fall into the pitfall that these types of albums normally do, that more time is spent breaking down and evaluating the guests and their contributions rather than the work itself. To condense this part to its most concise statement would be to say that everyone fits well and appears to have been written with them in mind rather than have them put on the album for other non-music reasons. While some work better than others, it has a success rate above many other albums of this nature for this reason; sure some of the names may seem ill-fitting prima facie but once you hit play you will hear why they have been chosen.

The album's strengths are that many of its tracks are more than average tracks with a guest appearance thrown on to mask that fact; songs like "Cross Off", "Imaginary Days", "The Truth Is Dead" and "Reveal" make a case for the album to be taken for more than a mere glorified vanity project and should instead be viewed as an earnest attempt at writing a strong record. Tracks like "Sworn Amongst", "Back From The Dead" and "The Never" don't hit the same highs, but they don't drag their feet along or rest on their guest appearance laurels. Given these tracks make up the majority of the album, you know you are onto a winner.

The tracks do weave in and out; rather than sounding poorly paced and that you are bouncing around unable to find a groove, here it has the effect of keeping you on your toes and stop you complacently listen along. With the inclusion of slower songs like "Axis" and "Reveal", you are given spaces to sit back, relax and absorb the album rather than constantly catching what is thrown at you.

Oddly enough, Anesthetic doesn't fall short when it comes to moments where Morton seems at his furthest from his comfort zone, turning tracks like the jazzy psychedelic-influenced "Reveal" into some of the best moments on the record alongside more staple sounding songs such as "The Truth Is Dead". In turn, you end up wishing Morton took more risks on the album and pushed the boundaries further, given his success rate is very high and something equally better could have resulted in addition to what we already have.

There are times that Morton's attempts at writing to a genre's style do see him pick up and repeat the same pitfalls that genre has, and a result he does come off as an interloper. "Blur" is a forgettable attempt at radio rock that sounds like a bland text book version of what a song should sound like sans much creative spin put on it. Given the success he has taking bigger risks elsewhere, I can't shake the feeling he played it too safe here and could have benefitted from throwing one here rather than playing it by the book.

For an album that is a side project for Mark Morton, it is a surprise hit that is stronger than its origins would lead you to believe. While I won't drop my scepticism about future projects in a similar vein, Anestheic does serve as evidence that sometimes your preconceptions can be misplaced and you can have fun while you eat your words.