Founded in Scotland, in 2008 by Iranian vocalist Somi Arian, Mortad began carving its path with venom fuelled lyrics, taking aim at the hypocrisy of religion and the government as well as seeking inner truth and strength in the face of such oppression. In Summer 2010 Somi relocated the project to London and joined forces with Jon 'Thrash' Hughes, a metal guitarist capable of writing riffs so sharp you leave your stereo with scars. Joe Perumal soon stepped in to take responsibility for the brutally deep bass vibrations and with the addition of Szymek Lawik for the crushing drive and pounding drum duties Mortad was finally complete. Taking influences from Carcass/SYL/LoG, together Mortad have honed a sound built on an extreme metal foundation, while pushing the boundaries of the genre to create the most thought-provoking, brutal music to date. Despite such little time passing Mortad have gone from strength to strength. In August the band entered the studio to record two tracks, which garnered the attention of many, labelling them as an act to pay attention to. October saw them reach the position of number one metal band in the London charts on Reverbnation, only to reach the heights of number one in the UK in November, which they maintained for 7 consecutive weeks. Due to the demand and positive reaction, from over 25,000 fans on Facebook to their initial releases of two tracks, Mortad unveiled their first music video in December whilst the band recorded an additional two tracks. 2011 is poised to be filled with activity for Mortad ready to build upon the solid foundation laid down. An EP has been finalised for release, and a tour in support is being prepared throughout the year. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.