Steve Rowe
Encyclopedia
Steve Rowe is the founder, bass guitarist, and vocalist of the Australia
n Christian
death metal
band Mortification
which was considered to be a major pioneer in the genre. Prior to forming Mortification he was in a traditional heavy metal
styled Christian band known as LightForce. He was diagnosed with leukemia
in 1997 but made a full recovery, but not until recently has had trouble with his declining health. He is currently the owner and head of the Rowe Productions
record label.
and Deep Purple
by his older brother Scott when he was just 8 years old. By the time he reached the age of 15 his favorite bands were Iron Maiden
, Motörhead and Judas Priest
. Because Steve grew up in a Baptist
home with strong Christian values he became disappointed that the music he enjoyed appeared to be so focused on themes that cut against his faith. In 1980 he began to feel as if he did not fit in with the people he knew at church and started spending his spare time partying with his heavy metal friends.
In 1983 Steve purchased his first bass guitar
and began learning how to play. The main influences on his style as he was learning were Lemmy of Motörhead, Joey DeMaio
of Manowar, and Steve Harris
of Iron Maiden. In that same year a youth pastor from the church he used to attend invited him to come back to church and gave Steve a copy of a Resurrection Band
album. The album changed Steve's views on what Christian music could be like and was a major factor in his decision to return to the church. Seeing how much rock music combined with a Christian message had helped him, Steve vowed to form a Christian metal
band that would change the world. Initially, he formed a band with a few friends back at his church, but it soon became clear that finding people with the same vision and goals would not be an easy task.
It was while he was attempting to start this band that Steve became unhappy with the Church he was attending, and as a result, he left and joined the Harvest Christian Centre, which had a huge outreach to groups like metalheads and punks. It was here that Steve finally found a home for his Christian metal vision.
, Whitecross
and Leviticus.
Just when it seemed set for LightForce to make a big name for themselves in the Christian metal scene, two of the bands members announced they were leaving the band. Steve spoke with the remaining members about forming a more extreme thrash metal
oriented LightForce with him handling vocal duties as well as playing bass. The remaining members did not think it would work so Steve reformed the band with guitarist Cameron Hall and Jayson Sherlock on drums. The band changed their name to Mortification and recorded Break The Curse
which was released in 1990.
Mortification went on to record many more albums and the band is considered to be one of the pioneers in the extreme Christian metal scene. The 1992 album Scrolls of the Megilloth
is considered to be a great classic of death metal. In 1997 Steve was diagnosed with leukemia
. Despite doctors who had given him only hours to live on several different occasions and a seemingly failed bone marrow transplant, Steve managed to make a full recovery which he has attributed to a miracle. Mortification then went on to release the 1998 album Triumph of Mercy
which dealt with the personal issues Steve faced while receiving treatment for the disease. Mortification is still currently making music and to date has released 13 studio albums. Steve is also the owner and head of the Rowe Productions
record label and has performed guest vocals on a song on Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm
by Tourniquet
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Christian
Christian metal
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...
death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Mortification
Mortification (band)
Mortification is an Australian Christian extreme metal band which was formed in 1987 as a heavy metal group, Lightforce, by mainstay Steve Rowe on bass guitar and vocals. By 1990, in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin, they were renamed as Mortification with the line-up of Rowe, Michael Carlisle on...
which was considered to be a major pioneer in the genre. Prior to forming Mortification he was in a traditional heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
styled Christian band known as LightForce. He was diagnosed with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in 1997 but made a full recovery, but not until recently has had trouble with his declining health. He is currently the owner and head of the Rowe Productions
Rowe Productions
Rowe Productions is a Christian record label. It was founded by Mortification vocalist Steve Rowe. The label mainly focuses on thrash/unblack metal artists.-Former Artists:*16 Stitch *Fearscape...
record label.
Early life
Steve was first introduced to heavy metal bands like AC/DCAC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
and Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
by his older brother Scott when he was just 8 years old. By the time he reached the age of 15 his favorite bands were Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Motörhead and Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
. Because Steve grew up in a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
home with strong Christian values he became disappointed that the music he enjoyed appeared to be so focused on themes that cut against his faith. In 1980 he began to feel as if he did not fit in with the people he knew at church and started spending his spare time partying with his heavy metal friends.
In 1983 Steve purchased his first bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and began learning how to play. The main influences on his style as he was learning were Lemmy of Motörhead, Joey DeMaio
Joey DeMaio
Joey DeMaio is an American bass player and main songwriter for the heavy metal band Manowar which he co-founded in 1980. He is also the founder and CEO of Magic Circle Music....
of Manowar, and Steve Harris
Steve Harris (musician)
Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded in 1975...
of Iron Maiden. In that same year a youth pastor from the church he used to attend invited him to come back to church and gave Steve a copy of a Resurrection Band
Resurrection Band
Resurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, was a Christian rock band formed in 1972. They were part of the Jesus People USA Christian community in Chicago and most of its members have continued in that community to this day. Known for their blend of blues-rock and hard rock, Resurrection...
album. The album changed Steve's views on what Christian music could be like and was a major factor in his decision to return to the church. Seeing how much rock music combined with a Christian message had helped him, Steve vowed to form a Christian metal
Christian metal
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...
band that would change the world. Initially, he formed a band with a few friends back at his church, but it soon became clear that finding people with the same vision and goals would not be an easy task.
It was while he was attempting to start this band that Steve became unhappy with the Church he was attending, and as a result, he left and joined the Harvest Christian Centre, which had a huge outreach to groups like metalheads and punks. It was here that Steve finally found a home for his Christian metal vision.
Musical career
After several failed attempts with different bands and constant lineup changes, Steve formed LightForce in 1986. Initially that band was a failure as well as their first lineup, which was disbanded after only one show. Steve then reformed the band with a new lineup that managed to win the "Melbourne Heavy Metal battle of the bands competition" in which it was competing with five secular metal acts. LightForce was instantly accepted into the Australian metal scene and went on to record their first full album Battlezone and tour across Australia. In 1988 the band released the album Mystical Thieves. The album went on to sell very well and they toured constantly in support of its release, opening for bands such as StryperStryper
Stryper is a Christian glam metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet , Oz Fox , Tim Gaines , and Robert Sweet...
, Whitecross
Whitecross
Whitecross is a Christian metal band that formed in 1985 in Waukegan, IL releasing their first recording in the year 1987. Their early albums, which often invite comparisons to Ratt, are laced with fast, technical guitar work. In 1994, bandleader, primary songwriter and producer Rex Carroll split...
and Leviticus.
Just when it seemed set for LightForce to make a big name for themselves in the Christian metal scene, two of the bands members announced they were leaving the band. Steve spoke with the remaining members about forming a more extreme thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
oriented LightForce with him handling vocal duties as well as playing bass. The remaining members did not think it would work so Steve reformed the band with guitarist Cameron Hall and Jayson Sherlock on drums. The band changed their name to Mortification and recorded Break The Curse
Break the Curse
Break the Curse is Christian metal band Mortification's debut demo, recorded in 1990. The album expresses Mortification's thrashier metal, rather than their death metal yet to come.- Track listing :All songs written by Mortification...
which was released in 1990.
Mortification went on to record many more albums and the band is considered to be one of the pioneers in the extreme Christian metal scene. The 1992 album Scrolls of the Megilloth
Scrolls of the Megilloth
Scrolls of the Megilloth is the Christian extreme metal band Mortification's third release and second full length recording, released in 1992. The band's most famous release, this album is full-on death metal, with the thrash metal roots barely showing, and possibly their most extreme album to date...
is considered to be a great classic of death metal. In 1997 Steve was diagnosed with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. Despite doctors who had given him only hours to live on several different occasions and a seemingly failed bone marrow transplant, Steve managed to make a full recovery which he has attributed to a miracle. Mortification then went on to release the 1998 album Triumph of Mercy
Triumph of Mercy
Triumph of Mercy is the seventh studio album released by the Australian Christian metal band Mortification on 6 October 1998.-Track listing:#"At War With War" - 4:54#"Triumph Of Mercy" - 7:00#"Welcome To The Palodrome" - 4:16#"From Your Side" - 4:18...
which dealt with the personal issues Steve faced while receiving treatment for the disease. Mortification is still currently making music and to date has released 13 studio albums. Steve is also the owner and head of the Rowe Productions
Rowe Productions
Rowe Productions is a Christian record label. It was founded by Mortification vocalist Steve Rowe. The label mainly focuses on thrash/unblack metal artists.-Former Artists:*16 Stitch *Fearscape...
record label and has performed guest vocals on a song on Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm
Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm
Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm is an album by Tourniquet. It was released on Metal Blade Records in the year 2000.-Track listing:# "Besprinkled in Scarlet Horror" 7:40# "Drinking from the Poisoned Well" 7:34...
by Tourniquet
Tourniquet (band)
Tourniquet is a Christian thrash / heavy metal band that was formed in 1989 by Ted Kirkpatrick, Guy Ritter and Gary Lenaire in Los Angeles, California, USA. They are known for incorporating elements of thrash, neo-classical and progressive metal into their music...
.
External links
- Rowe Productions official website
- Interview with HM magazine