Dallas, Texas-based producer/engineer/mixer
Kerry Crafton has finished mixing the long-awaited fourth and final release from the legendary Texas thrash metal band
RIGOR MORTIS. Entitled
"Slaves To The Grave", the CD was recorded at 13th Planet Studio in El Paso, Texas in February 2012.
Mike Scaccia produced the sessions and
MINISTRY frontman
Al Jourgensen was the executive producer. Completion of the CD was delayed while
Scaccia was on a European tour with the band
MINISTRY and then by
Scaccia's sudden passing.
Scaccia brought the tracks back to Dallas to be mixed by longtime friend Crafton.
Crafton engineered the first
RIGOR MORTIS album,
"Rigor Mortis", for
Capitol Records in 1988.
Crafton was the producer, engineer and mixer on the third
RIGOR MORTIS release for
Triple X Records,
"Rigor Mortis vs The Earth". He now closes out the
RIGOR MORTIS legacy by mixing the band's final CD.
Mixing began in December and
Crafton and
Scaccia had only one day together to begin the mixing process before the tragic onstage passing of
Scaccia at the Rail Club in Ft. Worth while playing with
RIGOR MORTIS.
Commented
Crafton: "After
Mikey died, it was very hard to open up the session and get back to mixing. I expected to have my buddy
Mike with me as I did all the mixes. Instead, we had just one day together to set up basic tones and for him to explain what was what. It was a couple of weeks before I was able to begin again. When I got back to it, I found it both heartbreaking and cathartic. Though
Mike was gone physically, I still was blessed with his musical presence every day as I soldiered on through the tears.
"This record is amazing.
Mike,
Bruce Corbitt,
Harden Harrison and
Casey Orr all performed brilliantly in the recording of this album and I believe they all did the best work of their lives. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to mix this project for such a great group of musicians and friends. The depth and breadth of the material is really awesome. This will, obviously, be the last project from
RIGOR MORTIS, but it is a great final musical statement."
The CD is currently being shopped to several interested labels and a release is expected this summer.
