MORTAR
Mortar was a Power/Thrash Metal band from Chicago.
Mortar was formed by Brian Foster,Dave Dorocke, & Erik Armstrong in June of 1987.
From 1987 to late 1995, Mortar carved a notch for ourselves in the Midwest Metal Underground scene.
Our first 2 demos (Conquering Armies & Hellfire) landed us in many of the top metal magazines of that era, including: Metal Maniacs, RIP, Metal Forces, & F.E.T.U.
Despite minor setbacks, many related to lineup changes, Mortar was a favorite for promoters like Last Rites, Shark Entertainment & Jam Productions and various clubs when a good local band was needed to help promote & increase attendance for touring national acts.
We have shared the stage with bands such as Nuclear Assault, Overkill, M.O.D., Savatage, Wasp, Forbidden, Cyclone Temple, Raw Power, Malevolent Creation, Brutal Truth just to name a few.
Mortar was also privileged to perform at Jack Koshick Milwaukee Metalfest 3, 4, & 5 in the late 80’s early 90’s.
Mortar also had a strong regional following due to the metal underground tape trade, with loyal fans in Cities like Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis & St. Louis.
While our music & stage presence were similar to high energy west coast & east coast bands like Testament, Overkill, Suicidal Tendencies & Anthrax, we were probably best known for our innovative & dangerous stage shows which included outlandish stage setups, custom pyrotechnics, concussion bombs, and high powered air craft landing lights.
In this wonderful age of the internet, many videos of our live performances are testimonial proof that, Mortar were Chicago’s Dangerous Metal during the late 80’s & early 90’s