The Mark of Cain Essentials

Sporting muscular riffs and a machine-like rhythm section, Australian trio The Mark of Cain draws equally on the legacy of sharp-edged post-punk and thrashing hardcore. Formed in Adelaide in 1984 by brothers John and Kim Scott—who adopted guitar and bass, respectively—the band introduced its heavy yet precise sound on 1989’s Battlesick, with John Scott’s vocals radiating as much gruff authority as the music itself. His voice doesn’t enter 1995’s “Lma” until almost two-and-a-half minutes in, beginning with bleak spoken declarations before graduating to a bludgeoning shout. That song appears on the aptly titled Ill At Ease, which saw punk icon Henry Rollins capture the band’s distinct air of menace and portent as producer. In-demand John Stanier (Tomahawk, Battles, Helmet) became The Mark of Cain’s studio drummer in 2001, slotting perfectly into the high-impact repetition of 2012’s Songs of the Third and Fifth.