Mortalis are a Speed/Thrash act hailing from California, but you could probably figure that out just by listening to their debut, From the Cryogenics, as it sounds a good lot like early Metallica and Megadeth with some Anthrax for good measure. Odds are good that you've looked at the runtime and figured that nearly an hour of this stuff is too much, but the band is able to get around that with enough relentless youthful energy and genuinely strong musicianship to keep them from being mere copycats of their influences. Case in point, guitarist/vocalist Sergio Montes De Oca sounds a good bit like Hetfield and Mustaine in their prime, and bassist Vincente Avalos playing often takes the spotlight the same way Dave Ellefson's did decades ago, especially since they're mixed so up front. This may not be original, nor does it outshine the bands it takes after, but whenever I hear songs like "Killshot," it takes me back to 1983 when I started becoming a real metal head, and any band who practices the classic sound well enough to do that is worth keeping an eye on in my book.