Mortal Clay is a two member project hashing out music of utopic nihilism ranging from aggressive to ethereal. They have an artistic musical aim through keyboard sequences, electric guitar and vocals which is not limited by genre formulas (self imposed or otherwise). Mortal Clay is an independent band founded in Portland, Oregon in 1999 by Lyre and Marco. They have four albums to date and a fifth is in the making.

"The feeling of being the only living person at a funeral could be both real and surreal while putting a whole new meaning to the informally joyful 'Wish You Were Here' phrase. The stark black and white imagery along with the seemingly organic instrumentation on the new Mortal Clay CD titled Gilded Thralls certainly brings you to that solo funeral, intentional or not. The 2011 CD, mixed by John Fryer (This Mortal Coil, Cocteau Twins and Depeche Mode), reminds of the sound of many of the bands on Independent Project Records, such as Savage Republic, Autumn Fair, and early FourWayCross. Perhaps nothing sums up the whole feeling of listening to the entire CD as the lyrics to Into the Land, the first track on this beautifully morbid sounding CD: Stumble into the land Crumble into the sand Human So? Are you saturnine?"

-Dark Grave

"...Fourth album that establishes full artistic maturity for MORTAL CLAY, Portland duo since 1999."Gilded Thralls" (EDM Records) is a sarabande atmosphere of twilight and cemeteries that are at the boundary between the industrial and the batcave the most avant-garde sort of weird cross between a Land of Passion and the Swedish project Fata Morgana. For those looking for something "new."

-Erba della Strega

"...nothing less than the collision of their minds, which is what you want from people. They take thin layers of sound and then shake them, attacking with vibrant vocals, or moody guitar. There are brisk, churning rhythms, but this isn't neccesarily left-field Industrial. It's something else..."

-Mick Mercer

"Mortal Clay's music is heavily rhythmic and decidedly left-field, in an inventive, individualistic style that doesn't tip its hat overmuch to any particular set of generic conventions. It pulls in fragments of Folk, elements of industrial. There are strange sweeps of electronics and interludes of neo-classical ambiance followed by outbreaks of pummeling drums. Guitar feeds in and out, voices come and go. It's organic and flowing, staccato and technology-driven. If they have Folk clubs in the Future, this is the stuff that you will hear therein."

-Nemesis To Go