Lodi’s Loudest Band Marches on Despite Death of its Bassist
Despite the March 30 death of bassist Chris Morino, 63, a founding member of Bergen County punk band Mourning Noise, Serpent Lip Service came out last month to melt minds with its ferocious approach. In fact, the single, “Melted Minds,” according to vocalist-guitarist Robby Bloodshed, “is a lens into an altered reality, a synopsis of how your brain, heart and soul can play tricks on you, how it could make you believe something is so real, when it is so clearly an illusion in front of your own eyes.”
The late bassist was a beloved icon in Lodi having helmed his Headhunters Salon for 35 years, a decade after forming Mourning Noise in 1981. On the day he died, the band released the following statement: “Chris was the best bandmate you could have asked for. A fantastic bassist. A team player. Eager to always rehearse. Our secret ingredient in the songwriting process who would give us little details to paint within the canvas…he was, above all, a man with a heart of gold. There are no words that can fully capture what he meant to us, and there never will be.
“Serpent Lip Service is rooted firmly in the band’s original punk ethos,” the band says. “The record pushes beyond tradition, blending dark intensity with a broad spectrum of influences to create a gripping unpredictable journey from start to finish. Rest in peace, Chris. You will never be forgotten. Mourning Noise will make certain of that.”