Chris "Mordrid" Hathcock got his start by honing his musical talents in metal bands such as The Torture Cell and Werhwolfe (where he still handles drum duties.) Begun in 2002 officially as The Seventh Circle then subsequently undergoing the moniker change to The Reticent, it was conceived and continued as a means of coping for its founder and remains to this day a one man project. Focusing intensely on sadness and all its brethren, The Reticent is meant to purge such sorrow or torment not to glorify it. Drawing solely from life experience the lyrics and concepts behind the music are all sincere and painfully revealing. Inspired by such unique acoustic acts as Terry Reid and Steve Von Till as well as more popular groups such as Opeth, The Reticent attempts the age old art of personal expression and relinquishment of pain through its strangely hypnotic music.
2006 saw the release of the Reticent's debut effort Hymns for the Dejected, a solid release of passionate, heart-wrenching compositions that very quickly cemented the band's sound and reputation for powerful music. The effort was painstakingly self-released and promoted, quickly garnering The Reticent a following of dedicated fans with fervor for Mordrid's emotionally driven songs and stellar musicianship. The Reticent's fanbase spans listeners of all genres of music from heavy metal to folk music, stemming from the inability of fans and critics alike to pigeonhole the band's sound. "They do remind me a lot of acoustic Tool, Opeth or maybe even Riverside. Nice job." said Steve Sly of the ProgDay Festival in Chapel Hill, NC.
Over the next two years, Hathcock laid the foundation for his sophomore effort, writing and arranging new songs. This period saw the Reticent's music taken into more progressive territory. In the spring of 2008, The Reticent entered Osceola Studios in Raleigh, NC to begin recording the new album, which would become Amor Mortem Mei Erit. Released later that summer under the banner of Heaven and Hell Records, the album met with strong reviews. Dark Harvest Records' website called it "unbelievably impressive and on another scale of musical emotion that may not have been reached before."
Beautifully created melancholy compositions in the vein of; TOOL, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Opeth, Porcupine Tree and Riverside.
