The American heavy metal guitarist Mark Morton was born on 25 November 1972 in Williamsburg, Virginia. His first foray into music was as the rhythm guitarist in popular local college band Axis. While studying at university, he met drummer Chris Adler and bass player John Campbell. Some time after leaving university, the three friends formed Burn the Priest and shortly after the band gained some minor recognition, Mark Morton left to pursue a master's degree. After an absence of two years, he returned, and the band reinvented themselves as Lamb of God. Their debut album under the new name New American Gospel was released in 2000. With Lamb of God, Mark Morton has honed a distinctive, sometimes quirky style which manifests itself in some of the band's less conventional material. In 2018, he announced he would be releasing a solo album titled Anesthetic, which contains collaborations with Arch Enemy vocalist Allissa White-Gluz and a posthumous contribution by the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. Following the release of the Ether EP in 2020, he returned in 2025 with his second full-length Without the Pain, which featured a pivot to country-rock with guest appearances from Cody Jinks, Jason Isbell, Blackberry Smoke, and many more artists.