Mekong Delta The Principle Of Doubt LP + 7" Death metal Atheist Coroner Exodus

$

40

Brand new, sealed. Officially released on HIGH ROLLER RECORDS from GERMANY. 
MEKONG DELTA The Principle of Doubt LP+7" MARBLE COLORED VINYL
--
High Roller Records, beer/ black marble vinyl, ltd 250, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, insert, poster, A5 photo card, beer coloured vinyl bonus 7" in p/s LP: 01. A Question of Trust 02. The Principle of Doubt 03. Once I Believed 04. Ever Since Time Began 05. Curse of Reality 06. Twilight Zone (Lord Fouls Hort) 07. Shades of Doom 08. The Jester 09. El colibri 10. No Friend of Mine
7": 11. Toccata 12. Black Betty 13. Interludium (2nd Version)
Remastered by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY in August 2024.
With “The Principle of Doubt”, Mekong Delta introduced new guitarist Uwe Baltrusch, who replaced Reiner Kelch, and bade farewell to the 1980s on a high point. While the German tech thrash pioneers’ 1989 studio album took nothing away from the two previous records, it boasted the band’s most dynamic production so far – fortunately, given the implementation of those orchestral parts that would become a frequent stylistic device of theirs in the future. In between solemn songs such as ‘Once I Believe’ and ‘Curse Of Reality’, the record features another couple of curious adaptions, something the band had become known for by that time – the first being French composer Marius Constant’s “The Twilight Zone” theme, the second ‘El Colibri’, a virtuosic guitar piece by Julio Sagrera transferred to electric bass. Comments mastermind Ralf Hubert, “I could play it on classical guitar, which is my main instrument, and just wanted to know if it was playable on bass.” Lyrically, the quintet takes inspiration from Stephen R. Donaldson's high fantasy novel series “The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant”. “The figure of the anti- or tragic hero fascinated me, and the story was absolutely killer,” explains Hubert. “When it came to setting it to music, I quickly realized it was way too expansive, so we boiled it down to the songs on this album.” Rounded off by punishing opener ‘A Question of Trust’ and the driving ‘Shades of Doom’, “The Principle of Doubt” is a thrilling metal album through and through. This 2024 edition was remastered by Patrick W. Engel.
---
Mekong Delta: Artist Overview
Mekong Delta is a German progressive thrash metal band founded in 1985 by bassist and producer Ralph Hubert. The band's early career was shrouded in mystery, with members using pseudonyms to conceal their true identities, a decision made out of concern that German musicians wouldn't be taken seriously on the international metal stage. This mystique, combined with their intricate and highly intellectual music, quickly set them apart from their peers. Mekong Delta’s sound is a unique and challenging fusion of furious thrash metal riffs, complex time signatures, and a profound influence from classical music, often incorporating full arrangements of pieces by composers like Mussorgsky into their work.
The band's discography is a testament to their continuous experimentation and evolution. Early albums like The Music of Erich Zann (1988) showcased their technical prowess and fascination with H.P. Lovecraft's horror literature. Their sound fully matured on the seminal album Dances of Death (and Other Walking Shadows) (1990), which is widely considered their masterpiece. The album featured a side-long, multi-part suite and showcased a level of compositional ambition rarely seen in the thrash metal genre. The band has had a revolving door of talented musicians, including well-known drummers like Jörg Michael and Uli Kusch, and has released over a dozen albums throughout their long and storied career.
Mekong Delta's impact is that of a pioneer who pushed the boundaries of what was possible within heavy metal. They are often cited as one of the very first technical thrash bands, and their seamless blend of aggression with sophisticated musicality laid the groundwork for countless bands in the progressive metal and technical death metal scenes that followed. While they never achieved mainstream commercial success, they have maintained a loyal and devoted cult following, and their music remains a standard for intellectual and highly technical metal. They have proven that heavy music can be as challenging and rewarding as classical composition.
50 Similar Artists (Focusing on Technical/Progressive Thrash Metal):
Coroner: (Switzerland) - Often considered the kings of technical thrash.
Watchtower: (USA) - Pioneers of the genre, highly complex and dissonant.
Forbidden: (USA) - Technical Bay Area thrash with a melodic edge.
Voivod: (Canada) - Progressive, sci-fi themed thrash.
Annihilator: (Canada) - Known for intricate, shredding guitar work.
Testament: (USA) - Later albums show a strong technical thrash influence.
Death: (USA) - Early works bridged thrash and technical death metal.
Atheist: (USA) - Jazz-fusion influenced progressive death/thrash.
Vektor: (USA) - Modern band with a classic progressive thrash sound.
Toxik: (USA) - High-pitched vocals over complex thrash.
Realm: (USA) - Another highly technical and obscure thrash band.
Sadus: (USA) - Blistering speed and technicality.
Forced Entry: (USA) - Aggressive and technical thrash.
Demolition Hammer: (USA) - Brutal, heavy thrash metal.
Dark Angel: (USA) - Relentlessly fast and complex thrash.
Whiplash: (USA) - Technical thrash with powerful riffs.
Believer: (USA) - Technical thrash with progressive and symphonic elements.
Artillery: (Denmark) - Fusion of technicality and speed.
Destruction: (Germany) - Later albums became more technical.
Kreator: (Germany) - Coma of Souls era was more technical.
Sodom: (Germany) - Agent Orange showed more refined songwriting.
Slayer: (USA) - Though less progressive, they share the aggression and speed.
Megadeth: (USA) - A benchmark for technical thrash.
Exodus: (USA) - Aggressive Bay Area thrash.
Sepultura: (Brazil) - Arise and Chaos A.D. had a lot of technical flair.
Heathen: (USA) - Melodic and technical thrash.
Blind Illusion: (USA) - Psychedelic, technical thrash.
Pestilence: (Netherlands) - Later albums are progressive death metal.
Obscura: (Germany) - Modern technical death metal.
Beyond Creation: (Canada) - Technical death metal.
Archspire: (Canada) - Technical death metal, extreme speed.
Revocation: (USA) - Modern technical death/thrash.
Havok: (USA) - Modern band with a classic technical thrash sound.
Skeletonwitch: (USA) - Blackened thrash, technical riffs.
Forbidden (reunion era): (USA) - Recreating their classic sound.
Vio-lence: (USA) - Raw, intense Bay Area thrash.
Sacrifice: (Canada) - Raw and technical thrash.
Nevermore: (USA) - Progressive/thrash metal.
Symphony X: (USA) - Progressive metal with classical influences.
Dream Theater: (USA) - The kings of progressive metal.
Fates Warning: (USA) - Early pioneers of progressive metal.
Rush: (Canada) - A key influence on progressive metal bands.
King Crimson: (UK) - Progressive rock pioneers.
Frank Zappa: (USA) - Avant-garde and progressive rock, a clear influence on their odd time signatures.
Flotsam and Jetsam: (USA) - Technical thrash with power metal vocals.
Metal Church: (USA) - Power/thrash metal.
Toxik (reunion era): (Still making complex thrash).
Coroner (reunion era): (Active again, maintaining their technicality).
Gorguts: (Canada) - Technical death metal, often very dissonant.
Morbid Angel: (USA) - Technical death metal pioneers.