{"id":19416,"date":"2014-04-23T00:00:04","date_gmt":"2014-04-23T00:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=19416"},"modified":"2014-07-01T16:27:06","modified_gmt":"2014-07-01T16:27:06","slug":"album-review-mekong-delta-in-a-mirror-darkly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-mekong-delta-in-a-mirror-darkly\/","title":{"rendered":"MEKONG DELTA – In A Mirror Darkly (2014) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

MEKONG DELTA
In A Mirror Darkly<\/strong><\/span>
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\nSteamhammer (2014)<\/span>
Rating: 7.5\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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The strange and wondrous sound of Mekong Delta is one that has fried my brain for many years now. I was a disciple from year one; 1987 in fact, when the self-titled opus fell from the sky and left me scratching my head as to who these shadowy figures were. The music has always befuddled the mind, rarely jarring but always intricate to the point of madness \u2013 combing complex thrash structures with progressive rock flexibility.<\/p>\n

In A Mirror Darkly<\/em> is the 11th full-length composition from these guys, Mekong Delta evolving over the years. In spite of only containing one original member (bassist Ralph \u201cRalf\u201d Hubert), they have always been a peculiar force to be reckoned with. Some bands can progress beyond their original line-up; these Germans have shown through many incredible records that as long as the heart still beats within and the imagination stirs, then in whatever form they take they will always keep the flame alive. <\/p>\n

When a band is this unusual and talented, there appears to be no limit to sound or formation, and it will come as no surprise that In A Mirror Darkly<\/em> is another kaleidoscopic masterpiece from one of metal\u2019s most prolific yet underrated acts. Hubert is joined by vocalist Martin LeMar, drummer Alex Landenburg and the guitar duo Erik Adam H. Gr\u00f6sch and Benedikt Zimniak.<\/p>\n

In A Mirror Darkly<\/em> boasts seven tracks of reasonable length, and on the whole is far more rewarding than the 2012 effort Intersections<\/em>. After a brief intro of trickling chords which have classical strains, with \u2018Ouverture\u2019 we\u2019re transported into the realm of what Mekong Delta deal with best; intricate arrangements, complex melody and cavorting rhythms born from tight, precise guitar swirls, tip-toeing drums, and a bass that meanders of its own accord. <\/p>\n

Always mystical and shadowy, Mekong Delta have always transported us into the nether regions of music, and with this whopping great instrumental we\u2019re back through the portal again. One moment there\u2019s a thrashing chug, the next a Voivod-esque mechanic jolt and grate, and then with a climax of galloping traditional metal we can only marvel at the gifts this quintet has bestowed upon us. And the showers of sophistication continue to pelt us. <\/p>\n

\u2018The Armageddon Machine\u2019 judders with its sturdy bass as LeMar\u2019s vocals drift between the myriad of melodies, and the percussion stutters and flits effortlessly. It\u2019s power metal combined with progressive rock, LeMar spearheading this unusual fusion of jazzed up involvedness and advanced density. <\/p>\n

Arguably an acquired taste for some, Mekong Delta have never rested on their laurels, at once creating a web of intrigue which continues with \u2018The Silver In God\u2019s Eye\u2019. It begins as a gothic echo of mere drum thud, and LeMar\u2019s ashen strains. It certainly lacks the energy one became accustomed to with those early records, but it\u2019s another prime example of the outer limits which the band has the ability to caress. In fact, it takes two-and-a-half minutes before the track adopts a metallic edge and in spite of its lumbering pace, it\u2019s the usual segmentation of progressive rock and inventive metal. \u2018The Silver In God\u2019s Eye\u2019 is not the strongest track on the platter, however \u2013 in fact, far from it, as \u2018Janus\u2019 comes shuddering on through with convulsions of percussion and mystical, whispering vocal. <\/p>\n

Mekong Delta is about as extraterrestrial as heavy metal gets. They have always been laced with metal pomp but are keener to indulge in those self-indulgent divisions, hinting at Rush and more remote passages of Voivod-cum-Queensr\u00ffche experimentation and ice. As songwriting prowess goes, Mekong Delta are always going to be leaps and bounds ahead. While it may take more than a few spins to grab hold of these tracks, such cosmic episodes have become almost predictable fare from these quizzical masters. <\/p>\n

Never a duff track in sight, \u2018Mutant Messiah\u2019 refuses to settle in spite of its traditional metal heartbeat, which is spiked by the contrasting framework designed by alien architects. <\/p>\n

While I knew this was going to be another liberal composition, I do still yearn for those early albums where the band rocked far harder and with pace, but Mekong Delta is a band that has advanced beyond so many styles, although for such a skilled bunch I expected a far better album cover. But, that aside, In A Mirror Darkly<\/em> is a good slice of broad-minded metal, and yet it\u2019s still one that lacks overall vocal punch and could have been tougher with its instrumentation. But hey, the 80s are a distant gleam for this bunch that have traversed through many galaxies to the extent of metamorphosing into a completely different beast for each release.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MEKONG DELTAIn A Mirror Darkly Steamhammer (2014)Rating: 7.5\/10 The strange and wondrous sound of Mekong Delta is one that has fried my brain for many years now. I was a disciple from year one; 1987 in fact, when the self-titled opus fell from the sky and left me scratching my head as to who these […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1275],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-mekong-delta"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19416"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19421,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19416\/revisions\/19421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}