Steamhammer (2012)

Updating older songs from Mekong Delta’s early studio releases with their current lineup on the surface seems appealing only to the most dedicated band followers. I hold out that this German progressive thrash unit revitalize many of their classics from their late 80’s start through the mid 90’s - benefiting from years of songwriting seasoning and advanced production capabilities.

Shrouded in mystery from the beginning, bassist Ralf Hubert’s vision for the band has been one to push musical barriers in unimaginable directions- be it the matching vocal/riff action for the Voivod meets Believer-like “Innocent”, the cat and mouse guitar/bass/drum sequences that drive “Sphere Eclipse” or the exotic marching escapades punctuated with speedy guitar licks in closer “Prophecy”. Current singer Martin Lemar has some Bruce Dickinson pipes that never struggle to keep up with whatever the songwriting dictates.

Mekong Delta excites the brain matter - each listen exercises and tests your capacity for musical growth. “Intersections” would be an adequate primer for those not indoctrinated into this band’s vast catalog.

www.mekongdelta.eu
www.spv.de

Rating: 4.5 / 6

Composed by Matt Coe