Review by Felix on January 6, 2021.

In a polarizing world which knew nothing but thrashers here and posers there, I always subsumed Mekong Delta under the first category. Their real style has remained elusive. The songs mostly rely on conventional patterns and even though they like to demonstrate their technical skills in the form of instrumental gimmicks, I would not call The Principle of Doubt a progressive thrash album. I really have doubts (pun!). I don’t think that it is progressive – Watchtower’s nearly simultaneously published “Control and Resistance” is much more complex and much more difficult to decode.

Nevertheless, there are progressive or at least unusual components that show up on Mekong Delta’s third full-length. The creeping 'Curse of Reality' with its ancient Rome aura features wind instruments and fragile, high-pitched singing and even ambitious archaeologists will not dig out many comparable songs of that era. Given this fact, one can label the material as vigorous, sometimes rapid metal with slightly bulky riffs and occasional progressive ingredients. However, it is anything else but typical German thrash from the eighties. Mekong Delta stays lightyears away from the rumbling chaos of early Sodom or Kreator and they also cannot be compared with the more technically oriented attacks of the young Destruction.

I mentioned the rather conservative song patterns, but this does not mean that the album lacks diversity. Mekong Delta knows how to form thrilling songs with surprising elements which are mostly based on unexpected breaks. Fortunately, these breaks are no end in itself. The coherence of the respective track is always in the focus of the musicians and this laudable way of proceeding leads to five hits on the A side of the vinyl. It doesn’t matter whether the needle of the tone arm touches the furious opener 'A Question of Trust', the dark and powerful yet melodic 'I Once Believed' or any other song. The level of quality is constantly high and even though the production is not highly differentiated, the mix does not give reason to lament.

Alas, the B side is not able to keep the class of the album’s first half. The orchestral 'Twilight Zone', a wannabe gloomy instrumental, does not really fit the context of the remaining material. The second instrumental 'El Colibri' makes the album almost derail in view of the watery guitar line – thank God, it’s just a brief intermezzo. More relevant is that the three songs with vocals do not reach the level of those of the A side. The guitars are not able to create exciting vibes and some instrumental parts are going nowhere. I am not speaking about dramatic failures, but compared with the first five tracks, I also cannot ignore the significant quality loss. The B side lacks emotions and the mechanical creature of the artwork appears almost as a bad omen for the relatively soulless second half of the vinyl. Yes, back in 1989, the times were polarizing, but this is not to say that shades of grey did not show up occasionally – for example in assessing this album.

Rating: 7.1 out of 10

Review by Alex on December 17, 2018.

Dipping hands into the lake of forbidden water, Abyssous springs from the hidden depths like a rattle snake playing possum. The unimaginable force of tension and the ceremonial sigils sealing the gateway to a hidden dimension has been penetrated, now the darkness comes trampling forth like an army of wild and deranged captives. A new wave of hatred places its accursed hands on land once so fertile and innocent; now barren and blasphemed. Abyssous, a German 3 piece death metal band that has existed for such a long time within the underground movement, has been observing and taking note of what the scene has slowly been changing into; driven by the stomping hoofs of the ancient ways of death metal, Abyssous wanders around like a senile being, severely whacking anything within its reach. 

5 years in the making, this new Ep titled Mesa brings along the memories of 2013’s Smouldering and paints it in the modernity of voluminous sound waves that cut deeply into the memory of the listener and triggers the frontal lobe. 2013’s Smouldering sounded like a slightly above average death metal album, with most of the music paying homage to the early days when thrash metal was slowly branching away into darker and more horrifying depths. That special season of 1988-89 before 90s death metal hit with such force and unapologetic potency that you could blindfold yourself and select a death metal band that you would cherish for aeons. Mesa is the amalgamation of the old rotting feeling you would get from early death metal riffs aided by a loud and semi polished production. You can hear the rattling beauty of the snare drum from fast to mid tempo blast beats, the riffs in comparison to the prior release are much more thoughtful and sound apart of the music rather than filler. The vocals carry an overtone of carnivorous howls that aid in the peak of each song and sounds even more depraved when delivered over those swarming guitar notes. With such a roaring vocalist it is easy to see why Mesa has turned out to be exceedingly better than Smouldering. This new improved sound appears to be something the band was missing in order for their music to be taken more seriously and separate them from the multitude. The consistency displayed throughout the record is breathtaking; from the opening song “Mesa” right down to later moments on the record being “Impelled”, “Oceano”, “Aerosoils” and the Portal-esque “Congealed Lores”. The initial feeling is built into a massive cloud of cavernous intertwining mazes that cause the urge for repeated listens. Having the record portray a sense of fear and mystery as energies working with each other in order to manifest a single congealed image is truly special considering the effort put forth by Abyssous in the creation of such a defining era in their music. 

There has to be more coming from Abyssous soon, though Mesa is a remarkable release that uses interludes incredibly well to create a quivering and unsettling atmosphere (by the way), the feeling that the band is merely testing the waters of their potential for a full-length release beckons loudly throughout Mesa. 

Malignant projectiles of astral weaponry:

• “Mesa”
• ”Impelled”
• ”Ocaeon”
• ”Aerosoils”
• ”Congealed Lores” 

Rating: 8.4 out of 10