Mekong Delta - Dances of Death (and Other Walking Shadows). 1990 Germany

On their 4th album, Dances of Death, Mekong Delta laid down the progressive thrash album for the ages. The title track is like the instrumental segments of Emerson Lake and Palmer's Tarkus stretched to 20 minutes. It just keeps going and going... and going. At neck breaking speed. Meter change after complex meter change. If you're not seeing a chiropractor after listening to this then... you're just not listening to this! Doug Lee hits all the high notes while Ralf Hubert propels the whole thing along via his gymnastic bass. Uwe Baltrusch's guitars are just insane. And the playing is tight, tight, tight! And what amazes me most? It's a 20 minute composition that clearly is one composition. Not eight different songs under the banner of a suite (cough, cough.... Fates Warning, Dream Theater). What a ride. The two shorter pieces are great, similar to what you would hear on The Music of Erich Zann. This leads into the de facto version 'Night on a Bare Mountain'. Yep, that's right - that old classical piece and progressive rock cover chestnut. This is the definitive version. You'll never hear the composition the same again. In fact, you won't hear a thrash metal album again the same. What a monster of an album.

Ownership: CD: 1991 Aaarrg (Japan)

1993; 8/23/14 (new entry)