SENTENCE OF DEATH (180G) | VINYL RECORD (LP)

Mekong Delta, High Roller Records; 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.