Artist: MEKONG DELTA
Album: LURKING FEAR LTD. (CD+DVD DIGI)

Year: 2007
Media type: DVD

There’s no doubt that the band Mekong Delta gained cult status during its long history. Yet there’s more to the story, because their music is ageless, extravagant, and unpredictable. Since 1985 when the band was founded, they’ve proved their outstanding quality to the entire thrash metal world. Few other bands presented music with as complex and as laid back musical arrangements as Mekong Delta and few could yet be as relaxed at the same time. Rejuvenated in 2005 the band records “Lurking Fear” setting new standards. The new line-up merges well-know musicians and according to Ralph Hubert (founder and mastermind of the original band), perfectly matches the new sound of Mekong Delta. Outstanding drummer Uli Kusch (ex-Helloween, Masterplan, Holy Moses – nowadays in Ride The Sky), guitarist Peter Lake (Theory In Practice), vocalist Leo Szpigiel (ex-Scanner, Crows, Angel Dust) as well as bass player and main songwriter Hubert make no compromises in creating the album “Lurking Fear”. They themselves say, “The new album can be seen as a fusion of everything we’ve ever done before. Somehow like, Erich Zann dancing in a Kaleidoscope full of doubt having “Visions Fugitives.”

As when in 1987 the band published their debut album “Mekong Delta” they mystify their audiences by appearing hidden behind pseudonyms. And it would be several years before the band members started to publish their real names. On the musical side they never set themselves any limits. The album “The Music Of Erich Zann” released in 1988 turned the musical world upside down and today still counts as one of the most influential albums in the Techno Thrash scene. In between their CD productions Mekong Delta also found enough freedom to develop their spectacular musical ideas and that led to releases such as the “Toccata”-EP in 1989 and, in 1990 “The Principle Of Doubt” and “Dances Of Death” albums which again build the band a cornerstone in that genre and make them even more popular. This said, Mekong Delta are hardly a prolific live act back then (part of their appeal?) and the line up is reshuffled faster than you can realize, but the musical quality of Mekong Delta is inaccessible for their competitors and this keeps up the air of mysticism surrounding all concerned. “Live At An Exhibition” is released in 1991, but again by a new formation.

Ralph Hubert’s affinity to classical music is present throughout the whole Mekong discography. The introverted perfectionist follows his vision of “an attempt to arrange complex composition with rock instrumentation that could as well be interpreted by a classical orchestra as any band,” on every release but where as a cover version of the Genesis song “Dance On The Volcano” (found on the album “Kaleidoscope” published in 1992) is particularly significant as, in the new version all key parts were replaced by guitar riffs, the music retains its metallic heart. Again barely influenced by the trends “Classics” sees the light of day consisting of classical compositions later that year and although it wears a prog-metal robe being expressed in a speedy manner, you can feel that the bands effort to never be repetitive and at all times trying to cross musical boundaries has never let up.

Hubert and Co. continue their mission to impose distorted thrash riffs on classical arrangements with “Visions Fugitive” in 1994, but in 1997 they pull out all the stops to produce “Pictures At An Exhibition” the last album for the time being. It ends up being a solely instrumental album containing 32 songs, 16 accompanied by classical orchestration, and 16 in the typical rock instrumentation.

Now, it’s 2005. Mekong Delta may have vanished from the musical platform and Ralph Hubert, the head of the band, backed out of the scene. But through the years the fans kept the name and reputation of the band alive. And rumours are now rife – Are they back? Mekong Delta then surprises all with the release of “The Principle Of Doubt (Ambitions)” and now in 2007 comes “Lurking Fear” and the new powerful line-up awakes a Thrash icon that was pronounced dead. Fear not, in 2007 it’s still possible to produce innovative music!

TRACKLIST CD:

01. Purification
02. Immortal Hate
03. Allegro Furioso
04. Rules Of Corruption
05. Ratters
06. Moderato
07. Defenders Of The Faith
08. Symphony Of Agony
09. Allegro

Produced by Ralph Hubert
Total Playing Time: 49:35 min

Limited edition Digipak incl. Bonus DVD „Live in Frankfurt / Batschkapp 1991“ :

01.The Curse
02.Transgressor
03.True Believer
04.Night On A Bare Mountain
05.Memories Of Tomorrow
06.Dances Of Death
07.The Hut Of Baba Yaga
08.Heroes Grief
09.Toccata
10.True Lies

LINE-UP:

Leo Szpigiel (vocals)
Ralph Hubert (bass + guitar)
Peter Lake (guitar)
Uli Kusch (drums)