1986 saw the release of The Deluge, the fifth album from Wichita, Kansas heavy metal act Manilla Road, now being reissued by Shadow Kingdom Records. Once again Mark Shelton (guitars, vocals), Scott Park (bass), and Randy Foxe had crafted a truly original sounding metal album, combining elements of power, classic, and thrash metal, but despite all these characteristics all you really can say is that it sounds 'epic; in every aspect. Monstrous riffs, galloping rhythms, unbelievable song titles and lyrics steeped in horror films, literature, science fiction, and mythology, are all part of the equation on The Deluge.
Though this album (and many of the songs) are a tad shorter in length than some of the others in the Manilla Road canon, it's no less powerful. Potent tracks like "Shadow in the Black", "Dementia", "Hammer of the Witches", the crushing "Isle of the Dead", and the Iron Maiden-ish "Taken By Storm" are all somewhat brief, to the point, and kick ass. The two more epic length tracks "Friction in Mass" and "The Deluge" once again show how this band can create mystical, atmospheric progressive metal songs that once again hit on that 'epic' description that I always seem to use when describing Manilla Road. Shelton really is a fantastic guitar player, and contributes an endless assortment of bone crunching, often times complex riffs throughout this album, as well as scorching leads (his work on the title track is worth the price of admission alone),and while his nasally, high pitched vocals are at times a bit odd, you do get used to them and they fit the bands sound quite well.
As with most of Manilla Road's albums, the production is a tad muddy, but that just seems to be the bands trademark. I can only imagine what they would sound like with a killer, clean, and powerful production, but you have to assume that they were never really all that interested in that. The Deluge is most certainly one of the Manilla Road albums to investigate if you've never taken the walk down their 'road' previously. The Shadow Kingdom reissue comes with full lyrics, photos, and that wonderful cover artwork.
Track Listing
1) Dementia
2) Shadow in the Black
3) Divine Victim
4) Hammer of the Witches
5) Morbid Tabernacle
6) Isle of the Dead
7) Taken By Storm
8) The Deluge
I) Eye of the Sea
II) The Drowned Lands
III) Engulfed Cathedral
9) Friction in Mass
10) Rest in Pieces
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