THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBT

A bit of a standstill.

A lackluster performance by an otherwise very talented group. This is one of my least favorite Mekong Delta releases, with few engaging tracks (only the Twilight Zone cover is enjoyable) and lacking in much of the classical textures that distinguish this band from being a mere thrash output. The original tracks are fairly tepid, and really fail to get going from the start.

At this point in their career, Mekong Delta had already shown affections towards classical based compositions, so I am somewhat at a loss at the lack of influences found here in that regard. Most of it sounds like second-rate Megadeth, and really fails to show how the band can and has shined. Twilight Zone is the only real solace, an excellent cover that is just as haunting, if not more so, than the original.

Check out other Mekong Delta albums to get a better idea about what this band is about. Not as poor as Kaleidescope, but still not up to par. A small blemish on an otherwise great career.

The weakest release from the classical tech thrash group.

MEKONG DELTA had released 2 very curious albums before this one featuring odd technical riffs with odd singing that didn't really lend itself to thrash, singing often in different keys but obviously intentionally and most curious of all was the seemless integration of thrash instrumentation in a classical framework.

On 'Principle of Doubt' unfortunately the group had decided to take a more straight up thrash approach, the dark atmosphere is still here though but the classical-thrash hybrids are barely there at all. The album starts with the best song in 'A Question of Trust', a tech thrash thriller with some brutal double kick, probably one of the best tech-thrash songs of their career but unfortunately from there it all slows down a bit and gets a bit stale. Another highlight is a cover of the theme from the TV series 'The Twilight Zone' which came a little bit out of left field but is executed perfectly in the same vein as the classical-thrash hybrids they're so renowned for. Unfortunately unless you count the aforementioned song the only foray into classical territory is 'El Colibri' which is a pitiful one minute and 20 seconds long.

The production improved markedly for 'Principle of Doubt' with some well defined guitar and drums but not much else did, recommended only to fans of the band and tech thrash die-hards.

After a promising, but mistreated for the production, debut album and a sequel much more mature and finished, comes this third effort of the dark band Mekong Delta.

The sound is much better than in the fisrt two albums, but still can improve. Anyway, the dark and dull sound contributes to make stronger the oppressive atmosphere of the most of the tracks. Even though this album doesn't tell a story from the begining to the end as 'The Music Of Erich Zann' did, there is a guiding line that joins all the lyrics matter, the music, and even the artwork, making a masterly whole effect.

A Really original creation that may surprise those that doesn't know about this unfairly underated band.

This is probably the weirdest thing I've ever heard. And definitely the weirdest metal release I've heard. I can really appreciate ambitions but I don't think I'd force anyone to listen to this album. Production is terrible and the songs on this release are totally sensless. What a mess. I don't know how much money guys had to record this stuff but I guess it wasn't enough for good production. Sometimes it seems like guys play out of tune and I know they are excellent musicians. So what happend? It's the last album with Keil as vocalist and I think the change that was to come was good thing for the band. Don't ask me for highlights of this album cos I'm not finding any. Sometimes band plays 'less terrible' like in title song and Once I Believed but I don't want to spoil your afternoon recommending this. 2 stars given only because I really like this band plus fans can buy it to complete collection. BTW album was remixed and remeastered so maybe now it's completely different release. I review the first version of this album.

I did never get why this piece of (supposedly) metal art is so terribly underestimated among the fans who get the whole tech thrash thing. Maybe it's because this particular MD output should be better observed in a more complex and open-minded context? Anyway, I feel rather uncomfortable because of this very need of advocating a record like this.

At the time of first listen (it was around 1991), I'd already got some serious cultural schock and huge goose bumps while listening to this album's predecessor, Music of Erich Zann. But it is Principle of Doubt that became THE album, which truly changed my mind and view of the then current state of the metal and prog scenes. Another pleasant schock was Keil's singing: while many may consider tech thrash a bit mechanistic (or too mechanistic), Keil somehow achieved unbelievable level of soulfulness here, which adds drastically and strangely to the genuinely weird and dark atmosphere (just listen to those brilliant orchestral brass sounds! possibly, in the whole metal domain, only Morbid Angel could at the time produce, in their own way, a similar avantgardesque feel).

A reviewer from the era wrote that Principle of Doubt contains a huge amount of multi-cultural references, for example, it utilizes some rock cliches from 70's. Personally, I could call this approach "a secret tribute to the roots" - nowadays many bands use a similar approach, but very often it sounds too "on the surface" and becomes a symptom of running out of ideas, while Mekong Delta were at one of their creative peaks and were doing this in very informal and artistic way. On a side note: if you are a novice, I would recommend you to start elsewhere to achieve a more natural ascent to this multi-faceted peak.

While Erich Zann is often considered the first MD masterpiece, Principle is Erich Zann squared: it's the most challenging, varied and atmospheric MD work to date - and by "date" I mean "today". Possibly, only Visions Fugitives can stand close. I'm afraid, in sum all this also means the two most progressive MD albums ever - in the most true and non-trendy sense of the word.

A bit of a return to basic thrash metal.

Mekong Delta is normally a very left field band with tonnes of strange beyond belief rhythm structures and melodies. That is not commercial music though and I suspect the band wanted more than admiration from the music scene. Money in the piggy bank, for example.

That would explain this album which is a pretty standard thrash metal album. The first half at least. And I believe the band succeeded because this album sold very well. The music though is still slightly left field avant garde at times. The Mekong Delta signature weirdness is still present here.

This album is not turkey yard material. It has some good stuff. But it is not particular good either. I guess thrash metal fans would like this album better than I do. Half decent is what this album is.

2 stars