Manilla Road - The Deluge (1986)^{Release ID: 2161}

Before the near flawless Mystification there was The Deluge. There is a line from a sci-fi/fantasy novel if ever I wrote one (all publishing enquiries to my agent please guys). The fact is that during the eighties (well 1983 onwards at least) Manilla Road were unstoppable. Having forged a real unique sound and developed that sound over some solidly written songs and albums, by the time they got to album number five of their career they were a band firing on all cylinders.

After the 70’s hard rock infused with NWOBHM style they used on Crystal Logic, the band continued to carve their own niche in the world of metal with Shelton’s unstoppable prowess on the microphone and guitar leading the charge. Three years on from the aforementioned release, Manilla Road went faster and although not necessarily any heavier, they still landed some killer blows over an album that delivered much of the promise gleaned from its epic artwork.

Adopting a shorter format to most track lengths this time around, there was a sense that The Deluge was also guilty of a bit of a rushed job and at first listen you could be forgiven for believing this to be true. However, stick with the record and you will soon find more of the familiar stuff on here (Shelton’s stellar lead work), just occurring with more frequency. That withstanding, the album does feel a little cluttered in places still, especially around tracks four to six were the gush of tracks does tend to slip by in a frenzied hurry if you do not pay full attention.

Deploying their thrash metal credentials was always going to be a bold move for a band more renowned for their epic songs. Cramming that same “nerd” value into shorter song structures was always going to be a tough call, and I think in the main they do pull it off but not without the listener first taking a few spins at the record to rationalise the offering. The strongest track is the lengthiest one for me. Clocking in at over eight minutes, The Deluge, Eye of the Sea, The Drowned Lands, Engulfed Cathedral might arguably be three tracks billed as one, however they are all part of an intense narrative that ensures they can only be consumed as part of a singular narrative. The tracks (s?) is/are perhaps one of the tightest on the whole album and shows Manilla Road doing what they do best.

So, for all the increased tempos on The Deluge the band do still retain their senses of the epic and exhibit enough of their trademark sound to still have the long-term fans still warm to their stylistic change overall. It is by no means on a par with Mystification which remains the pinnacle of their output for me. However, it builds nicely on the promise shown on Open The Gates and takes the band forward on the next logical step in their career, adding some experimentation whilst still retaining their core traits.

Wichita-based epic heavy/power metal outfit Manilla Road have always been an interesting one for me personally. On the one hand, I always find their records to be intriguing, mainly because they've developed their own unique sound, image & mystique. On the other, I never seem to find myself getting past that point. I find them interesting but not overly engaging so I don't often feel the need to return to them. Anyway... I recently realised that I had a small gap in my coverage of Manilla's Road's classic era releases as I hadn't rated 1986's highly regarded 1986 album "The Deluge" despite having generally enjoyed the records either side of it so I decided to remedy that.

"The Deluge" very much represents the missing link between my two favourite Manilla Road records in 1985's "Open The Gates" & 1987's "Mystification". It still sounds inherently like Manilla Road & offers all of the characteristics they built their strong underground following on however it's also significantly thrashier than the band's earlier records. In fact, you'll find very little of the doomier material that was evident in years gone past & there's also less of a reliance on their psychedelic/progressive rock influences, despite the obvious hints at Rush that are still fairly evident. The track lengths are mostly very short with only three of the ten tracks on offer breaching the three minute mark. The impact of more aggressive thrash metal of Slayer's "Show No Mercy" album is easily identifiable however "The Deluge" never feels like legitimate thrash due to the more epic atmosphere Manilla Road always manage to create, mainly due to the unique contribution of front man Mark Shelton whose higher register voice & transcendental lyrics place the Road into a space that only they have access to.

But despite the unique Manilla Road sound, I do think that "The Deluge" suffers a little bit from repetition as much of it sounds pretty similar & familiar. Shelton's lead work is always a major component of the band's sound & he doesn't disappoint here however there's a samey-ness to some his contributions this time. Perhaps it's due to the consistently higher tempos that push this record out into US power metal territory when I've always questioned the validity of that term with the Road's earlier works. Randy Foxe's drumming is very raw & energetic but I don't think he delivers quite the precision that made such an impression on me with "Mystification" from the following year.

As is usually the case with Manilla Road, it's the longer & more expansive tracks that end up being the most gratifying with the eight minute title track being the most captivating & adventurous. But in saying that, I still don't think it ever gets me out of second gear & that's a point worth noting about "The Deluge". There's a lot of good material here but I can't say that any of these tracks reach great status for me personally. Without any genuine highlight tracks, the tracklisting just seems to fly past fairly quickly as you wait for something that never eventuates. Plus, the album kinda peters out at the end with a couple of the weaker inclusions on the tracklisting which doesn't leave me wanting to race back to start it all over again.

Still... "The Deluge" is yet another interesting if comparatively uneventful album from Manilla Road. The thrashier approach certainly gave it a more incisive edge however it was at the expense of some of the components that I most enjoyed about the band's sound so I'm left feeling fairly neutral about it overall.

For fans of Brocas Helm, Omen & Eternal Champion.