Review by UnhinderedbyTalent for Manilla Road - The Deluge (1986)

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.