Metal Bulletin Zine: In Remembrance of Wolfgang "Keil" Borgmann (RIP December 2022): Vocalist for Technical-Progressive Thrashers MEKONG DELTA (Germany) from 1987

Strangely named after the Vietnamese region characterized by flat flood plains and vast water networks—also the site of extremely brutal battles during the Vietnam War—the German band Mekong Delta (1985–present) evoked a sense of complex, turbulent intensity. They pioneered a technical form of thrash metal that maneuvered through blistering speeds and avant-garde classical arrangements. They carved out a niche, reflecting the peculiarity of their namesake through intellectual compositions and shifting time signatures, resulting in a more intricate form of technical and progressive thrash than had ever been heard before.

According to Metal Archives, mastermind Ralf Hubert (using the pseudonym Björn Eklund)—a sound engineer and owner of the label Aaarrg Records—assembled the band in 1985 as an anonymous studio project. By 1987, they hit the ground running with their self-titled debut. This was not the sound of a band finding their way; it was the sound of a well-oiled technical machine functioning at high speeds and turning at sharp angles. It was a combination of progressive songwriting and a passion for classical music expressed through metal instrumentation. The percussion was expertly crafted by the legendary Jörg Michael ("Gordon Perkins"), a prolific drummer for many bands like Stratovarius, Rage, and Grave Digger, Saxon, and many, many more. The guitars on the early albums were handled by Frank Fricke ("Rolf Stein") and Reiner Kelch ("Vincent St. Johns"), both of the German thrash band Living Death.

Navigating these hazardous compositions required a vocalist with versatility and a spirit of adventure, and the man for the job was Wolfgang "Keil" Borgmann. As the voice of the 1987–1990 era, he tackled songwriting that often seemed to defy vocal accompaniment—which explains why there is a nice bunch of instrumentals during his tenure. On these releases, one finds his peculiar style: melodies intentionally in a different key or rhythm than the guitar riffs; an almost operatic delivery that shifted between dramatic storytelling and theatricality; and a schizoid vocal approach that matched the H.P. Lovecraft-inspired themes. He shifted between clean tones, manic shouts, and eerie, hushed passages to establish the Mekong Delta style. Furthermore, his use of 70s rock-inspired inflections provided a soulfulness that was highly unusual for the rigid, mechanistic nature of thrash. Simply put, Keil did what he had to do to survive Mekong Delta’s songs.

After Keil’s departure, Mekong Delta delivered the 1990 masterpiece Dances of Death (And Other Walking Shadows) with a different vocalist, Doug Lee. On subsequent albums, the band eventually took their foot off the gas, moving in a more progressive, less intense, less technical direction. While the quality has remained top-tier, the Keil era remains a singular moment in heavy metal history.

To this writer (Metal Bulletin Zine), these early albums offer a vital lesson for today’s technical metal. Technical metal has come a long way since the 1980s, and levels of complexity have undoubtedly increased. However, one aspect has suffered from a lack of creativity: the vocals. Today, it is almost automatically expected that technical metal will feature growled or screamed vocals; technical metal vocalists don't even bother to ask themselves if they can do something else besides the basic, monotone, dull growling. The result is often captivating, technically amazing music paired with mentally lazy vocals and vocalists. While instrumentalists work tirelessly to deliver complex arrangements, the vocalist often seems content to growl along in a pedantic manner. Oftentimes these vocals ruin otherwise interesting music.

Many modern technical metal bands would do well to encourage their vocalists to use their imagination and escape the dead-end corner that technical metal has painted itself into. We should not have such low expectations for vocals in complex music. Keil, even with his own limitations, proved nearly 40 years ago that vocalists can and should be as daring as the musicians behind them.

The following songs are tracks 1 and 2 from the three Mekong Delta full-lengths (1987, 1988, 1989) with Keil on vocals: Mekong Delta, The Music of Erich Zann, and The Principle of Doubt.

Mekong Delta - Without Honour