Deliverance - "The Subversive Kind"

Deliverance - The Subversive Kind
2017, 3Frogz/Roxx Productions

1. Bring 'Em Down
2. Concept of the Other
3. Center of it All
4. The Black Hand
5. Epilogue
6. Listen Closely
7. The Subversive Kind
8. The Fold

Welp...

No one should be whining about how the new Deliverance isn't heavy enough. 'Cause, dang. I don't think it's a stretch to say that this is probably the band's heaviest album - and I include Greetings of Death and What a Joke in that statement. Jimmy has assembled a crack team of thrash specialists from the old guard. Jim Chaffin and Greg Minier (formerly of the Crucified) are manning the drums and lead guitar, respectively. Victor Macias (ex-Tourniquet) is on bass. Greg Rogers has even been enlisted for live shows and such. Did I mention this is heavy? Those who've been pining for the old thrash/speed metal days should be overjoyed. The songs are fast and furious and Jimmy's vocals are the harshest they've ever been. The focus here seems to be a little less on intricate thrash riffs in favor of sheer power and passion a la Sepultura. Not to say that there aren't cool riffs here because there definitely are it's just that you won't hear a more technical riff like, for example, "Solitude" or "Flesh and Blood." Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Take "Center of it All" - a blazing thrash tune that won me over with its sheer ferocity. "The Black Hand" has a cool little intro before blasting off at a breakneck pace. The title track echoes "Weapons of our Warfare" a bit in the beginning while being one of the more "melodic" tracks on the album. I put "melodic" in quotes because, as I've said, speed and power are the name of the game here. Songs are very focused here. They have a job to do (namely, kick your head in) and they bust in, do that, and get out. So there's no acoustic interludes or extended classical guitar passages. Also... I think there's a little bit of punk attitude in here too, just a touch, to make things interesting. One of the things that I really like about this album is that even though it's a brief eight tracks long (about a half hour running time), there's still a lot of meat here. I've listened to it several times and I still don't feel like I've got all it has to give. That's quite impressive considering the length. As one of the backers I am quite pleased with the finished product and I can't imagine anyone who was a fan of the band's earlier material wouldn't be pleased as well.

So it seems like Jimmy just can't release anything without some controversy. People complained about the cover. I'm not sure why... I guess it made them feel weird feelings and they just couldn't handle that. Then people where complaining because they thought the album was already out. As of this writing it is not. The only reason why I have it (just the mp3s too, not the physical CD) is because I was a backer. It seems like when it comes to Deliverance people just lose their minds or something.

Useless Fact: There were originally supposed to be ten tracks on the album (one was a cover), they decided to leave the cover off. Then it went down to eight. Not lying... I'd still like to hear those other two songs.

Deliverance - "Hear What I Say!"

Deliverance - Hear What I Say!
2013, 3Frogz

1. Liber 111(Intro)
2. Annals of Subterfuge
3. Angst
4. Hope Lies Beyond
5. Detox
6. Nude
7. Passing
8. A Perfect Sky
9. Where Eagles Dare
10. Entgiftung (German Version of "Detox")

I am so happy Deliverance's last album finally saw the light of day. If you'll remember, the big D has planned a new album since 2010. It was originally supposed to be called The Annuls of Subterfuge, and a return to the band's old thrash roots. However, it was cancelled some years later only to be resurrected in 2013 as Hear What I Say! It's been billed as the band's official "last album" (though that's been said before!) but instead of a thrash album it's got a lot more variety. It's almost a celebration of all the different eras of the band. The first two tracks, "Annuls" and "Angst" are prime thrash cuts while songs like "Hope Lies Beyond" have a definite River Disturbance vibe. Both "Detox" and "Nude" have a sound not unlike Learn. There are even some shades of Camelot here and there. "A Perfect Sky" is notable for being an acoustic ballad featuring only Jimmy's voice and guitar. "Where Eagles Dare" is an Iron Maiden cover that the band pulls off with style. As a whole the album rocks and will please fans of the band who appreciate all of their material. If you're only into Weapons well... get over yourself! There are awesome songs on here and it all truly sounds like Deliverance. I've always thought there was something "off" about As Above - So Below musically - like I'm wearing my shoes on the wrong feet while I'm listening. There's no such feeling here. As a bonus, the production is excellent and the mighty Jayson Sherlock (formerly of Mortification and Paramaecium) provides the drumming. It sure is a pleasure to listen to that man drum again!

The only problem with Hear What I Say! is that it's just too darn short. Not counting the intro, the cover, and the German version of "Detox" there's only seven new songs here. "Hope Lies Beyond" is actually a cover from an indie band called Sombrance bringing the total to six. I really wish there could have been a couple more tracks here. It seems like "Annals" and "Angst" were from the Annals album sessions, while the rest of the tracks are newer. On the other hand, Jimmy has never been one to fill a CD up with songs just because he can.

One final thought regarding the cover art. I wonder if Jimmy feels like being in Deliverance has stifled his creativity or his real self. The guy's gag has the D papal cross logo on it. I know Jimmy has felt in the past as though he's had to pretend to be someone he's not in order to keep the band running. Maybe I'm reading too much into it...

Useless Fact: No lyrics in the liner notes? *sigh* I has a sad. They are up on the band's website, however.

Deliverance - "What a Joke"

Deliverance - What a Joke
1991/2011, Intense Millennium

1. Introduction
2. Prophet of Idiocy
3. Pseudo Intellectual
4. Cheeseburger Maker Du
5. What a Joke
6. Chipped Beef
7. After Forever
8. It's the Beat
9. Product of Society
10. Happy Star
11. J.P.D.
12. Pray
13. Silent Night
14. J.I.G.
15. Purgatory Sandwich With Mustard
16. Attack
Bonus Track
17. Strings of Sorrow

I've always liked What a Joke. In fact, I go back to it a lot more than you might think. It's not my favorite D album but even with the filler and the joke songs I still think it's a pretty awesome thrash album. I didn't plan on it originally but I finally broke down and got this reissue from Intense Millennium largely because it has a previously unreleased track, "Strings of Sorrow." Unfortunately, it's only a minute and a half long, it's a ballad, and it doesn't fit with the thrash material on this record. Granted, it's still cool to have it on CD - it's just not what I was expecting. I can say that the remaster is spectacular! It cleans up the production considerably making every thing cleaner and brighter. As a result the guitars sound a little heavier - you might even hear some things you never heard on the original! Seriously, the sound quality here is leaps and bounds above the original. Even if you have the original I would seriously recommend getting this one too.

And now the bad...

I'm really disappointed that I have to say this but... the cover art. Really?! Really, guys?! There wasn't a better idea than this? This cover art looks like it was made by somebody who a) hates What a Joke and/or b) is a HUGE fan of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Controversy erupted over at the Christian Metal Realm because Jimmy P. Brown himself expressed his disgust for the cover, considering it an insult to both him and the band. I'm sorry but I cannot imagine how this cover was ever approved. They do include the original cover art but it is dark and blurry - kind of like a middle finger to anyone who doesn't like their new art. I'm glad Intense Millennium is releasing classics like What a Joke but dang...

Useless Fact: My version came with a guitar pick with the cover art on it. I think that was supposed to be the pre-order goodie but I got it too. Also, the new cover is limited to the first 1000 printings. The rest will have the original art.

Deliverance - "A Decade Of..."

Deliverance - A Decade Of...

1995, Intense

1. Victory

2. No Time

3. The Call

4. Flesh & Blood

5. This Present Darkness

6. Rescue

7. After Forever

8. Prophet of Idiocy

9. Words to the...

10. Ramming Speed

11. Stay of Execution

12. Learn

13. Desperate Cries

14. Sanctuary

While I don't need this on my ipod anymore (since I have all the songs already) I thought I would include it anyway. A Decade Of... is an interesting little retrospective on the big D's career. I listened to it a lot when I first got it - mainly because of "Rescue" which is a smokin' awesome track that never made it onto Weapons of Our Warfare. Another highlight of this disc is the short liner notes written by Jimmy P. Brown himself. They're rather informative and enjoyable. I will say that it's kind of odd that tracks like "Weapons of our Warfare" and "What a Joke" didn't make it on this comp, but I never really cared. It's kind of nice to have a comp where the absolute most popular songs aren't tread out again. I wonder if Jimmy got to pick the track list?

Useless Fact: "Rescue" was eventually added as a bonus track on Retroactive's Weapons reissue. There's also a mistake on the back of the CD case where the title doesn't match the album artwork above it. I can't remember which ones are wrong though.

Various Artists - "Temporary Insanity: A Salute to Deliverance"

Various Artists - Temporary Insanity: A Salute to Deliverance

2010, Roxx Productions

Disc One:

1. Deliverance - "Flesh and Blood (25th Anniversary Recording)"

2. Deliverance - "In-U (25th Anniversary Recording)"

3. Oil - "Attack"

4. Applehead/Fasedown - "Belltown"

5. Lambs Among Wolves - "Greetings of Death"

6. Stricken - "No Time"

7. FaseUltified - "What a Joke"

8. Grave Robber - "Awake"

9. Ghostemple - "If We Faint Not"

10. Faith Factor - "Weapons of Our Warfare"

11. Whisper From Heaven - "Anymore"

12. Venia - "Desperate Cries"

13. Days of Affliction - "River Disturbance"

14. Grave Forsaken - "Bought By Blood"

15. Eternal Decision - "Belltown"

Disc Two:

1. Deliverance - "The Hunger and the Thirst"

2. Oil - "Screaming"

3. The Sacrificed - "Slay the Wicked"

4. Coriolis - "What a Joke"

5. Krig - "Weapons of Our Warfare"

6. Leper - "The Call"

7. Unforsaken - "Stay of Execution"

8. Crucible Divine - "Ramming Speed"

9. Walk on Water - "Learn"

10. Visions of Reality - "Blood of the Covenant"

11. Saint Spirit - "Prophets of Idiocy"

12. Bloodpaid - "Words to the..."

13. Bi-Polar Echo - "The Call"

14. Incarnate - "Victory"

15. Pastor Brad - "A Space Called You"

This year marks the twenty-five year anniversary of the formation of Deliverance. I can't believe it's been that long. I'm only 31 as of this writing. That means the band formed when I was six... SIX! Deliverance is one of my favorite bands of all time. I get in moods where I'm in the mood for this band or that band but Deliverance is one of the handful of bands that has always stood at the top of the heap. For whatever reason Jimmy P. Brown's songwriting just resonates with me in a way that few artists do. I have every D disc and love pretty much all of them to varying degrees.

About a year ago or so the posters from the Christian Metal Realm decided to contribute songs for a Deliverance tribute. I think it was originally supposed to be an EP. So many people responded that it became a 2-disc mega project and now we can finally reap the benefits of everyone's labor. I wasn't initially going to get this but when I looked at the track list and saw the artists involved my opinion changed. Deliverance themselves contribute three tracks along with Greg Minier (Applehead/The Crucified), Grave Robber, Josh Kramer (Saint) and Scott Waters (Ultimatum) to name just a few. Seeing some of those names... dang... the decision pretty much made itself. I love when that happens.

The question is... how is it? Honestly... pretty dang good. Well worth the fifteen bucks. No matter the recording quality of the track you can tell that everyone on here has put their heart and soul into these songs. It's truly a labor of love and that passion oozes through the speakers and is almost contagious. Instead of doing a track by track thing I'll just give you some highlights...

Disc one is the best of the two and contains the most well known talent. The D rerecordings of "Flesh and Blood" and "In-U" are awesome... especially "In-U." That's been a favorite of mine for a long time and it's great to hear it get an upgrade. It's great to see Greg Minier back in action with a great rendition of "Belltown" (which includes members of Fasedown). Hey Greg... when are we gonna see a new Applehead? Please, pretty please! Also... thank you Grave Robber for "Awake." I love you guys. Finally, I don't know who Whisper From Heaven is but their rendition of "Anymore" is stunning. They took the somber and minimalistic Camelot track (which I already liked in the first place) and turned it into something epic. Now just because I didn't mention the other tracks that doesn't mean they're bad, far from it. Probably the only track I didn't like on disc one was "River Disturbance." Mainly because the vocal performance is not really that great. It sounds like the singer is flat a lot of the time.

I don't think disc two is quite as strong but it does have some really cool moments. I've always liked "Hunger and the Thirst." Jimmy posted it on the old D website a long time and I never downloaded it so it's great to finally have it on CD. It's a little bit different in that it's along the lines of the Assimilation material or This Sad Veil of Tears. I dig the industrial covers of "What a Joke" (by Coriolis) and "The Call" (by Leper). "The Call" almost sounds like Deliverance as filtered through Devo! There are a few tracks on disc two that aren't that good - like it's Amatuer Hour at Deliverance Tavern, but the fact that I still listen to most of them is a testimony to the songwriting prowess of Jimmy and the guys. In fact throughout the course of this two-disc extravaganza you'll hear two "Belltowns," two "What a Jokes," two "The Calls," and two "Weapons of Our Warfares." I was surprised that even with the repeats I was still groovin.

If you're a long-time fan of the D - get this. Just get it. You won't be sorry. Out of the 30 tracks on here I'd say 24 of them are really good. Still well worth the money in my book.

Useless Fact: I find it odd that on a tribute called Temporary Insanity no one felt the need to cover "Temporary Insanity."

Deliverance - "As Above - So Below"

Deliverance - As Above - So Below
2007, Retroactive

1. Legum Servi Sumus Ut Liberi Esse Possiumus (Intro)
2. Cause & Effect
3. Return to Form
4. As Above - So Below
5. Screaming
6. Should We Cross Paths
7. Contempt
8. Thistles
9. My Love
10. Enlightened

This disc is a good meld of the past D heaviness with the more melodic tendencies of the later albums. Mike Phillips returns to fold for this one. It's full of chunky riffs and even some tracks that border on the old speed metal days like "Should We Cross Paths." But I don't know... I listen to this whole album and something seems... I don't know... off. It's good though. The songs are good and heavy - probably the heaviest thing they've done in a long while. I know I'll probably get a lot of crap for this but I'm going to go out on a limb and say this doesn't really sound like Deliverance. I can't put my finger on it though. I used to play this a lot when I first got it but not so much anymore.

Useless Fact: Jimmy got a lot of heat for using the phrase "As Above - So Below" because of its pagan connotations. It's actually more Jewish in origin though. Nolifetilmetal.com has a good discussion of the issue straight from the horse's mouth. Also: does anyone know what the heck the intro means? Sure would like to know...

Deliverance - "Assimilation"

Deliverance - Assimilation
2001/2007, Retroactive

1. The Limitless Light
2. From the Beginning
3. Assimilation
4. The Circle
5. Sell Your Soul...
6. The Search
7. The Learned Man
8. Between 2 Worlds
9. Impressions
10. Save Me From...

I was so happy when I heard that D was recording new material I just couldn't contain myself! I immediately ordered it from Indie Dream as soon as I could and waited weeks and weeks until it came in the mail. It did... I ripped that baby open and was in D heaven! It was almost like they'd never broken up in the first place! Assimilation was an attempt by Jimmy to meld the industrial/electronica of his other band Fearful Symmetry with the D heaviness. I think he did a great job. It's heavy with little hints of industrial but not really a stretch from Camelot at all. Over the years I haven't gone back to this one as much as the others. I think some of the tracks aren't quite as strong, especially "The Search" and "Save Me From...".

The Retroactive reissue comes with a second disc full of demos. I confess I haven't listened to it because I'm usually not a huge demo-type person. I hear they the first tracks that Jimmy recorded using ProTools.

This one is also "Christmas music." A lot of D is "Christmas music" for me.

Useless Fact: I wonder what happened to Indie Dream? They sure disappeared fast! Also... I think there was supposed to be a letter from Pastor Ahyh of yhwh.com printed in the liner notes but got taken out. I wonder why?

Deliverance - "Greetings of Death, Etc."

Deliverance - Greetings of Death, Etc.

2001, M8

1. Victory

2. Greetings of Death

3. No Time

4. J.I.G.

5. Speckled Bird

6. Awake

7. Attack

8. A Space Called You

9. Weapons of Our Warfare

10. This Present Darkness

11. Greetings of Death

12. Rescue

13. Slay the Wicked

14. Solitude

15. 23

16. Radio Interview 1992

I've never been a big fan of demos. I can never get past the sound quality to actually enjoy the music. Granted, this disc is leaps and bounds better than Back in the Day. I did enjoy hearing the Greetings of Death demo that started it all. I was surprised that "Speckled Bird" is a goofy country song, though! This disc also has "Attack" and "A Space Called You" as well as a bunch of Weapons demos. Most of these are instrumentals. I don't ever listen to this at all. Pretty much just have it to say I have all the D discs. Not bad, but not something the casual fan has to have.

Useless Fact: Retroactive rereleased this disc with the exact same cover art except that the D logo is now on it.

Deliverance - "Live at Cornerstone, 2001"

Deliverance - Live at Cornerstone, 2001
2001, M8

1. Intro
2. Stay of Execution
3. Introductions
4. No Time
5. Learn
6. What a Joke
7. Belltown
8. 23
9. Weapons of Our Warfare
10. Thanks
11. Victory
12. Words to the...
13. Sanctuary

As big a fan of Deliverance as I am I'm ashamed to admit I never saw the guys in concert. Thankfully this disc is the next best thing. The band is tight and they play a good selection of songs from all eras of the big D. Jimmy can't quite hit the high notes like he used to, but still puts in a good vocal performance. Makes me wish I was there... I have a set list signed by all the band members that was given to me by a friend at college. Thanks Mac! I've still got it!

Useless Fact: I've heard that the band was upset by the "80's Metal Retro Night" stamped on the disc. I can understand why. This concert was supposed to be something new as the band was just about to release Assimilation. Not to mention that only one or two of these songs were actually written in the 80's.

Deliverance - "Back in the Day: The First Four Years"

Deliverance - Back in the Day: The First Four Years

2000, M8

1. Narration

2. Who Will Save the Children?

3. Stand Up and Fight

4. Narration

5. No Time

6. Narration

7. Talk from the Stage

8. Fortress

9. Deliverance

10. Narration

11. Attack

12. A Space Called You

13. Narration

14. Hold On Tightly

15. J.I.G.

16. Temporary Insanity

It's no secret that I'm a big Deliverance fan. A big fan. So much so that I almost wet myself when I saw this in a store. I thought I was really going to hear some great early D stuff. Keep in mind it had been forever since a new record came out. Unfortunately the sound quality on these tracks is so bad it's unlistenable. Jimmy narrates the story of the first four years of D which is nice for a big fan, but it's not something you'll ever listen to again. Heck, you might not even finish it - the sound is that bad.

Useless Fact: This disc has been released twice with two different covers. I have the first cover. I think I actually like the second better.

Deliverance - "Camelot-in-Smithereens"

Deliverance - Camelot-in-Smithereens
1995, Intense

1. Somber Theme (Where Are You?)
2. Lindsey
3. Not Too Good For Me
4. Anymore
5. Book Ends
6. Beauty & The Beast
7. Make My Bed in Hell
8. The Red Roof
9. In-U

Ah.... Camelot-in-Smithereens... the dream blown to bits. That's kind of the idea for what would be D's last studio album for awhile. This is heavier than the previous disc but still in the slower melodic style of Learn. I like this one a lot too. Really, there isn't any D album I don't like! "Beauty & the Beast" is a David Bowie cover. This is also the first disc in awhile without Terry Taylor at the helm. I'll also take this opportunity to praise Manny Morales' bass skill. He's really got his own thing going on and makes the later D albums more interesting.

Useless Fact: This was supposed to be a concept album with a big booklet and sound bites in-between songs. The record company, in their infinite wisdom, deleted the sound samples and didn't print the book - leaving us with an album that you'd scarcely even know was a concept album. I think it's about time Retroactive got on this and restored the album to its rightful state.

Deliverance - "River Disturbance"

Deliverance - River Disturbance

1994/2007, Retroactive

1. Belltown

2. After I Fell

3. River Disturbance

4. Now & Then

5. Speed of Light

6. A Little Sleep (feat. 12th Tribe)

7. Map

8. You Still Smile

9. Breathing Still

Bonus Tracks:

10. I Thought

11. On the Fritz

12. Belltown (Hyper Remix)

13. A Word From Jimmy P. Brown, II

When this one came out a lot of people cried "sell-out!" Well... I don't know if I was one of them but I can say that I was disappointed with this originally. I'm not sure why. I guess it was just too much of a leap to make for me. After all we've got a fully acoustic song ("Now & Then"), a rap song ("A Little Sleep"), and a piano ballad ("You Still Smile"). I've grown to appreciate this disc more and more as I get older to the point where I can say this really is one of the best D albums out. I have the Retroactive edition with the bonus tracks. It's nice to have "On the Fritz" here and "I Thought" is an great track, I wish it would've been on the disc. Also, the recollections by Jimmy himself are interesting though not something you'd listen to over and over.

Useless Fact: According to Jimmy, the recording for this album took so long that Gene Eugene (Adam Again) who owned the studio eventually gave Jimmy the keys and said "Try not to break anything."

Deliverance - "Learn"

Deliverance - Learn
1993, Intense

1. Time
2. 1990
3. Learn
4. Who Am I?
5. Renew
6. The Rain
7. Reflection
8. In the Will
9. Desperate Cries
10. Sanctuary

I remember when Learn came out because it was a total surprise. I walked into the Christian bookstore I used to frequent at the mall and there it was. I think this is my absolute favorite D album. It sees the band moving even farther away from their speed metal roots into more of a melodic, mid-paced groove oriented style. I have a lot of good memories of this one taking walks around my neighborhood listening to this and just having some good times with God. "Sanctuary" is another Daniel Amos cover and one of the finest songs D have in their catalogue.

Useless Fact: In "Renew" the lyrics go "Even dead you still seem sad." I've always wondered if that's a reference to Queensrcyhe's Operation: Mindcrime album. This album also has some insightful notes by Terry Taylor.

Deliverance - "Intense Live Series, Volume 1"

Deliverance - Intense Live Series, Volume 1

1993, Intense

1. In Studio

2. Surrender

3. No Love

4. In Studio 2

5. This Present Darkness

6. In Studio 3

7. Stay of Execution

8. In Studio 4

9. The Call

10. In Studio 5

11. No Time

The Intense Live Series was supposed to give fans a taste of bands in a live setting without shelling out the money to record an actual show. I don't know if it really worked like it was supposed to, but D's offering isn't half bad. The cover of Stryper's "Surrender" is amazing. Wish that could have gone on an official album somewhere. The other tracks are decent and the studio goofery is kind of funny, but I think I'd rather just have an actual live disc.

Useless Fact: Other discs came out for Tourniquet, Rose, Die Happy, and Mortal. Oh, and if you put each disc together they form a little guitar on the spine of the CD case.

Deliverance - "Stay of Execution"

Deliverance - Stay of Execution
1992/2014, Roxx Productions

1. Stay of Execution
2. Windows of the Soul
3. Words to the...
4. From Once Was
5. Self-Monger
6. Horrendous Disc
7. Lord of Dreams
8. Ramming Speed
9. Entombed
10. Weapons of Our Warfare (Remix)
Bonus Tracks:
11. Flesh & Blood (25th Anniversary Version)
12. In U (25th Anniversary Version)
13. What a Joke! (2014 Version)

Word has it that this album started as a solo album of Jimmy Brown's but turned into a D disc at the behest of the record label and producer Terry Taylor (Daniel Amos). The new sound melds D's original heaviness with more melody and it's just the shot in the arm the band needed. Jimmy Brown is using a more melodic style of singing as well which many compare to David Bowie though I think it's just as much influenced by Terry Taylor's style. The lyrics have become a bit more poetic as well. "Ramming Speed" is a plodding metal tune that deals with the struggles of the Church as sailors on a galleon. For those who need speed there's "Entombed" a blistering track that recalls the previous offerings. I don't think we needed another version of "Weapons" but I can see why the label did it as the song was getting a lot of airplay on MTV at the time. Stay has just been reissued by Roxx Productions. The new version is remastered and includes extra tracks. The first two were included on the Temporary Insanity tribute album, while the last is a brand new version of "What a Joke" featuring Jimmy and George Ochoa together after twenty some odd years.

Useless Fact: "Horrendous Disc" is a Daniel Amos cover. It was quite a shock to hear it the first time with the pianos and choirs and all - but it's one of my favorite tracks from this disc.

Deliverance - "What a Joke"

Deliverance - What a Joke

1991, Intense

1. Intro

2. Prophet of Idiocy

3. Pseudo Intellectual

4. Cheeseburger Maker Du

5. What a Joke

6. Chipped Beef

7. After Forever

8. It's the Beat

9. A Product of Society

10. Happy Star

11. J.P.D.

12. Pray

13. Silent Night

14. J.I.G.

15. Purgatory Sandwich With Mustard

16. Attack

From what I've heard, Jimmy Brown was really tired of doing speed metal at this point and longed to do something a bit different - more creative. However, the record company insisted on another disc like Weapons but they got this. It's full of joke songs and filler and even a dig at the last album in the intro. Still, even when the guys are half-assing it they manage to put out some quality speed metal. "Pseudo Intellectual" and "A Product of Society" are prime metal cuts. I also like the the cover of Black Sabbath's "After Forever." I am even amused by all the short tracks as they're not nearly long enough to be annoying. Not to mention there's a better version of "Attack." When the heck are they gonna rerelease this one?

Useless Fact: Roger Martinez of Vengeance Rising provides some guest vox on "It's the Beat," a song criticizing those who think rock and metal are evil just because of the beat.

Deliverance - "Weapons of Our Warfare"

Deliverance - Weapons of Our Warfare
1990/2008 Retroactive

1. Supplication
2. This Present Darkness
3. Weapons of Our Warfare
4. Solitude
5. Flesh and Blood
6. Bought By Blood
7. 23
8. Slay the Wicked
9. Greetings of Death
10. If We Faint Not
Bonus Track:
11. Rescue

Rack up another metal classic for Deliverance! This one just takes everything that was great about the debut and cranks it up a notch. Most people consider this D's best album though I personally slightly prefer the debut to this one - but there's no denying that this is one metal monster. Most of the lyrics are inspired by Frank Peretti's spiritual warfare book. I have the rerelease version with the bonus track "Rescue." This was originally recorded for this album but left off because it doesn't sound anything like the rest of the disc. It's a great song and it's good to have it here but they're right, it doesn't fit at all.

Useless Fact: The rerelease has an updated cover which I did not post because I don't like it. I thought the original was a classic and I don't think they improved it any.

Deliverance - "Deliverance"

Deliverance - Deliverance
1989/2008, Retroactive

1. Victory
2. No Time
3. Deliverance
4. If You Will
5. The Call
6. No Love
7. Blood of the Covenant
8. Jehovah Jireh
9. Temporary Insanity
10. Awake
Bonus Tracks:
11. A Space Called You
12. Attack

Deliverance's debut is, without a doubt, a classic speed metal album whether you're into Christian music or not. Band leader Jimmy Brown has admitted to aping Metallica's style on this album. Despite that fact, this album is hardly a Metallica rip-off. In fact, I would go as far as to say it's one of the most original speed metal albums ever. The songs are fast a furious with several being concert favorites to this very day. I have both editions of this CD but the cover pictured is the one for the Retroactive rerelease. I think it's better. What? You're saying you don't have this already? What the heck are you waiting for? Go get it... NOW!

Useless Fact: The bonus tracks, "A Space Called You" and "Attack," are from the California Metal compilation. If you're somehow reading this D review and don't know that... well... um... Hi, my name is Adam, welcome to Earth.