Deliverance

by Eduardo Rivadavia
Los Angeles' Deliverance is a Christian (or white) metal band, and not to be confused with their far more sinful U.K. namesakes. Founded in the late '80s by vocalist, guitarist, and de facto main man Jimmy Brown II, the group has featured over a dozen short-term musicians (perhaps most notably Mortification guitarist George Ochoa) and undergone occasional changes in creative direction over the course of a quite prolific recording pace. Early albums like 1989's eponymous debut, 1990's Weapons of Our Warfare (generally considered a career peak), and 1992's Stay of Execution dealt in traditional thrash and speed metal, while 1994's River Disturbance found them entertaining alternative rock persuasions, which were far more popular than metal at the time. Brown disbanded Deliverance following 1995's more conventionally metallic Camelot in Smithereens, going on to front a new project named Fearful Symmetry for the remainder of the decade. But consumer demand for his former band's material continued unabated within white metal fan circles (as shown by 2000's well-received Greetings of Death, Etc. demos collection), eventually encouraging Brown to resurrect Deliverance in 2001 and record a new LP called Assimilation with long-serving bassist Manny Morales, and drummer/programmer David Gilbreath.