This lot released their first album in 1989. As you might have guessed by that date it was a Thrash effort. However as time has gone on Deliverance have sought to call themselves Prog metal. As the title of their new opus suggests they are also a Christian band so you would think there is a lot going on here. 

Sadly Deliverance fail to, er, deliver (oops, sorry, at least I got it out of the way early) and to my gnarled up ear lobes this sounds just like plain old Thrash with the edges knocked off. 

Nothing wrong with that of course but you do wonder at the pretension of it. The nearest they come to Prog of any sort is a well dodgy poor man’s ‘Operation Mindcrime’ number called ‘Screaming’ that like the rest of the album goes nowhere. Oh, and the opening instrumental track, which leads you into a false sense of security. 

This opening ditty is entitled, rather catchily, ‘Legum Servi Ut Liberi Esse Possimus’ or simply ‘Legum’ when the guys are down at the rehearsal room. It’s moody, atmospheric then three and half minutes later it’s still plodding along. Then in comes a guitar and fifteen seconds later ‘Legum’ has Legone. Again totally pointless. I’m sure with a title like that it is well meaning but when no one knows what it all means then what can I say? 

Founding voice Jimmy Brown’s vocals are also very mediocre. There’s a wee bit too much processing going on and just no character to the songs. So whilst I respect the guys for their beliefs I have to judge ‘As Above – So Below’ along with every other album and sadly it’s more ‘below’ than ‘above’ par.

Let us know your views on As Above, So Below

Track Listing

Legum Servi Sumus Ut Liberi Esse Possimus
Cause And Effect
Return To Form
As Above So Below
Screaming
Should We Cross Paths
Contempt
Thistles
My Love
Enlightened

Line Up

Jimmy Brown - Vocals/Guitars
Mike Phillips - Guitars
Corin Jae Scott - Keyboards
Tim Kronyak - Bass
Mike Reed - Drums