AMG Review of Deliverance

Eduardo Rivadavia
All Music Guide

With guitarist Pepper Keenan now at the helm as lead singer and principal songwriter, COC abandoned most of the punk influences of their crossover past and turned into a full-fledged Sabbath-inspired metal band with 1994's Deliverance. Most of the songs on the album are built on monolithic power chords which range from ferocious speed on "Heaven's Not Overflowing" and "Senor Limpio" to slower, groovier numbers such as "Broken Man" and leadoff single "Albatross." Second single "Clean My Wounds" also struck gold at rock radio with its staccato riffing, and "Seven Days" adds eerie guitar melodies to the mix. On the downside, the plodding title track (featuring vocals from returning founding bassist Mike Dean) gets a little tedious around the sixth minute, and a number of faceless guitar instrumentals are interspersed through the album, really breaking up its rhythm.