Reviewed by Ian Webber

This promised final album eventually arrived in late 2013 with much anticipation as to the legacy that these pioneers of thrash metal would leave behind. Whilst fans of their earlier material could have been concerned that this recording would lean towards Deliverance's more progressive sound of recent years, this is not the case. After a short acoustic intro, the album opens with the intense and rhythmical "The Annals Of Subterfuge". With all its speed and metronomic drumming, this track could have been lifted from their epic 'Weapons Of Our Warfare'. This is followed by the similarly crushing riffs of "Angst". Ever-present Jimmy Brown has lost none of his vocal power in what has been nearly 30 years and the rest of the musicianship on display is of the highest quality. Moving on, the tracks develop to chart the many styles that Deliverance have become known for with some progressive and more melodic offerings. The inclusion of "A Perfect Sky" is a brave departure into the acoustic realm that works really well and showcases the versatility of one of white metal's best vocalists. Other highlights include an Iron Maiden cover, "Where Eagles Dare", and a German language reworking of the track "Detox". This quality recording provides an impressive overview of the talents that these stalwarts of Christian metal have produced in a distinguished career. The only real negative is the fact that it is rather short, with, in effect, only seven original new songs.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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