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Göteborg's Deliverance play the riffs and chug associated with their home base, diverging from tradition by having all-clean vocals, which I find not only refreshing but gutsy. Although really young (ages 20 - 24), each of these four guys has been in several other bands (of varying genres), and this experience shows in Deliverance's excellent musicianship. Recorded at Nackskott and Gain studios, produced and mixed by the band and Emanuel Petersson (The Deafening Silence, an industrial metal band to which Deliverance's drummer also belongs), mastered by Philip Granqvist, "Align in Silence" is Deliverance's first demo. Its three tracks are an appealing blend of melodic metal and subtle thrash, with a touch of 70's rock, especially in the guitar solos and vocal stylings.
The lead-off song,"Endless Search," features the most classic melodic death metal riffs and backing rhythms, along with great changes of pace and breaks. The middle instrumental passage is especially impressive, with heavy pounding and tight grooving, followed by guitar soloing that takes off in a huge way, breaking out with two distinct guitar sounds, hearkening back to 70's bands, the way Arch Enemy does, and cool effects. Even more revved up and tight, "Embrace" might be the strongest track on the demo. Oskar Frantzén produces his best and most assured vocal here, and the harmonized parts sound especially tough and cohesive, adding to the song's chug. As with "Endless Search," there's a great, mostly instrumental section, with a subtly thrashy, slowed-down break. The closer, "World of Beauty," features a strong mix of heavy and light elements, starting with the cool, slow build-up at the beginning. Lyrically, though, this is the weakest of the three songs: too much repetition and unsubtle phrasing, both tendencies illustrated in lines like "I want to tell you all my problems / I want to tell you all my thoughts." Lack of sophistication in lyrics is very typical of young bands, of course, so this is an area in which Deliverance will inevitably improve; the themes they explore have, already, some depth, and I'm confident that their ability to express those ideas will soon become equally impressive.
Deliverance has talent, energy, and an admirable determination to tread their own path and avoid some of the more common metal trends. They seem to have a clear idea of the kind of sound they want to create, while at the same time displaying considerable adventurousness, which indicates intriguing directions their music might take in the future. And having produced something as skilled as "Align in Silence" their first time out bodes very well indeed for that future. I'll be quite interested in hearing what they come up with on their next demo, which they've already begun recording.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Endless Search |
| 2. Embrace |
| 3. World Of Beauty |
: 12.41
| Buy other Deliverance albums |
