| Musical Style: Heavy Metal | Produced By: Terry Taylor |
| Record Label: Intense / Retroactive | Country Of Origin: USA |
| Year Released: 1993 / 2020 | Artist Website: |
| Tracks: 10 | Rating: 95% |
| Running Time: 49:56 |
Fifth Deliverance album Learn from 1993 isn’t the groups most celebrated - that honor belongs to iconic 1990 sophomore effort Weapons Of Our Warfare - but that doesn’t diminish the fact many (including this reviewer) consider it the ‘Big D’s’ finest hour. Learn was recorded at the height of what critics and fans refer to as the groups ‘creative years’, a period in which it transitioned from the melodic speed metal and thrash of earlier releases Deliverance (1990) and as noted Weapons… to a more diverse technical metal heading. Starting in 1992 with Stay Of Execution, Deliverance began imbuing its songwriting with decided progressive facets, albeit retaining much of its ingrained heaviness, and a darker resonance, revealed from how founding member and vocalist Jimmy P. Brown II lowers his register to walk a fine line between that of Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche) and Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine).
Results speak for themselves in that what we have in Learn is in my opinion the best Deliverance album, or at the very least, its most consistent as one of the few in which I do not hit the skip button. A ninth place finish in an Angelic Warlord article outlining the top 50 Christian metal and hard rock albums of the nineties reflects the extent I value Learn, noting how it edged out Weapons… (16th position) and Stay… (28th). River Disturbance (1994) and Camelot In Smithereens (1995) received honorable mentions. Ninth is even further laudable when factoring the depth of quality albums released during the decade, particularly in light of those rating ahead of it from Holy Soldier (self-titled) Veni Domine (Material Sanctuary & Fall Babylon Fall), Novella (One Big Sky), Red Sea (Blood) and Bride (Snakes In The Playground). Yes, rarified company indeed!
As with many albums from the time, Learn went out of print and turned into a hard to find collectors item. Enter Retroactive Records, whom in the spring of 2020 re-mastered and re-issued Learn on CD and vinyl with upgraded packaging (crediting Scott Waters of No Life Til Metal graphics) to include enhanced cover art along with mini booklet home to vintage band photos, lyrics in an easy to read font and producer notes from Terry Scott Taylor (Daniel Amos).
Original version sounds fine for its era, but re-mastering (courtesy of Rob Colwell of Bombworks Sound) improves upon things with an extra sheen of polish to reveal the tighter and more up to date sound. Gist is the thicker low-end, added guitar punch and further clarification pertaining to drums and bass.
That newfound Deliverance progressiveness reveals on opening cuts “Time” and “1990”. Former crosses the six-minute threshold with a two-minute instrumental intro to run the gamut from moody acoustic guitar to ominous doom like rumbles to keyboard laced overtures. Subsequent four reveals a similar introspective demeanor, as Brown’s downcast vocals weave a disconsolate path through catchy riff proclivities, acoustic guitar underlining spoken word portions and backing vocals to whisper the songs title. The forward momentum to rhythm guitars at the start of the instrumental section hint of the groups ‘old school’ thrash days. Lyric snippet:
Time - we live by it's counting
Time - the beating of the drum
Time - it tells us when we can
Or what we cannot do
But our God is not held by time
Nor is He restrained
By it's hard bindings
Latter crosses the seven-minute threshold in also featuring a two minute instrumental build up but with more of an upbeat focus as Manny Morales’ lively bass and driving riffs lead the stoic way. Things settle down to a mid-paced grind the remaining distance, yielding an emotional guitar allure as impetus dances through irascible verse sections on the way to the melancholic refrain with its plea of ‘it’s time to let go and forget 1990’. The instrumental interlude to ensue features the albums best stretch of conflagrant lead guitar, while a second instrumental portion covering the final minute consists of rhythm guitar over bombastic drums.
In follow up to two of this reviewers favorite cuts, album moves on to its grand and stately title track. “Learn” starts to a drum solo before powering ahead to ploddingly thick guitar riffs, as low end pummels remorselessly and Brown mournfully questions through the somber refrain: ‘Line after line, when will we learn?’. Lead guitar might not mirror the intensity of Glenn Rogers and George Ochoa from Deliverance and Weapons…, respectively, or virtuoso flair of Mike Phillips on Stay…, but holds its own all the same. Lyric snippet:
Man's deception
Satan's deceit in a world
Full of washed convictions
An emptiness in the mind of
The viewer of the screen
To believe in such idiocy
To live and learn the nature of man
No on escapes this lesson
Father please forgive me for
I know well what I do
Just surround me with Your love
And help me LEARN
“Who Am I”, musically penned by guitarist Jon Maddux, also hits with a drum solo opening only to rush forward to an uncharacteristic upbeat tempo (at least far as Learn is concerned) as another walloping bass line prevails over triumphant outbursts of guitars and Jon Knox’s excitable timekeeping. No it might not be lengthy as those previous, truncasted at just under five minutes, but is home to its share of stop and start twists and turns - a brief return to a doom like allure occurs two minutes in - to highlight its share of the progressive.
Speaking of truncated, “Renew” might not be albums only piece to dip below four-minute territory but by no means lacks quality. Opening to a churning mix of grinding guitars and funky bass underlined by atmospheric keyboards, “Renew” powers ahead to spoke word portions interweaved with Brown’s moody demeanor as the way is made for the conglomeration of the powerful and emotional to carry things to the finish. The song almost has a metal dance groove feel to it, and when combined with the layered vocal melodies (courtesy of producer Terry Taylor), separates as one of albums more unique. Lyric snippet:
Strung out on what you can find
Injecting confusion to the new found grace
Why don't you just let it go
Allow the renewing of your mind to
Take it's place
Even dead you still seem so sad
Get a life and make us all glad
The stench dwells
All around you
Get a life, let light surround you
“The Rain” runs the progressive gamut from the faster and energetic, to the plodding and astringent. In between, it shines with its impressive guitar harmonies mixed with rumbling vestiges, while interspersing darkened silence and thick low-end heaviness to remind of the groups older thrash ways. Frenzied outbursts of drums align with the at times hyper-charged riff action.
“Reflection”, a two-minute minute interlude to feature acoustic guitar covering its two short verses, gives way to “In The Will”. Another solemn plodder, “In The Will” ambles out of the gate at a downtrodden shuffle, mournful with its mood filled leanings as heavy set riffs power ahead, but equally musing in light of the chanted ‘in the will’ refrain layered in morose vocal melodies. Impetus accelerates for the lengthy rhythm guitar driven instrumental run. Lyric snippet:
And if we're still, so very still
Our eyes gazing into the heavens
Voice of Jehovah will break through
The cares of this world
For all his children to hear
Love His son, His only son
The one who draws us near
Voice of Messiah calls
A time for worshipping
A time to sacrifice our hearts to Him
Elevated but no less heavy, “Desperate Cries” hits hard from the get go with its towering metal riffs (Brown remains in peak form with his adroit rhythm guitar abilities) but entices with its alluring chorus (song comes across surprisingly mirthful in light of the deliberate material sounding it). Kudos to re-mastering for allowing backend keyboards to better project, which come across surprisingly symphonic in quality. In the end, “Desperate Cries” impresses as a quality Stay… outtake, a compliment of the highest order.
Deliverance saves its best for last with seven minute Daniel Amos cover “Sanctuary” (off Vox Humana from 1984). Hauntingly beautiful, aesthetically landscaped but made aware with resounding Deliverance style forward aptitude, “Sanctuary” revels in perilous melody throughout as Brown auspiciously cries ‘remember - remember, your sanctuary’. Melodic guitar harmonies tying things together are near mesmerizing, as are the impeccably dire keyboards. The song stands out as one of the finer musical moments on what amounts one of the stronger albums of a very deep decade. Lyric snippet:
Hush pretty baby and don't you cry
Your daddy's here so
Brush the tears out of your eyes
Brush them from your eyes
Should you find you have
The things you need
Remember - remember - Me
And should the moon turn red
Stars leave the sky
Remember - remember
Your sanctuary
Each Deliverance album owns its unique standout qualities, and Learn proves no exception with its at times moody and melancholic and others progressive technical metal sound. Retained in the process are much of the groups heaviness despite distancing from its inaugural speed metal and thrash ways, although you can still hear undercurrents of the ‘old school’ sound within the Learn material. Lets face facts: the Deliverance speed metal and thrash sound has never completely gone away; rather it simmers beneath the surface, ready to rise to the top at moments notice! Whether Learn is the best Deliverance album is open to debate, but what one cannot argue is the improvement to the packaging and re-mastering to the Retroactive re-issue. It along with other recent Deliverance Retroactive re-issues in Greeting of Death, Stay of Execution, River Disturbance, Assimilation and As Above - So Below comes highly recommended.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Time” (6:19), “1990” (7:01), “Learn” (5:29), “Who Am I” (4:44), “Renew” (3:43), “The Rain” (5:13), “Reflection” (1:42), “In The Will” (4:52), “Desperate Cries” (3:48), “Sanctuary” (7:00)
Musicians
Jimmy P. Brown II - Lead Vocals, Guitars & Keyboards
Jon Maddux - Guitars
Manny Morales - Bass
Jon Knox - Drums & Percussion
