Musical Style: Metal/Hard Rock	Produced By: Terry Taylor & Jimmy P. Brown II
Record Label: Brainstorm/Retroactive	Country Of Origin: USA
Year Released: 1994/2018	Artist Website:
Tracks: 9	Rating: 85%
Running Time: 48:56

Sixth Deliverance album River Disturbance from 1994 has quite the storied history.  Its release falls smack-dab in the middle of the groups illustrious ‘creative years’, a period in which it jettisoned the melodic speed metal and thrash of early albums Deliverance (1989), Weapons of Our Warfare(1990) and What A Joke (1991) in favor of what critics and fans like to refer to as ‘technical metal’.  No album better embodies this than fourth Deliverance full length Stay Of Execution (1992), which while occasionally touching upon the thrash of those previous proved darker and more progressive in making the vocals of founding member Jimmy P. Brown II a greater focal point.  Deliverance made potentially one of its strongest artistic statements ever on follow up effort Learn (1993) by further upping the heaviness and progressive elements while maintaining the moody and low-end melody structure penchant.

Enter into the equation River Disturbance, an album whose title draws from a quote by C.S. Lewis about ‘how the believer is able to find peace within the river disturbance’.  Brown offers further detail from an interview back in the day: ‘But, in the midst of the flood, while you’re drowning, you can feel the hand of God reaching in, and you can actually find peace’.  Musically, it finds the group sustaining the technical to progressive essence to Stay Of Execution and Learn but within a more polished and subdued package, pointing towards the richly textured and at times outright emotionally expressive.  If I were to invite comparison, it might not be consistently heavy as its two predecessors but meets if not exceeds either in terms of creative inspiration, at least at its very best.  Common denominator between the three is how Brown maintains his David Bowie meets Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine) mid to lower register vocal penchant.

The River Disturbance history further manifests in light of its re-issue past, beginning in 2007 on Retroactive Records, whom re-mastered (by Rob Colwell) and re-released it with new cover art (below) and four bonus tracks.  Fast forward to the summer of 2018, and River Disturbance has again been re-issued by Retroactive (with Colwell re-mastering) but with the original cover art and for the first time vinyl in addition to CD.

Opener “Belltown” represents quintessential ‘technical metal’ era Deliverance, understated in terms of heaviness as presiding bass and hammering guitars lead the way but beguiling in light of the emphatic melody to pull in on first listen.  The creative mid-period Deliverance years by no means traverse thrash territory but should not be overlooked either when factoring ability to set an unmistakable tone.

“After I Fell” ensues with its share if divergences.  Starting to a concise bass solo, the song wistfully courses to its feathery acoustic laced verses only to pick up gait at once for a more forward thinking refrain in which light vocal melodies adorn the backend.  This is what 90’s Deliverance is about: creative and progressive but not losing the song at the same time.

Albums title track takes the progressive elements to the next level.  A full six and a half minutes, “River Disturbance” revels in its non-conventional song structuring, as twists and turns ranging from calmer and reticent to expansive and bass heavy hold sway over a groundwork of intelligent guitar harmonies.  Keyboards prevail over the detailed instrumental moments.  Built upon is the as noted ‘believer in the river disturbance’ theme:

The heavens can’t contain You
The earth is your footstool
From dust I was created
And to it I will return

My mind, it cannot fathom, God nailed to a tree
My mind is like a raging river, coursing to the sea

Now I’m drowning in the River Disturbance
Longing to depart
Though I’ve grown weary of the River Disturbance
You’re calling to my heart

Haunting ballad “Now & Then” highlights the Deliverance calmer side.  Slowly fading in prior to wafting its length acoustically, the song sets a soothing if not dreamy tone in manifesting an unequivocal melody but also the palatable vocal melodies to go hand in hand.  Of all the albums tracks, this one best speaks of that emotional expressiveness in question.

If “Speed Of Light” is not my all time favorite Deliverance song, it is a close second to “Ramming Speed” (off Stay Of Execution).  Launching to a succinct drum solo, “Speed Of Light” hastens ahead to the irascible joining of guitars and bass that covers its unhesitating verse sections, which to these ears touch upon an epic metal form.  Majestic refrain follows as Brown asks in musing fashion, ‘how can I travel, the speed of light?’  This is a fine a joining of the creative and progressive you will find.  One cannot help but appreciate the science fiction themed lyrics:

I gaze patiently, into a sea of stars
Drawing back from childhood fantasies
Of living life on Mars
From the corner of my eye, I saw a string of Light
I turned to see what wasn’t there anymore
I felt Your presence in the night

The light reaches the rim, of a dying earth
From a star burned out so long ago
Or from a child at birth
From the corner of my eye,
The Word is clothed in flesh
In a world of relativity, life is born from death

After opening to five equally well-constructed songs, River Disturbance takes its only missteps on the subsequent two.  It begins with hard rock rap number “A Little Sleep” to feature a guest appearance from rap group 12th Tribe.  Best place to start would be to provide my favorite quote from the movie Thor: The Dark World in which Odin suggest (in regards to the unwelcome presence of Jane Foster) that “She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table!”  At the risk of overstating things, but musically “A Little Sleep”, ahem, comes across every bit out of place.  It probably would have worked better if it had been included on the next 12th Tribe album instead, with guest appearance from Deliverance as opposed to the other way around.

Lyrically, has anyone bothered to listen closely to rap music, with its accent on racial epitaphs, degradation of women and reckless profanity?  Fortunately, “A Little Sleep” bucks the trend in that its prose, skillfully done by 12th Tribe member ‘Brimstone’, is surprisingly poetic:

Can you help me, seem to feel a little split,
And there’s no reasoning, but the light still;
I flickering amongst the bricks -
Built on the high hopes of man,
Search for His love but no one understands,
Waiting for the dawn of change,
Something simple for the temple,
I stand alone without explain keep me in the dark
Staggering in the rain, drowning pain -
Banging on the ark - something wrong inside
But the one who runs the rooms raised the tombs,
I can’t find -  just another night with my friends,
Toss and turn I sleep in the day, I close my eyes
The sun burns, gotta find a way before
 I wither hide and ditch away, where do I go?

“Map” represents that second misstep in a row.  Perhaps it is due to the songs offbeat alternative flavorings, noting the presence of co-producer Terry Taylor of Daniel Amos fame, and unconventional harmonies, but it has done nothing for me despite passing of nearly twenty-five years.  Further testing my patience is a track time at just under five minutes.  In the end, not unlike “A Little Sleep” it is too outside the box (at least for my taste) in lacking that signature Deliverance like feel. 

So much has been made of Jimmy P. Brown’s abilities as a thrash composer, that perhaps he does not always receive the acclaim he deserves from a progressive standpoint.  Outside of the already noted “Ramming Speed” and “Speed Of Light”, many of my other favorite Brown progressive moments include “23” and “Solitude” (Weapons Of Our Warfare), Learn (entire album) not to mention several choice cuts off his Eraserhead solo release (“Memoria” and “The Watchers”) and his brilliant Pink Floyd influenced Jupiter VI sophomore album Movable Walls.  It would not surprise that a search of his CD collection reveals multiple selections from Kansas, Transatlantic, Neal Morse, Dream Theater and others!
 
Hence, the brilliant progressiveness to closing cuts “You Still Smile” and “Breathing Still”.  Former is a seven-minute ballad that oozes of the grand and imposing in soaring to grand piano and lofty vocal harmonies but with periodic reminders of rhythm guitar to enliven the glossy scene.  Shadow Gallery, best known for its first rate ballads, could not do it any better.  At just over eight minutes, latter is straight on progressive rock with the more upbeat disposition, as rumbling guitars define its moody verses and orchestral vestiges the delicately instilled refrain.  Instrumental moments to feature graceful lead guitar carry two of its minutes.  Lyrics to “Breathing Still” won a national poetry contest back in the day:

Wind is calling, wind is calling you
Is she a messenger sent from God
Blowing away all of our wrongs
Wind is calling, wind is calling you
The almighty waves his arm
Having her attending to all cause
Wind is calling, calling your name
Echoing voices parade in my head
I feel nothing left but you

She brings blue beauty or she brings skies of gray
She’s a roaring thunder, and she’s a child at play
Obeying her master, she’ll loose her breath
on through the heavens and down again
Grace me with your presence

Whereas cover art to the 2007 re-issue might have been superior, I am glad the 2018 version returns to the original with its vintage feel.  Difference is improvements in terms of how the band name and album title come across better defined and presence of the Deliverance logo in the top left.

It proves problematic comparing production between the old and new, in that the original sounds fine, noting how at 100k it received the largest production budget for a Deliverance album.  That said, re-mastering brings out the best in an already good product with the more pronounced low end, particularly as it pertains to breathing bass, and added crunch to guitars, lending an added element of heaviness.

River Disturbance adds up to seven top of the line prime Deliverance cuts and two potential outside the box missteps, depending on where your tastes reside.  Again, not quite heavy as that which came before, but equal in terms of creativity at its best, at least in light of its more solemn and polished flavorings.  Hence, the presence of two ballads, which might be a bit much, but when also factoring quality, they perfectly complements the eloquent musical essence at hand.  Retroactive re-issue proves essential in light of improved re-mastering, but also for making River Disturbance available on vinyl for the first time.

Review by: Andrew Rockwell

Track Listing: “Belltown” (4:39), “After I Fell” (4:21), “River Disturbance” (6:35), “Now & Then” (4:33), “Speed Of Light” (4:53), “A Little Sleep” (3:44), “Map” (4:52), “You Still Smile” (7:06), “Breathing Still” (8:01)

Musicians
Jimmy P. Brown II - Lead Vocals, Rhythm & Lead Guitar, 12 String Guitars & Keyboards
Manny Morales - 5 String & Fretless Bass
Jeff Mason - Drums & Percussion

Guest Musicians
Jonathan Maddux - Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Jon Knox - Drums & Percussion
Gene Eugene - Piano
12th Tribe - Vocals