DELIVERANCE - Greeting Of Death
(2019 Remaster CD/Vinyl/Cassette)
For those of us old enough to actually remember what we were doing in 1986 and what the music scene was like back then, this reissue serves as a fresh reminder of how underground the metal scene still was in general, but specifically how word of mouth and “demo” cassettes – in addition to the live local “show” – were integral in “getting a band noticed.” This was particularly the case with Deliverance – a band who not only frustrated and challenged mainstream Christianity at the time with their extremely aggressive form of Christian metal, but who also threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the Christian metal scene. Retroactive Records, who have been a bastion of support for keeping the Deliverance flag waving for years now with multiple CD and vinyl reissues have once again stepped up to the plate and hit a home run with this triple play vinyl/CD/cassette reissue.
If nostalgia is your thing, or if you are a fan of Deliverance and have never heard this demo material, then now is the time to step up to the plate and listen because this material has never sounded better! If you enjoy music in its rawest form, yet listenable, Greeting of Death should be on your radar. I can say without reservation that this collection of songs, especially presented on vinyl, is my favorite of all of the Deliverance “fan” releases … and there have been quite a few to date.
The CD
As would be expected, these songs are clean and clear in digital format, cleaned up from the original versions. And the CD and vinyl both contain the two bonus tracks (“A Space Called You” and “Attack”) from the California Metal compilation. The highlight here would be the 12-page booklet, which features Jimmy’s story behind the demo along with the original cassette layout with lyrics and plenty of band photos and a tribute page to drummer Chris Hyde. The matte black and white paper durable yet retro 80’s in appearance.
The Vinyl
Its very cool to see this original artwork in 12x12 format, the Reaper with that great big smile and all! But the coolest thing about this vinyl is that the songs have been remastered for vinyl by Rob Colwell. Expect a very different listening experience between the CD, the vinyl and the MC. I mean, these songs are massive sounding on vinyl, with tons of bass kick and no distortion at high volume. Think raw, but balanced. I mean, when I compare it to the more polished sound of the new Weapons of our Warfare vinyl I would have to say I actually prefer the sound from these remastered demos on vinyl. In other words, the songs have a much less processed and more live vibe and feel, but unlike most demo material, they sound like they are up to the modern recording levels in terms of EQ and volume. Great stuff. No inserts on the vinyl, just Jimmy’s comments on the rear of the outer jacket. And, oh by the way, the jacket size and weight is perfect on this reissue, just a bit taller than previous Roxx/Retroactive LPs.
The Cassette
The what? Come on, it would be remiss to even consider an authentic reissue of this demo without a cassette. Afterall, as Jimmy alludes to in his liner notes on the CD/vinyl, he sold some 5,000 of these things. And therefore, if you desire the most authentic listening experience with these songs, you MUST hear the cassette. I don’t know whether my tape deck is the culprit, but I can confirm that this is the worst sounding of the 3 versions. Actually, the quality is okay, but I do hear fluctuations in the EQ, with muffling at times … like I said, very authentic! But the layout is true to the original demo tape, this one only containing the 6 original songs.
Awake! Grab these while you still can as the vinyl is limited to 500 (and I think the CD as well) and the cassette to only 100 with the first 100 preorders getting the 5x5 sticker of the cover as well.
Track Listing (CD):
1. Victory
2. Greetings Of Death
3. No Time
4. J.I.G.
5. Speckled Bird
6. Awake
7. A Space Called You
8. Attack
Track Listing (LP):
Side A
1. Victory
2. Greetings of Death
3. No Time
4. J.I.G.
Side B
1.Speckled Bird
2. Awake
3. A Space Called You
4. Attack
Track Listing (MC):
Side A
1. Victory
2. Greetings of Death
3. No Time
Side B
1. J.I.G.
2. Speckled Bird
3. Awake
