by Ed Rivadavia
With guitarist Pepper Keenan now at the helm as lead singer and principal songwriter, COC abandoned most of the punk influences of their crossover past and turned into a full-fledged Sabbath-inspired metal band with 1994's Deliverance. Most of the songs on the album are built on monolithic power chords which range from ferocious speed on &Heaven's Not Overflowing& and &Senor Limpio& to slower, groovier numbers such as &Broken Man& and leadoff single &Albatross.& Second single &Clean My Wounds& also struck gold at rock radio with its staccato riffing, and &Seven Days& adds eerie guitar melodies to the mix. On the downside, the plodding title track (featuring vocals from returning founding bassist Mike Dean) gets a little tedious around the sixth minute, and a number of faceless guitar instrumentals are interspersed through the album, really breaking up its rhythm.