Deliverance: Live At Cornerstone Fest 2001 |

Rescuing the Lost

(2025 – Retroactive Records)

Completely out of print and only available on certain digital platforms, the “Live At Cornerstone Fest 2001” series, which includes several bands, among them the one we are discussing here, became a kind of gem lost in time, highly coveted by collectors. That, plus the fact that there weren’t many copies, that it’s the only “official” live stuff released by Deliverance, and above all that this show marked Deliverance’s first official comeback, make this material something special. Well, the label “Retroactive Records” came up with the brilliant idea of rescuing and re-releasing this material in physical format, with a new design and on both CD and LP, which is to be applauded. Let’s see what this edition has to offer.
After the release of Camelot In Smithereens in 1995, an album that was not very well received, Deliverance went into hiatus and silence, so by 2001, the band had not played live for approximately six years. The band had split up. This show at the famous “Cornerstone Fest” in 2001 was supposed to be Deliverance’s “triumphant return,” so they took advantage of the occasion to record the show and release it. As we said, it was released at the time, but that edition is now completely out of print. This is a new opportunity to get closer to stuff lost in time and hear what Deliverance sounded like live in those years.

In practical terms, this is Deliverance’s only live album. Well, there is also that old EP, the beloved “Intense Live Series VOL. 1,” but let’s agree that although it is the band playing live, it was recorded in a studio, so the experience is more like a rehearsal, you could say. No, this is Deliverance playing on stage before an expectant audience that witnessed the band’s official return at that time.
The set list is a kind of compilation of the best Deliverance had in their repertoire at the time. Of course, the classics couldn’t be left out, and so we hear “No Time,” “Weapons Of Our Warfare,” “Victory,” “Stay Of Execution,” etc., so it could easily be a kind of “Greatest Hits” of Deliverance but played live. What is striking is that the album “Camelot In Smithereens” was completely overlooked. On the contrary, Deliverance took it upon themselves in this set to go through each of the other classic albums. They also go through less effective experiments such as ‘Belltown’ and the incredible “Words To The…”, which is no minor detail. The show, and the album, close with Daniel Amos’ impressive cover, “Sanctuary.”
The Deliverance lineup for this show included, of course, the great Jimmy P. Brown II on vocals and guitar, accompanied by Manny Morales on bass and backing vocals, David Gilbreath on keyboards, Lael Conan on guitars, and Ian Baird on drums. Beyond the names, the important thing is that Deliverance was back, a comeback that later led to the release of a new album in 2002, only to split up again until 2007, but that’s another story…
The sound achieved is not very refined, to say the least. The positive aspect of this is that there were obviously no studio “tweaks” and what you hear is what actually sounded at that show. From what we can hear, we get a pretty accurate picture of how Deliverance sounded, or sounded like, in those years. The result is a rough and raw “garage” sound, which, at least in my opinion, suits Deliverance’s early songs very well. Logically, this reissue underwent a new mastering by Rob Colwell, which gave it a much more “intimate” feel, if I may use that term.

This new edition of “Live At Cornerstone Fest 2001” is not just a mere reissue. This new version has been completely reconfigured and includes a new cover, totally different from the original, replacing the original illustration with a photo of Jimmy P. Brown II playing live (we assume from that show). Strangely enough, the inner sleeve includes the lyrics to the songs, something that is not customary on a live album but is welcome nonetheless! It also includes the story of how this Deliverance reunion came about, told by Jimmy P. Brown II himself, and the reason for this reissue. In addition to all this, there are several photos of the band playing live. All of this is only available, of course, in the physical editions of this material, both on CD and vinyl. The graphic quality of the physical edition is not only good but also worth purchasing.
Is this material worth it? The conclusion is yes. First of all, because so far, it is Deliverance’s only live album, it has a limited physical edition in terms of number of copies (which is a good lure for self-respecting collectors), etc. It is also a good opportunity to hear how the band sounded in those days, and especially the classics from their early days. Leaving all that aside, there are no unreleased tracks on this album, nor any “bonus track” stuff that gives us something “extra,” so it could well be considered a kind of compilation of Deliverance’s best songs. However, this is Deliverance, sounding like they sound, or at least like they sounded back in the day. Nothing more, nothing less!
While we wait for the release of new studio material, this is a good opportunity to get a feel for what the band means in the history of Christian metal, and to get an idea of how they sounded on stage, so hurry up because, I repeat, this is a limited edition. Who knows when we’ll be able to enjoy Deliverance in a live recording!
To find out how to get this album, check out https://boonesoverstock.com/