I've got this from a Chem. Rev. article from the late 1940's titled "The synthesis of aromatic aldehydes" :
Reduction of nitriles.
C6H5CN + HCl ---> C6H5CCl=NH.HCl + reductant --> C6H5CHO
Stephen worked out a method for preparing aldehydes from nitriles in yields that are usually greater than 90% :
Stephen, H. J.Chem.Soc. 127, 1874 (1925)
Williams, J.W. Org.Synth. 23, 63 (1943)
HCl is bubbled through a dry ether solution of the nitrile and anhydrous SnCl2 during a period of several hours. The resulting iminochloride may be isolated or reduced directly to the aldehyde.
This works only when there's no steric hindrance due to groups ortho to the nitrile group.
another method is that of Henle; Ber. 35, 3099 (1902) and Ber. 38, 1362 (1905); which yields up to 95% and consists in converting the nitriles to the imido-esters, which are reduced with NaHg in presence of phenylhydrazine or semicarbazide. Without the addition of the amine the yields are very low.
The raney-nickel way is still a more viable route IMHO, but there must be other reducing agents who will do the job fairly.