Cry Holy (CD - 2003)

Recorded at Sound Kitchen, The Castle, Franklin, Tennessee and Studio 37, Donelson, Tennessee.

SONICFLOOd: Rick Heil (vocals, guitar); Todd Shay (guitar); David Alan (keyboards); Tom Michael (bass instrument); Brett Vargason (drums).

While many have questioned the validity of the current SONICFLOOd lineup, the band's latest release should help shed any notions that the current members can't shoulder the load. After the original band released a critically acclaimed debut album, the group underwent a metamorphosis that saw all but one original member depart. Resonate was the re-formed band's first offering in 2001. Their latest is an opus entitled Cry Holy. Praise & worship has been the group's signature since its inception, and nothing has changed here. Musically, the group is rock-solid, mixing praise & worship and rock together for a bevy of enjoyable grooves. Cuts like "Shelter (You Are My Refuge)" and "God Is Great" are the types of toe-tapping spins the band seems to specialize in. "Here I Am to Worship" and "I Will Exalt the One" are spiritual sojourns that take the listener on an enjoyable journey via acoustic guitars and the genuine vocals of Rick Heil. Tunes like "Famous One" and "Everything" are bolstered by the songwriting talents of Chris Tomlin and Jason Ingram, respectively. The only snag in an otherwise stellar opus is the lack of penned originals by the band. (They actually only wrote one song and co-wrote one other.) While it would have been nice to see the bandmembers credited, their choice of writers, who include veterans Marc Byrd and Steve Hindalong, does strengthen rather than weaken the validity of the disc. Cry Holy is a authentic, uplifting praise & worship effort that offers just enough rock tendencies to whet the appetites of rock audiences and those seeking lyrical truth as well. ~ Steven Douglas Losey minimize