Casting Crowns (CD - 2003)

Casting Crowns: Mark Hall (vocals); Hector Cervantes, Juan Devevo (guitar, background vocals); Melodee Devevo (violin, background vocals); Megan Garrett (accordion, keyboards, background vocals); Chris Huffman (bass); Andy Williams (drums).

Producers: Steven Curtis Chapman, Mark Miller.

Recorded at Zoo Studio, Franklin, Tennessee and In The Dark Studio, Decatur, Georgia.

Personnel: Mark Hall (vocals); Rob Graves (guitar); Chris Mosher (strings, keyboards, programming); Bernie Herms, Jonathan Yudkin (strings).

Recording information: Glow In The Dark Studio, Decatur, GA; Oxford Sound; Zoo Studio, Franklin, TN.

Photographer: Russ Harrington.

In September 2003, pop/adult contemporary group Casting Crowns released their self-titled debut. After hearing one of their independent projects, Sawyer Brown's Mark Miller signed the band -- composed of members Mark Hall (lead vocals), Chris Huffman (bass), Melodee DeVevo (violin/vocals), Juan DeVevo (guitars/vocals), Andy Williams (drums), Megan Garrett (keys/vocals), and Hector Cervantes (guitars/vocals) -- to the label he founded, Beach Street Records. The album is comparable to releases by CCM veteran Steven Curtis Chapman, Caedmon's Call, and Phillips, Craig & Dean. The project, produced by Miller and Chapman, features ten tracks aimed at encouraging and challenging the body of Christ. "If We Are the Body" examines the inner circles within churches that can leave newcomers feeling unwelcome, while "Voice of Truth" speaks of obeying God despite fear. Additional songs include "Who Am I" and "What If His People Prayed." ~ Ashleigh Kittle Slater

Christian rock music's detractors often cite the eternally sunny, feel-good "I'm okay, you're okay" attitude of many CCM albums as a quality antithetical to real rock & roll. While Casting Crowns certainly offer their fair share of optimistic praise, the group also takes a page from the original 1960's San Francisco Jesus Freak movement's aggressively evangelical book. On several songs, lead vocalist/lyricist Mark Hall quite directly points out the disparity between the Bible's teaching and the world's shortcomings, calling out all manners of hypocrisy, materialism, and cowardice, and then demanding an explanation. This unusually forceful message is framed in an appropriately bombastic arena-rock sound that recalls the heyday of bands like Asia and Kansas. In addition, Hall's voice is a powerful tool perfectly suited to throwing around a little fire and brimstone, often sounding like a cross between Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd. A refreshingly unabashed statement of Christian fundamentalism in the literal sense of the term, CASTING CROWNS offers an energetic and tuneful missive. minimize