Reviewed by Peter John Willoughby

By The Tree had come to the end of their career and released their greatest hits album in 2007. They were best known for their hook infused pop-rock worship. With two albums and two Dove Awards behind them, their third release 'Root' (2003) was produced by Joe Baldrige (dc Talk, Newsboys) and they were at their peak. Their fifth album 'World On Fire' (2006) was produced by Dwayne Larring (formerly of Sonicflood) and continued with their signature style. The enhanced CD includes features such as a guitar instructional video, the "World On Fire" music video as well as B-roll footage of the band in the studio. At the time, Aaron Blanton stated "In life, change is inevitable. Almost every time there is change there is growth. That has never been more true of By The Tree than right now. The past year and a half has been a time of growth for us. We have seen God build, protect, restore and cover us. With the release of 'World On Fire' there is a coming message of desperation: the need for God. The need to know him and follow him, to trust him. The need for him to be our focus. We have learned more than ever before that without him we are nothing. Recognizing our need for him has become our cry to him." At the start of their career the band wanted to be known as a rock unit rather than just a worship band. They achieved that. The only problem was that by 2006 they had not evolved and their music had started to sound similar to many other worship releases.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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