RPM - Give My All: RPM Live

Published Tuesday 4th March 2008
RPM - Give My All: RPM Live
RPM - Give My All: RPM Live

STYLE: Rock
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 40974-13398
LABEL: Abundant Life Music 8204602
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 2
EXTRAS: DVD
RELEASE DATE: 2008-02-29
RRP: £4.99

Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

Rocknations is the youth ministry of Abundant Life Church in Bradford and this album is live worship from their Youth Conference in August last year. RPM are the Rocknations house band and lean towards a high energy punk style. The songs are full of catchy hooks and sing-along choruses and while they seem quite simple, they are perfect for their target audience. The title track and "Now Or Never" encapsulate these attributes perfectly, while "Greatest Of All" and "Thank You For The Cross" provide the requisite slower reflective moments. It may all seem formulaic and clichéd, but it works and the band believe in what they are doing. The musicianship is competent without being showy and the production is clear and uncluttered. The short DVD gives a brief behind the scenes look at the group and allows multi-angle views of the four songs. Watching the songs, you get a good sense of the energy flowing between the band and the audience. Main worship leader Mike Harvie is dervish-like in his performance, which is extremely impressive when you realise that there are up to seven vocalists onstage along with the band! The camerawork lets the DVD down though, as it is jerky and almost induces motion sickness in the way it jumps around. They may have been trying to emulate the onstage energy and the nature of the songs, but it just doesn't work. Having said that, this is still a CD that will find wide acceptance in the church youth market.

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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Product Description
RPM from Abundant Life Church release a blistering live album of passionate praise and worship.
RPM well known as exponents of some of the finest, energetic worship music around. Their sound is fresh, raw and powerful, and passion flows through every song.
Recorded live at the Rocknations conference in 2007, this album has 12 stunning new songs which showcase the amazing heart for abandoned worship which is flowing from the youth ministry at Abundant Life.
The album includes a bonus DVD with 4 live songs recorded at the conference, plus a multi-angle feature and an inside look at Rocknations.

Reader Comments

Posted by Andy in Australia @ 23:13 on May 6 2008

My mate asked me about this band, if i knew them and of course i hadnt heard of them. But after i went to his church and they were actually playing a few songs off the album i was like WOW!! where has this been?? its the kinda church music that suits me to a tee and is passionate just like i am.



Posted by Oscar in United Kingdom @ 11:54 on Mar 14 2008

I hate to sound like I'm parroting a line, and I'm not asking for a re-review, but GMA definitely deserved at least a 9 from Cross Rhythms.

The original EP was a 5.4/10, ISA was a 6.2/10, but this is 8.4/10 for my Pitchforkian standards and an absolutely stunning leap forward. I have never heard a guitar punch like that on "Get God Known" on a church worship album. Neither have I heard this amount of screaming on a CWA, nor this amount of spine-tingling moments (the end of the bridge of the title track, the break into the final chorus of "Why We Live", and the guitar solo in "More Like You" being just three). And the LYRICS, my oh my.

It is seriously the best church worship album I've ever heard. Sorry. I just had to say that again. :-)



Posted by Jamie in UK @ 11:21 on Mar 13 2008

Personally, I think that it's a crime that this album has been given the same rating as RPM's previous. The progression from the last album to this one is incredible. The musicianship is unbelievable, and the lyrics are beautifully crafted.
The chorus of "Why We Live" is (in my opinion) the best, most honest, and the most real chorus that RPM have ever written. It really captures the cry of this new generation's hearts.
"New Creation," "Get God Known," and the title track are all massively unique, fast praise songs. All have their quirky muso moments (be it bizarre drum rhythms or crazy guitar squeals) which add a sense of professionalism and an excellence in what RPM is offering to God.
This is an album worthy of a 9 out of 10 score, and it is a brilliant example of fresh, edgy christian music from the UK scene that isn't your typical annual Soul Survivor power pop.
Congrats to Jock, Mike, Marcus and the team for starting a revolution with this CD.



Posted by Alfred in Sweden @ 11:58 on Mar 5 2008

Simply the best worship album I've ever herad!



Posted by isaac stott in united Kingdom @ 00:39 on Mar 5 2008

seriously, this is a very, very, very good album.



Posted by mike in United Kingdom @ 00:29 on Mar 5 2008

dissapionted with the review, i think the album is definately a 9 or 10.
and i dont understand what he means about the camerawork, the dvd's amazing, colourful, vibrant and challenging the chemical romance / greenday style.
buy it, watch it, decide for yerself!! (sorry graeme, i dissagree!)



Posted by Brecht in Belgium @ 19:10 on Feb 20 2008

Outstanding is a small word for this album. This goes beyond musical excellence and mint songs. The songs are saturated with the hardcore passion of people having worship as a lifestyle. There s a unique edgy flavour to it, this will go round the globe.
Get this album for yourself and a non-christian friend, they'll love it.



Posted by isaac in United Kingdom @ 10:12 on Feb 14 2008

i love this album!



Posted by Bethany in Lowton - right now. in school @ 13:07 on Jan 17 2008

Give my all is brill. I got it for Christmas. Brill. Such a great experience. Love it



Posted by Oscar in West Yorkshire @ 20:44 on Jan 5 2008

Even though I'm biased (being a member of ALC and so forth), I must say that this really is one of the greatest albums I've ever heard... and it is almost certainly the heaviest church worship album of all time...

If you want an idea of what it sounds like, then imagine sounds from the following bands (in no particular order, except for alphabetical) put into a blender and mashed together: Coldplay, dc Talk, Delirious?, The Killers, Linkin Park, Nirvana, Oasis, Radiohead, Relient K, Saosin, Sigur Rós, U2, underOATH, United, Velvet Revolver, ... the list of sonic influences seems to grow every time I listen to the album. Lyrically, it's very strong, too, with a major emphasis on letting God use one to make a change in the world.

Particular highlights include "New Creation", "Why We Live" (despite some odd turns of phrase), "Thank You for the Cross", "Fire", "Get God Known", ... who am I kidding? This is one of a very few albums for which I can recommend absolutely every song.

I think that Give My All is a landmark album – it's certainly up there with Cutting Edge, Glo, Blessed, A Collision, etc. in terms of out-of-the-boxness for worship music – and I can't wait to see the CR review. :-)

(Is it, by any chance, a coincidence that the CAPTCHA for this post is "FIRE"?)



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