Reviewed by Oscar Hyde

'Martyrs Prayers' is the brainchild of Michael Glen Bell and Duane Arnold, a pair who've aimed to connect modern Christian music with Christianity's long and powerful heritage. In this case, that manifests as an album consisting of the words of 10 martyrs from throughout history and all over the world - John Ri from Korea, Ignatius from Antioch and Dietrich Bonhoeffer from Nazi Germany are just a few examples. And indeed many of the songs (with lyrics taken almost entirely from the words of their namesakes) are hauntingly powerful, especially the multilingual single named for Óscar Romero: "Let my death, if accepted by God, be for my people's liberty". The list of guest musicians is star-studded indeed, from the ever-legendary Phil Keaggy to modern powerhouse Jennifer Knapp; even members of the Rez Band make an appearance. Unfortunately, not all the musical arrangements click with the prayers: the Korean John Ri's anguish at his burden is married to hard-rocking blues, complete with shredding solo. The virtuosity feels less at odds with the death of (for example) Ignatius, when it's employed as a Spanish guitar solo of lament. The "Strengthen Me Now!" of Quirinus is backed by gospel voices, but in this case the stomping guitar doesn't match it at all. Perhaps it might have been better to let the power of the words speak for themselves.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.