Reviewed by Nigel Bayley

Now make no mistake about it, the albums in this boxed repackage, 1996's 'Shout To The Lord' and 1998's 'Shout To The Lord 2', have stood the test of time very nicely. Both contain strong songs still in the praise and worship repertoire of many local churches while Darlene Zschech's powerful vocals with their intriguing blend of black gospel influences and smooth inspirational balladry bring out all the spirit-quickening drama of the lyrics. Particular standouts are "I Will Never Be" and "Power Of Your Love" from 'Shout To The Lord' and "All Things Are Possible" and "The Potter's Hand" from 'Shout To The Lord 2'. Even with the huge number of quality worship albums that are around these days, these two compare favourably and are an excellent starting point if you don't have any Hillsong in your collection. The problem I have with this release is Integrity Music's attempt to call this package a 'Special Gold Edition'. Both these albums were already re-released (as a three CD 'Special Edition' box-set along with Darlene Zschech's studio album 'Kiss Of Heaven') in 2005. Hardly a 'Special Gold Edition', more a rather embarrassing example of a record company cash-in.

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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