Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Sometimes reviewing worship albums is like walking out into a storm and trying to catch the wind in a bottle. Experienced journos like those in the Cross Rhythms team understand the function of the album review - to make an assessment of the aesthetic value of a collection of songs, and express that subjective opinion seasoned with a little bit of objective information. But sometimes albums come along that so clearly are more than the constituent parts - the performances, the songs, the production values - that a review would be wilfully inadequate if it concentrated purely on those elements. But if that isn't difficult enough for your hapless reviewer, he has here an album surrounded in considerable theological controversy. No doubt by now the bulk of Cross Rhythms readers know that some extraordinary things happened at the Lakeland Church in Florida leading many believers to the conclusion that it was a miracle-filled Holy Spirit revival and others that it was "definitely not of God." This extraordinary album probably won't convince anyone in the latter camp of the Outpouring's biblical authenticity but I must state here that I found this recording of worship leader Roy Fields' ministry both anointed and potentially life-changing. Musically, it stays within the tried and tested rock worship template and often uses well known songs, like Delirious?' "Rain Down" (THE worship song of the whole Outpouring), alongside Roy's own compositions while the prophetic flow track "It's A New Day" is prophecy and exhortation set to music and not exactly an easy listen. But the sheer passion of Fields and his luminous desire to lead us deeper and deeper into God's presence makes this an extraordinary historical/musical document.

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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