Reviewed by Chris Berry

Right, first things first, the production quality of this album is excellent. And after an intro like that I guess you're waiting for the 'however' kind of line. Not so. This collection, the tenth Worship offering from SOTV, contains some of the best worship material I have ever heard (sweeping statement time eh) and what's more, it has on board the most moving portrayal of Jesus' thoughts, such as we can imagine, that I am likely to hear for a long time to come. "Gethsemane", written by Craig Musseau and performed with immense emotion by Tom Davis, is the song in question. It wouldn't have been out of place to re-title it "Long Hard Road" as these particular lyrics convey exactly the feel of the song. Regardless of whether you read the rest of this review or not, I strongly advise that you get a hold of this composition. Meanwhile, back to the rest of the album - and there's plenty more there too - the title track "Refiner's Fire" is one of two Brian Doerksen numbers, "Lord Of The Poor" being the other, both are acoustic guitar based songs and the messages come home loud and clear. I particularly enjoyed the title track - the 'purify my heart' lyrics being the cornerstone of a beautiful song. Elsewhere "Soften My Heart" is another in the reflective, quiet time vein whilst "Psalm 62" is a bit of an enigma. Verging on Sheila Walsh "Triumph In The Air" style at times it breathes energy and fire from Sharon Howarth. One note to the compilers: five slower songs in succession at the start of an album were not my cup of tea, I would hate anyone to miss track 8 (guess what that is) just because they didn't feel the album had variety.

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.

This track data is supplied by the Cross Rhythms CD/DVD review library. Please note that CD tracks may vary according to release region or product version.