Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Long-in-the-tooth Cross Rhythms supporters still hold fond memories of Dudley's Roots & Branches festival in 1996 when Chris flew in from California to deliver a blistering set and demonstrate to the small but vociferous crowd that he was blessed with one of the finest blues rock voices in Christendom. That was then of course. In more recent times the Vineyard worship leader has delivered a critically acclaimed download album (2006's 'Heaven On Earth'). And now this set shows that not only have the Lizotte vocal chords lost none of their gravelly power but thanks to a powerhouse band with guitarist/producer Marc Ford contributing molten riffs hot enough to make most blues rockers sound like air guitar wimps, this is studio recorded blues rock of the highest order. From the moment the opener "Sweet Mercy" launches in with an acoustic-driven mid tempo lilt of worshipful passion one is drawn inwards and upwards so that by the time the gentle country vibe closer "Have You Ever Seen The Place" finishes there's a dead cert chance God will have touched you with one of these songs. If you've become increasingly jaded by all the formulaic "modern worship" clogging up Christendom's release schedules this album, with its luminous songs of faith, gutsy, gritty vocals and wonderfully organic accompaniments, will get you worshipping again. And that slow burn rocker "Brighter Day" where Chris shares the vocals with another great voice - that of his one-time label boss Crystal Lewis - will surely get you believing again that brighter days are indeed coming. As a final bonus there is a DVD in the package which features Chris talking about each of the songs. Great stuff.

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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Signal Hill Revival, the latest release from Varietal Records and worship leader Chris Lizotte, radiates with the raw sound of gospel and blues rock. Signal Hill Revival is an honest reflection of the heart, passion and authenticity of worshippers coming together to glorify God. The album was produced by friend and guitarist Marc Ford (Ben Harper, The Black Crowes, Ryan Bingham) and recorded live at Compound Studio in Signal Hill/Long Beach, California.

Celebrations of praise, confessions of weakness, and declarations of truth are woven together in this unique collection of songs to form a musical journey - the peaks and valleys of a personal experience with God.