Reviewed by Dave Griffiths

I was impressed before I even put the CD into my player as the graphics for the CD package is excellent. But, we're here to talk about the musical content. What we have in 'Arise' is a collection of 13 punchy, guitar-driven worship songs carried on the wind of youthful gusto and pop-chorus sensibilities and production. This combo can mean, however, that the content is a little too shallow in places. It's probably great throughout for teenagers, but for me personally it's a little too glossy. Stylistically this is very, very similar to their fellow Aussies, Hillsong United. This music is crafted specifically for large gatherings that the Planetshaker ministry implements, and with that in mind, these songs make a lot more sense. One can easily see hundreds of young saints pogoing their socks off to these high-energy tunes. Many of the songs follow the fast-paced guitar-pop trend, but there are variations with "Majesty", which is a little more Europop with its zingy synth-line. "You Are" at last brings the pace down to a more Darlene-style ballad. "Your Glory" keeps the slower, more acoustic feel and is a great worship song. "My Hero" is really enjoyable melody. "Set Me Free" is the most memorable song and the one most likely to live outside the context of this album.

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.