Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

'El Grande' is the fifth album released by Room Full Of Walters. After starting life as a mainstream club band, the growing faith of band members forced them to be one of the few bands in Christian music rock history who have crossed over INTO the Christian market! After the excellent 'Sleepy-Head1 was released through Word, the band have a new label and new album but the same signa­ture sound of melodic rock. This time around though, there seems to be a healthy pre-occupation with what we used to call power pop in the early '80s! Somehow it all seems to work, though this may be because in vocalist Mark Scheltgen, they have a singer who sounds uncannily like Elvis Costello. Songs-wise, there is plenty here to get your teeth into! There's the runaway rock'n'roll of "King For A Day" and uncompromising call of the opening rock anthem "All The Way" as well as the chunky driving "Snowfori". All very satisfying and then if you want to go deeper, there's the moving real life story of a young Christian woman called Amy who was tragically murdered out whose faith continues to speak beyond the grave. Pete who was a rocket scientist on their last album makes a re-appearance here on "Pete's A Rocket Star" which only leaves us to imagine whether his story will continue on the next album! Maybe he'll get saved at a Billy Graham crusade! RFOW have been at it nine years, have built up a huge grassroots following and continue to knock me out with the passion of their music.

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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