Thanks for opening your cMusicMail this week! We have a review of
the best in the Ardent Worship series by Skillet. Also, we have a
special bulletin on the biggest release next week, and also some more
contest winners! So keep reading!!

ARDENT WORSHIP LIVE - SKILLET (2000)
by Rick Foux
First it was only wishful thinking. Then came the rumors. And finally
there was word from the band themselves. Skillet was making a worship
album. An idea pre-conceived even before the release of Hey You, I
Love Your Soul, Ardent Records has finally made possible what has
been the longing of the group and its many devoted Panheads for quite
some time. Move over, Matt Redman. Here comes Skillet.

Ardent Records' Skillet Live kicks off with the feisty opener "Who Is
Like Our God?" Although kind of monotonous after 5 minutes of
hearing "Great is the Lord King Jesus" in John Cooper's wailing
vocals, the song has the trademark Skillet sound with just as much of
a worshipful feel as anything SONICFLOOd could crank out. "Your Name
Is Holy" is more electronic than its predecessor but could still
manage to get hands raised from the crowd as the band chants "You are
the sovereign 'I Am' / Your Name is holy / you are the pure, spotless
Lamb / Your Name is holy." Suddenly the loudness comes to a halt on
track #3, "How Deep the Father's Love For Us." As the worship calms
to a dull roar, Skillet pour out their heart about God's amazing love
for all of us, despite the fact that all have sinned and fallen short
of the glory of God. "We're Thirsty" is the one-minute follow up to
the preceding track and sounds like a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment
clash of vocals and electric guitar, yet reverent in its own right.
Just when you think Skillet is going to calm down, they raise the
roof once again with "Jesus Be Glorified," a hard-rocking track that
does exactly what its title implies; pulse-pounding drums and bass
beyond belief included. The experience gets even better on track
#7, "Sing To The Lord," which challenges listeners not to be afraid
to make a joyful noise when worshipping God. It sounds much like "I
Trust You" from the Invincible album and also features synthesizers
for the first time on this worship CD. Remember the semi-hidden
track "Angels Fall Down" from Skillet's Invincible project? It's also
featured on the live disc in all its 8-minute entirety. The lyrical
harmonies between Cooper and his wife Corey are incredible. "Safe
With You" goes even further back to Skillet's first release, but it's
done in a new, electric style and applied to a worship theme that
adds more depth to the song. "Safe With You" also puts the listener
in the perfect mood for the coupe de grace--you guessed it--"Shout to
the Lord." If you've never heard "Shout to the Lord" Skillet-style,
you're in for a treat. The synth keyboards add the perfect touch to
this popular worship tune, and the band harmonizes extremely well on
instruments and vocals alike. So ends Skillet's tribute to Jesus.

The worship experience doesn't end with this one album, however. One
thing Skillet has always wanted to do is make a worship album, and
this project is the result of their attempts in that direction. Even
though they can be loud and just downright scary sometimes, Skillet's
studio cuts can be just as worshipful as this album when you focus on
the purpose of why they write the music. Skillet has a true heart to
serve God and reach the lost. This album is simply evidence.

More reviews on the Ardent Worship series coming soon!

Find out more about Skillet:
http://cMusicWeb.com/rock/skillet


SPECIAL NOTICE:
We encourage you to check out Rebecca St. James' new album,
Transform! Coming next week, it is the best album yet by Becca, with
many different styles and great grooves. To find out more, visit the
following places:

http://rsjames.com/ - Of course, the official site is the place to
be. They have video interviews with Rebecca about the new songs,
plus you can hear the full songs over the Internet. Also, you can
download the song "Don't Worry," her first single off the album.

http://www.hearitfirst.com/ - That's right, this site is always the
place to be! Hear the whole CD in streaming audio. That's where I
heard it, and I can't wait to buy the album. Also, right now,
HearItFirst has the full albums of OneDay Live, the Passion CD, all
the Ardent Worship CDs, and many more.

TRANSFORM is gonna be big, so check it out!


AVAILABLE TODAY (on cMusicWeb.com and at your local store)

COMIN' FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE - THE ROCKETOWN WRITERS
Here's some of the best hits "Comin' from Somewhere Else"--the
writers. That's right, some of the most famous songs, like "Place in
this World," "Via Dolorosa," "That Kind of Love," and "Change Your
World," among others. The Rocketown Writers are Gordon Kennedy,
Wayne Kirkpatrick, Phil Madeira, and Billy Sprague. This one ends up
being the PICK OF THE WEEK.

FOR THIS CAUSE - HILLSONGS AUSTRALIA
Undoubtedly the most popular worship sensation in the Southern
hemisphere, those Australians and Darlene Zschech keep singing,
creating new tunes for worshippers everywhere.

INSEPARABLE - PHIL KEAGGY
Released by the new Word Artisan label, this is a brand-new album
with Phil Keggy's vocals! Nope, not an instrumental here, this one
is expected to charm all those fans of his self-titled album.

LIGHTS OF MADRID - PHIL KEAGGY
Also releasing on the new Word Artisan label, this is for the fans of
the instrumental Keaggy. Phil does some beautiful Spanish-flavored
instrumentals here, sure to get all those Spaniards excited.


AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER (on Christian MusicWeb)

ROCK: http://cMusicWeb.com/rock
Ace Troubleshooter (self-titled) [10/24]

ALTERNATIVE: http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative
Shine: the Hits - Newsboys [10/24]
Transform - Rebecca St. James [10/24]
Intermisson: Greatest Hits - dc Talk [11/21]

POP: http://cMusicWeb.com/pop
Heart of a Champion: a 30-Song Legacy - Carman [10/24]
Love Has a Name - Kathy Troccoli [10/24]
Soul Anchor - Michael Card [10/31]
Smell the Color 9 - Chris Rice [10/31]
Freedom - Michael W. Smith [11/21]

WORSHIP: http://cMusicWeb.com/worship
OneDay Live - Passion [10/24] (on CD/VHS/Double-side DVD!)

BOOKS: http://cMusicWeb.com/books
The Mark: The Beast Rules the World - Tim F. LaHayle and Jerry B.
Jenkins [10/24]

Click on the album titles on the genre page to order them and recieve
them on the release date.


CHRISTIAN HIT RADIO CHARTS FOR THIS WEEK
> Stace Orrico is off the chart!! YEAH!! Also,
> the best song this week is Switchfoot's new track.
1. Center of Your Love - Jaci Velasquez
2. Good Stuff - Newsboys
3. I'm Alright - Jars of Clay
4. Your Love, O Lord - Third Day
5. Into You - Jennifer Knapp
6. Don't Worry - Rebecca St. James
7. Where I Wanna Be - V*enna
8. Learning to Breathe - Switchfoot
9. I Wanna Be Moved - Ginny Owens
10. God is in this Place - PlusOne

SOURCE: CCM Update (http://www.ccmupdate.com/)


cMUSICWEB UPDATES
• New Page - Winds of Worship
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/windsofworship


Sorry for the scarce updates, but I'm working on a couple minor
changes throughout the site, which should make it run more smoothly,
so please bear with me. Congratulations to Emily from Mississippi
for winning a Josh Harris video entitled "TRUST". We will have one
more winner next week, and the contest winners' prizes will ship out
then. Thanks for reading, and we will be back next week with even
more cool stuff! Please send us your comments!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb