Delirious? Calls Churches to Action With Latest Release Mission Bell

|PIC1|World renowned rock quintet Delirious? – authors of such congregational classics as "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" and "“Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?" – have released one of their most ambitious projects to date, The Mission Bell within the UK, through their self-made distribution group -"Fierce?".

With The Mission Bell, the band delivers a challenge to the Church to stop merely speaking about what it believes, but to take action with all it’s been given.

"What are we going to do with what we have been given?"” asks lead singer Martin Smith. "We love what we do, but there’s gotta be more. We want to make a change. Surely, this whole ‘God thing’ is not just for putting Christian records out. Surely, God has called us to higher things. It’s not enough to sit back and enjoy the ride, but to be sure of the ride we’re on."

"I think there’s a lot of inspiration for people to get out of these songs,” says guitarist Stu G. "I think it’ll help some folks kind of work out their calling, work out what they’re supposed to be doing."

|QUOTE|To communicate such a vision on a record, the band learned that they would have to tackle some difficult issues, as on the track "Our God Reigns," which deals with the subject of social injustice, particularly A.I.D.S., abortion and the constant focus of Western culture on self-improvement and materialism.

"All I had was the chorus when I started out," recalls Smith, “and I thought, ‘Oh, fantastic, this is going to be another little church song that everyone will sing. That will be great.’ But I could not write any verses for it, and all the sudden, these heavy lyrics came out.”

|AD|The album also features the talents of well-known artist tobyMac on "Solid Rock," a remake of the hymn, "On Christ the Solid Rock." Additionally, The Mission Bell will be enhanced with a 12-minute behind the scenes video.

The release in America will take place on Dec 26th and in anticipation Delirious? will be prepping American audiences by playing new music at four dates in California, with the band hitting the Arco Arena in Sacramento today. The band is also planning a US tour next April.

For all the latest tour updates, go to www.delirious.co.uk


Review

Is it the best Delirious? album yet? It's difficult to say. It is incomparable to the likes of King of Fools, Mezzamorphis or Glo. Those albums were landmarks of their day, but The Mission Bell is set in a different time and demonstrates a different set of skills. Maturity oozes from every pore on this album. In 2001 Delirious? declared that their Audiolesson was Over, but with The Mission Bell they have truly graduated.

The album plays to every strength the band has developed over the past decade together. With it's great use of strings and choirs, trademark guitars, bass and roaring drums and a stronger emphasis on the piano, this is a whole new side to Delirious? that shows progression to a greater level. Martin and Stu's vocals are the finest yet. Stand out tracks are probably Solid Rock, Miracle Maker and Here I Am Send Me, but All This Time and Fires Burn are not far behind. In the opening song, Delirious? sing "We're getting stronger every day" and they're not wrong...

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