Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

A compilation of the good, the bad and the ugly from the Australian Christian rock scene although it has to be said this is mainly good! From the enthusiastic hardcore Seraphs Coal to the proficient atmospheric rock of the wonderfully named Battered Fish to the electronic soul of Sacred Stone's cover of 'Respect Yourself,' this is indeed a window into a world of 19 bands that are generally totally unknown outside Oz. On the strength of this, it sounds as though the scene is doing pretty well! Highlights for me include Dumpster's almost britpoppy 'Set In Gold,' the aforementioned Battered Fish's 'Set Uo' and the bluesy rock of Templegate's in yer face 'Invitation.' Foreyeon's 'Give Me A Break' is fluid, loud rock typical of much of this but there are some mellower moments like Phadora's 'Tears' and the acoustic pop rock 'If.' There's plenty here that makes me want to explore full albums which after all is the measure of a good compilation album. Plenty of verity, plenty of quality, plenty of new names! An enjoyable listen!

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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