Expectations ran sky-high for
Casting Crowns' third studio album following a couple of years as
Contemporary Christian Music's best-selling and most-played artist. The looming question wasn't whether lead singer and songwriter
Mark Hall would drastically change his formula -- that was doubtful after the group's first two albums were certified Platinum faster than any other artist in
CCM history (
Jars of Clay was the only other group to accomplish the feat). The question for fans was whether or not the runaway success would change the band's heart.
Casting Crowns rose to prominence due to
Hall's "painful but true" storytelling of the Christian condition and his comforting calls to reform.
The Altar and the Door picked up where
Lifesong left off, this time with a slightly greater dose of
rock. This time around, songs centered on the disconnect between the faith believers feel during worship and the doubt that plagues them during the rigors of daily life. In other words, how to overcome the spirit being willing but the flesh being weak. Where former albums drew their strength from
ballads and
AC pop,
Altar gave the world upbeat
rock classics. The first three tracks showcase more
grunge guitar than could be heard on all of
Lifesong.
"What This World Needs" is a tense, fast-paced rocker that opens the album with the same urgency as
Jars of Clay's
"Work." "Every Man" and
"Slow Fade" also draw on mature
rock themes. The band still offers a handful of its signature
ballads, reaching a pinnacle on
"The World Is Alive" and
"I Know You're There." Casting Crowns gave fans no reason to be disappointed on
The Altar and the Door, and anyone living under a
rock who was unfamiliar with the band at the time of its release would find little to dispel the group's reign among
CCM artists. ~ Jared Johnson
![Dances With Wolves [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0074646355527_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Dances With Wolves [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]")
