Petra

    Petra

    Fort Wayne, Indiana16 reviews across 14 releases

    adult contemporaryccmhard rockpop rock
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    Petra is a Christian rock band formed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1972 by guitarist Bob Hartman. Its early records established a polished pop-rock approach, while the John Schlitt era brought heavier guitars and more forceful vocals. Beyond Belief, the 1990 release, moved closer to melodic hard rock without abandoning Petra's established songwriting, using gang vocals and power chords on several tracks. The band then experimented with gospel choir backing and soul influences on Unseen Power, before Wake Up Call combined smoother production with a still-aggressive rhythm section. By No Doubt, pop and funk grooves had become more prominent beneath Hartman's rock guitar. Petra's music remained centered on direct Christian lyrics, although its worship material could sound markedly different: Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out was described as a choral production accompanied by the band rather than a conventional Petra rock album.

    Greg X. Volz left Petra in 1985, and John Schlitt became the lead singer the following year. Hartman remained the principal songwriter, but he stopped touring in 1995 while continuing to work with the band, returning to the road in 2003. Petra announced its retirement in 2005, after which Hartman and Schlitt performed together as II Guys from Petra. A separate reunion of the earlier lineup appeared as Classic Petra in 2010, releasing Back to the Rock. Petra later resumed selected performances with Schlitt and Hartman, and a 40th-anniversary reunion in 2013 introduced drummer Cristian Borneo to the later lineup. The band continued touring in subsequent years and released Hope in 2026, more than two decades after Double Take.

    14 releases reviewed