These guys just keep on going... Having all but lost credibility with much of generation X when the guitars creep to the back and ballads take center stage, Petra has marched on. There are a few rockers here, but pale in comparison to the band's hard rock glory days of On Fire. Nowadays, Petra seems to remain Christian rock for kids whose parents don't let 'em listen to rock & roll. Guitars here, for the most part, have safe tones, and John Schlitt's vocals reach his famed passion in just a few songs. Poised to reach the already churched, or rather, the longtime Petra fan, a few tracks ("A Matter of Time," "Set For Life," etc.) are of note, primarily for the quality guitar and bass tones, and a few songs show something different for the band in that lyrical direction takes on more of a first person story format ("Falling Up," "St. Augustine's Pears"), with a nice absence of clichés. Still, nothing groundbreaking is heard. While some may receive encouragement from the content, many a learned listener will hear a typical confirmational drivel that soaks most of Christian radio... Yet, the title typifies exactly what the band has been preaching for the past 25 years, which is to further one's relationship with God as much as possible, and to be completely "on fire," as it were.
Similar sounding releases
1996Big Tent RevivalOpen All Nite
1995One Hundred DaysThe Obvious
1998Two or MoreWalking on the Water
1998Smalltown PoetsListen Closely
1998FFHI Want to Be Like You
1996Nouveaux...And This Is How I FeelMore from Petra
2000Double Take
1989Petra Means Rock
1990Beyond Belief
1997Petra Praise 2: We Need Jesus
Back Stage Pass (Video)
1995No Doubt
