Aftermath

Personnel: Joel Houston (vocals, acoustic guitar, drums, background vocals); Matt Crocker (vocals, drums, percussion, background vocals); Jonathan Douglass, Jad Gillies (vocals, background vocals); Jill McCloghry, Marty Sampson, David Ware (vocals); Michael-Guy Chislett (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming, background vocals); Dylan Thomas (electric guitar, background vocals); Timon Klein, Joel Hingston (electric guitar); Hanna Crezee, Lauren Hodges (violin); Chris Bennett (cello); Ben Tennikoff (accordion, keyboards, glockenspiel, percussion); James Rudder (tenor saxophone, percussion, background vocals); Tim Whincop (trumpet); Peter James (keyboards, programming); Simon Kobler (drums, percussion); Ben Whincop, Adam Crosariol, David Rogers , Matt Tennikoff (drums); Jim Monk, Annie Garratt, Brooke Ligertwood, Jilcasey Row, Chantel Norman (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Sam Gibson.
Recording information: 11th Hour Studios, North Rocks; Arcadia Studios, Arcadia; Atomic Heart Studio, London; Avatar Studios, New York; Street Studios, UK; Studios 301, Alexandria.
Photographer: Matt Johnson .
Arranger: Hillsong United Team.
It almost isn't fair that Hillsong has such a deep roster of seasoned praise & worship leaders to craft an album as diverse as Aftermath. Because historically, if there's one complaint about modern Christian worship music, it's that it can lack variety and rarely ventures outside its safe zone. In that context, listening to Aftermath is truly an experience: an event as real and engaging as the worship team's well-documented stage show that has been seen by the masses on six continents. Most bands would consider an album like this to be their magnum opus, but that would connote an apex, and Hillsong shows no indication that they are going anywhere but up. Alternating vocalists between tracks adds fresh variety and pomp. The team shouts refrains on "Nova" and "Go" amid percussive rhythms that sound like a cross between Chris Tomlin, Coldplay, and even Kings of Leon. The guitar work on "Take Heart, Father" and "Rhythms of Grace" is delicate and captivating, evolving into a Sarah McLachlan-like trance on "Like an Avalanche" and "Bones." The stand-out track is first single, "Search My Heart," included here in both radio and congregational versions. Aftermath shows that Hillsong continue to set the bar high and blur the lines between studio albums and live worship. ~ Jared Johnson