Casting Crowns - The Altar & the Door

Producer: Mark A. Miller
Record Label: Beach Street Records/Reunion Records
Website: http://www.castingcrowns.com

It’s hard to have not noticed Christian music’s newest super-group. These kinds of artists only come along once every few years. Sometimes they burst onto the scene and take the Christian music world by storm on their first album (like MercyMe, Jars of Clay, or Point of Grace), and other times they are a gradual build with time (such as Third Day, Newsboys, or BarlowGirl). Casting Crowns was the first kind of super-group. They came out of nowhere and were an instant hit with their hard-hitting lyrics and accessible, radio-friendly pop/rock. Their debut album ended up going Platinum (selling over a million units), and their sophomore album, Lifesong quickly followed suit. The band hasn’t had a year yet where some song of their’s wasn’t the driving force at radio - like “Voice of Truth”, “Who Am I”, “Does Anybody Hear Her”, and more. Now the question remains if the band will rest on their laurels and continue to create the same album three times in a row (much like Third Day or Point of Grace), or will they attempt to redefine their sound and ministry focus this time around (like Jars of Clay or MercyMe). Unfortunately, what we’ve seen in the past from this group is what we will indeed get again with their third studio record, The Altar & The Door. Musically, the band fits in the typical radio-friendly lite-rock of artists like MercyMe, Steven Curtis Chapman, Big Daddy Weave, or a lighter Third Day. That’s not to say that the band isn’t any good at what they do - because they are. However, The Altar & The Door really fails to set Casting Crowns apart from the pack - songs like “East to West”, “Every Man”, “Somewhere In the Middle”, and “The Word Is Alive” all sound like they could come off of one of the band’s previous efforts. There’s a real lack of creative input coming out of the band. Lyrically, the band continues down the path they have gone before - touching on topics like friendships (“Prayer For a Friend”), Christianity in the world (“What This World Needs”), consistency in faith (“The Altar & the Door”), and more. Unfortunately, Casting Crowns just manages to get by on this latest release. Hopefully, future release will find the band stepping it up a notch in the creative department.

Purchase The Altar and the Door.

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I agree with this review though I probably would have been a bit harsher =)

I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of their previous stuff and this album is worse than that, soo…

Commented by Josh On 09/03/2007

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You were generous with this one.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 09/21/2007

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“East To West” is Billboard’s #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.

Commented by Tony On 10/07/2007

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What I love about Casting Crowns and Mark Hall in particular is that they have a very tight focus on what they want to accomplish with their music, and that is to minister to people, encourage the body, and worship God. I think this new album accomplishes that in every aspect.
In the process, they’ve had spectacular sales, radio and touring success, but that is just a byproduct of the message that they proclaim. Criticism of this band for lack of artistry or growth just shows a lack of appreciation or understanding of their mission.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 10/12/2007

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“Criticism of this band for lack of artistry or growth just shows a lack of appreciation or understanding of their mission.”

Or it’s there because the band has shown a lack of artistry or growth and has nothing to with their ministry.

Thank you for leaving a comment - however, this site isn’t in the business of critiquing ministries and never has been. It’s about critiquing the music outside of the parameters of ministry.

Casting Crowns has a fantastic ministry and a great fanbase. However, their music should be able to stand on it’s own merits without looking at the ministry.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 10/12/2007

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Got to disagree with you on this one. This is a great album - if you can listen to “The Word is Alive” and not have tears well up in your eyes, you’re a tougher, colder man than me.
Mark Hall & Casting Crowns have a way of speaking directly to my heart (and if sales figures, concert attendance and radio reports are to be believed, lots of other people too) and this album is right there.
Your line “had the potential to be Christian music’s next great band” is so far off from what Casting Crowns talks about in their concerts and personally that it made me laugh out loud - they couldn’t care less about being “Big Time”.
Here’s some food for thought - There’s room for both Billy Graham and Rick Warren in God’s plan and I’m so grateful that Casting Crowns isn’t trying to be Kevin Max.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 10/12/2007

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Gotta admit this was my first visit to this site, so I’m only familiar with your work on sogospel, so the comment about ministry value strikes me as odd to say the least.
We won’t agree on this, because this is one band that cannot be separated from “the parameters of ministry”
I appreciate your response to my response though

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 10/12/2007

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I think what Chris is trying to say is that, if this site was about judging ministry, he would have no part in it. He just tells you what he thinks about the music in comparison to what else is being offered out there. I don’t happen to agree with him on this review, but I understand that as an industry professional he looks for something different than I as a fan does. He looks for growth, where I look for consistency. This group hasn’t perhaps become anything more than they always were, but that, as a fan, is good enough for me.

I think that as a reviewer, Chris hopes to see growth in groups like Casting Crowns BECAUSE of his appreciation for the ministry that is attached to their music, and he knows all too well the average short life expectancy of CCM artists who don’t musically progress. As artists grow in lyrical and spiritual depth and musical creativity, hopefully we grow along with them and therefore we are all better for it. So I guess after all this rambling, I’m saying, I see both sides of this coin.

Commented by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) On 10/16/2007

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Casting Crowns - The Altar & the Door
Written: 08/28/2007
Author: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Category: CDs
Comments: 8
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