Third Day

By Debra Akins, contributing editor for GospelMusicChannel.com

There could not have been a better way for Third Day to kick off their new album Revelation than with a track titled “This Is Who I Am.” A great southern-rock anthem, it marks a triumphant return and a brand new beginning for this Georgia-based band that has marked 15 years in the business and sold more than six million albums to date. Their tenth offering of studio material, Revelation is a solid exclamation of who Third Day is musically, while underscoring the cultural relevancy they’ve continued to display over the years.

Revelation brings with it a host of changes for Third Day’s Mac Powell, Tai Anderson, Mark Lee and David Carr. For the first time, the band recorded outside of Atlanta, working in Los Angeles with new producer Howard Benson (Daughtry, Flyleaf, Hoobastank, P.O.D.). According to frontman Powell, the group wanted to shake things up a bit and try a fresh approach while getting out of their comfort zone. That strategy served them well. The end result is a masterfully-woven collection of tracks infused with a new energy.

There is a definite introspective side to this collection of songs, and Powell (as principal songwriter) gives voice to some of the same emotions we all feel as believers searching for answers in tracks like “Born Again” and the first single, “Call My Name.” Their lyrical vulnerability and honesty reveal what the group describes as stepping stones on their own personal journey.

Benson was instrumental in bringing in some high-profile guests including “American Idol” finalist Chris Daughtry – a long-time Third Day fan – who lends his vocal talents to the rocker “Slow Down.” Pedal steel guitar phenomenon Robert Randolph adds his distinctive flair to the raucous Southern-fried anthem “Otherside.” And Flyleaf’s Lacey Moseley adds her soaring vocals to the poignant “Born Again,” one of the album’s best tracks.

If you thought last year’s release of greatest-hit packages Chronology Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 signified the beginning of the end for Third Day, think again. Revelation is the band’s strongest album in years, and indicates the beginning of the next chapter in the group’s already-successful career. There are no throw-away tracks on this CD, and that’s a rarity in today’s fast-paced, song-driven music industry. So don’t bother trying to cherry-pick your favorite tracks for purchase here – do yourself a favor and go ahead and grab the whole album. Yep, it’s one of those keepers that you’ll be playing over and over from start to finish.

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