Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Formed 15 years ago, Audio Adrenaline have, of course, been a popular fixture on the worldwide CCM scene since their breakthrough album 'Don't Censor Me' and its huge hit single "Big House" which CCM magazine even named as their 1990's Song Of The Decade. Whilst they haven't been quite as successful in Europe as contemporaries such as dc Talk and Newsboys, they have delighted fans and won critical acclaim with their quirky, cheeky but heartfelt rock theatrics; 2003's 'Worldwide' and last year's 'Until My Heart Caves In' even picked up a Grammy each. Earlier this year, however, it was announced that the pressures of recording and touring had permanently affected singer Marc Stuart's vocals, and that he would be unable to continue with the band. This news precipitated the end of Audio Adrenaline, a final US tour taking in the summer festivals, and the release of this 17-track offering. Subtitled as it is 'The Greatest Hits,' 'Adios' could have been longer, considering the 18 US number ones that the four-piece now have under their belt. I guess it is only a few years since 'Hit Parade,' a previous compilation, came out. One minor mystery on 'Adios', though, is the under-representation of 1996's 'Bloom' - AA staples such as "Man Of God" and "Walk On Water" are nowhere to be found; maybe a larger, definitive AA retrospective will do greater justice to the group's history in due course - but fans and newcomers alike are treated to quite a feast nonetheless: "Never Gonna Be As Big As Jesus", "Some Kind Of Zombie", "Get Down", "Ocean Floor" .them hits keep a-comin'! And the choice of two new tracks is undeniably apt; both an energetic cover of The Alarm's "(Going Out In A) Blaze Of Glory" and the band's self-penned final US single, the tear-jerking "Goodbye", leave us in no doubt that this truly is the end. So, as someone once said, thank you for the music, and God bless you, AA!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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