Reviewed by Samuel Parker

A new worship movement is emerging in the land of Chicago in the form of Vertical Church Band. Birthed from the Harvest Bible Chapel, Vertical Church define themselves as a "collection of people who play every week in places all over Chicagoland as part of a church" with a desire to facilitate a level of worship which is a warm-up to Heaven instead of just a part of a Sunday service. Glimpses of this ethos are apparent in 'Live Worship From Vertical Church' with songs such as "How Great Is The Love", breaking into a short period of spontaneous worship at the end bearing a similarity to that heard in some Bethel Music songs, whilst also making it clear that this is not an album of songs, but a session of worship. The quality of the songwriting ensures that Vertical Church Band has established itself as a new addition to the growing circle of contemporary worship movements, but the fresh innovation implied in its mission statement has not yet emerged in this collection of songs. That is not, however, to devalue the high standard of musicianship displayed here.

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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