01. Awaken Me - Chris Quilala
02. Father Of Lights- Kim Walker-Smith
03. Perfect Love (Father Of Lights Reprise) - Kim Walker-Smith
04. Break Every Chain - Kristene DiMarco
05. Glorious - Katie Torwalt
06. My Everything - Chris Quilala
07. Nothing But The Blood - Chris Quilala
08. Dance - Kim Walker-Smith
01. He Is Faithful - Bryan Torwalt
02. Burning Ones - Chris Quilala
03. Holy Are You (Burning Ones Reprise) - Chris Quilala
04. I Surrender - Kim Walker-Smith
05. We Are Hungry - Chris Quilala
06. Fill Me Up - Kim Walker-Smith
07. Holding Nothing Back - Chris Quilala
08. The Anthem - Jake Hamilton
Recorded live over three days in Chicago, Jesus Culture are back with their new full-length live album 'Awakening: Live From Chicago'. This is the band's sixth full length album and follows last years well received 'Come Away'. The Jesus Culture Band began as the local youth group worship team led by Banning Liebscher when he was youth pastor at Bethel Church. The band consists of Kim Walker-Smith and Chris Quilala along with Jeffrey Kunde (lead guitar), Brandon Aaronson (bass), Ian McIntosh (keys) and Josh Fisher (drums).
A very good friend of mine asked me what I thought of this album as... Read More Recorded live over three days in Chicago, Jesus Culture are back with their new full-length live album 'Awakening: Live From Chicago'. This is the band's sixth full length album and follows last years well received 'Come Away'. The Jesus Culture Band began as the local youth group worship team led by Banning Liebscher when he was youth pastor at Bethel Church. The band consists of Kim Walker-Smith and Chris Quilala along with Jeffrey Kunde (lead guitar), Brandon Aaronson (bass), Ian McIntosh (keys) and Josh Fisher (drums).
A very good friend of mine asked me what I thought of this album as they knew I was reviewing it, and my initial response and comment back was "It's very Jesus Culture". That wasn't meant to be negative at all, this group of worshippers have set a standard so high with their distinctive high-energy rock-worship sound that for them to achieve this again and again, yet still keep producing melodically interesting anthems, is no easy task. But with this album they have done that... again. If you're looking for an album with passion filled rock worship songs then look no further.

The album opens up with Awaken Me, which again is Jesus Culture all over, from the big guitar sounds to the lyrics that keep repeating again and again, slowly building and building until you are shouting them out. The repeated chorus of "Come, Like you promised" and the outcry of the bridge "Have Your way, Have Your way, Have Your way', leaves you with a real sense of the presence of God at this live event.
There are no 3 minute pop moments on this album and every last inch of the live event these songs came from is included, even times where people are singing out their own worship to God. This album is a true reflection of what went on those nights in Chicago. This can be heard throughout the album but especially in the amazing Father of Lights and Perfect Love, these songs flow into each other so seamlessly it's like one big 10 minute epic. Break Every Chain, which features Kristene Di Marco, opens with the words "There is power in the name of Jesus... Break every chain, Break every chain" which is repeated and declared for nearly a minute and a half, and this song does take time to get going and can be a little bit repetitive.
As you can tell so far this album has some great new anthems that really stir something inside, yet also appearing on this live collection of songs are a few tracks that might be more familiar to you, like Jesus Culture's version of Tim Hughes' Holding Nothing Back. Yet for me hearing one of my favorite tracks at the moment, Glorious from Bryan & Katie Torwalt's Here On Earth album, is as good as the original studio version. 


Other songs worth mentioning include Nothing But The Blood, which is the well known hymn with the drums slowly building this song into a crashing wall of noise that captures the passion of the original hymn with a slightly rockier sound. The message of the whole song still rings true today "What can wash away my sing, Nothing but the blood of Jesus". Jesus Culture do this so well, right slam bang in the middle of a load of their own original songs. Synth led Dance does what it says on the tin, this has more of a dance beat to other songs, and shows that Jesus Culture can do more than rock a guitar, something a little bit different with the atmospheric piano parts that shows worship can be so much more. If you're worried all these songs are big rock-tastic anthems hold on towards the end because the simplicity of I Surrender and We Are Hungry make them songs well worth checking out.


The more this album went on, the more it grew on me. It's a long album to listen to in one go, which is actually a great attribute to have. Yet behind all the big guitar sounds and crashing cymbals, one of the standout aspects of this album is Kim Walker Smith's voice which has never sounded so strong. With her distinctive vocal, this album lets her sing in a few different styles and she can hold her own in all of them. With Jesus Culture's distinctive rock worship sound that is sung and played with passion, 'Awakening: Live From Chicago' is one event I wish I was at, thankfully this album captures all of it superbly, and nothing is left off the recording. Worshippers together worshipping the King of Kings.
Review by Jono Davies


LTTM Rating 4.5 Out Of 5 Stars Standout Tracks Glorious
Father Of Lights
Awaken Me
Jesus Culture have now released their new live CD/DVD, 'Awakening: Live From Chicago'. Recorded over three days in Chicago at Jesus Culture's Awakening 2011 conference this is the band's sixth full-length album and follows last…
One of the world's top worship bands Jesus Culture will release a new full-length live album on 29th November 2011. Recorded live over three days in Chicago at Jesus Culture's Awakening 2011 conference, 'Awakening: Live From…
