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Freda Battle & The Temple Worshippers
Serious Praise

In a musical sea awash with new choirs, new voices and new songs, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between them. No so where Freda Battle & The Temple Worshippers are concerned.

Debuting on the fledgling Axiom Entertainment Group, the Serious Praise disc is brilliant in originality of arrangement and strong in the vibrancy of the sound. CD The contemporary Boston choir, under the direction of seasoned Gospel industry veteran Freda Battle, serves notice that they are a force to be reckoned with.

As Minister of Music for New Covenant Christian Church, Battle ensures that The Temple Worshippers retain a decidedly churchy sound —she writes all thirteen songs on the album. At the same time, and never in contradiction with that foundation, the choir frequently veers off into delicious sound directions that incorporate an array of musical blends.

Sound quality on the album is high, with Alvin Speights (known widely in the industry for his studio engineering of many an R&B group, but also for Angelo & Veronica, Yolanda Adams, Ray Bady and Trin-i-tee 5:7) joining with Battle and also keyboard vet Roger Ryan, to deliver the goods.

The aural atmosphere is set with the opening song and title cut, "Serious Praise". Over a riveting instrumental union of jazz and Latin and spiced with copious brass orchestrated by Lloyd Barry, Battle exhorts us to praise God as The Temple Worshippers' strong vocal groove slams hard.

The album then opens up to reveal the full extent of these worshippers' gifts. Full power mass vocals marks the uptempo "Breaking The Curse". Clarence Powell brings the house down on "No One Deserves", featuring Paul Jackson Jr. on guitar and crescendos in volume and praise in its moving climax.

Freda Battle & The Temple Worshippers

Also of note is "Rise Up", which inexplicably but stirringly begins with softly-spoken French before riding a mellow, funky drive with a team of five lead vocalists, and delivering an encouraging call to 'rise up and cry no more!".

The groove factor is high on the appropriately-titled "Messianic Groove", led by Andre Jones. Wah-wah guitar, judicious vocal reverb, programmed drums and a busy keyboard section foster a never-quit flow of vertical praise.

"Let Your Glory" features Bishop Gilbert Thompson in duet with April Thompson, their contrasting vocals (deep vs. light) emphasizing unity as Ryan's keyboard sparkle sets off the well-phrased chorus from The Temple Worshippers.

In an album crammed with high points, we've hardly begun to touch them all. Simply said, Serious Praise is itself a high point among choir albums appearing in 2002, and is set for a serious ride into 2003 and beyond.


Producers: Roger Ryan, Alvin Speights, Freda Battle, Randy Ryan
album release date: November, 2002
Axiom Entertainment Group


— reviewed by Stan North


  All content in GospelFlava © copyright 2002. No information to be reprinted or re-broadcast from this site without the expressed written consent of GospelFlava.com. All rights reserved.

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