After getting Derek Webb's album a few weeks ago I decided to dig out this old classic Mezzamorphis by the Christian band Delirious? released back in 1999.
Never mind the terrible, terrible cover. Mezzamorphis was the best album Delirious? have ever made - and will probably never come close to it again.
King of Fools, an album of praise and worship-based rock songs released in 1997, was a massive hit, made a dent in the UK charts - and along with the Cutting Edge tapes revolutionised modern church music (initially for the better - but have now led to the James-Blunting of worship that is blighting our churches, see my earlier post) when they were released in the USA.
In between King of Fools and going to the States though, they released this gem. It's a total contrast from King of Fools: dark, full of doubt, poetic, and sonically adventurous. The title was a made-up word - emphasising the feeling of being in-between worlds, in between where you were and where you want to be. These are songs about the journey of faith. I didn't really appreciate the album at the time as I was so caught-up in the hype of the charismatic worship scene that Delirious? very much played a part in. It's the one Delirious? album that I now revisit the most.
Sadly the album is now neglected for the most part - I've seen them live quite a few times and songs from it are rarely revisited. The band now tour the church worship scene in America and the world over - repeating themselves and falling into the genre they created that, with Mezzamorphis, they looked to be moving on from. Sadly this was not to be.
Mezzamorphis even made a dent on the charts, and a few single releases went top 40. It still sounds great, most Delirious? albums are really well-produced anyway. About half the songs on 2003's World Service came close, but this 1999 album was Delirious? at their peak.
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