Review

All of me. For none but you. Throughout this amazing new album comes this common refrain. United has again delivered as strong a worship set as any out there today. And they keep coming back to same thing: Jesus, you are like no other and I give you everything I am.

United is no longer a secret. Once in the shadows of Hillsongs' worship music machine, they stand in their own right now. Actually, Darlene Zsczech and Rueben Morgan may soon come to be known as "they're also from Hillsongs, like United!".

Like any new CD, it has to grow on you. I caution readers to never simply blaze through some 30 second snippets of a cd to see if you like it. That's like speed dating, and while you may think you can rule out quite a bit, you aren't able to really get to know the nuances behind something. Run through the clips of this album and you'll find yourself saying "fast song, faster song, slow song, really slow song, fast song". It doesn't tell you anything. It's in the listening to the music over and over again that you connect with it.

So it is with United's "We Stand". Again it's a live CD. Again it's taken from an Encounterfest concert. Again it comes with bonus DVD with concert footage. Again it starts our rockin' and melts you back into your seats, only to bring you up on your feet again. Same ole, same ole? Actually, no. Like I said earlier, this CD has a theme, and it reflects the collective heart of the band, showing us where they are in their journey.

There are 17 tracks on the album, an hour and fifteen minutes of worship. It starts strong and loud with "The Time Has Come", "Take It All" and "From God Above". These songs rock, but beyond that, the musicianship is incredible. This band is tight. It's almost unfair. In an age where the world can listen to top notch bands all along the radio dial, it's great that there is no drop off in the Christian worship arena.

The rock songs are great, but I want to tell you that the songs that calm down a bit are the ones that will really move you. And here is where United excels. Beginning with track 5 through track 10, is over 30 minutes of intimate worship. The great thing about it is that it is recorded live, and often you will hear the audience singing along, which only adds to the experience.

There are a few more upbeat songs before what, in my opinion, is the coup de grace of the whole album. The title track "Stand" begins "You stand before creation, eternity in your hands, you spoke the earth into motion, my soul now it stands. You stand before my failure, you carried that cross for my shame. My sin weighed upon your shoulders, my soul now does stand" "What could I say, what could I do, but offer this heart of mine, completely to you"

I love songs that juxtapose the creator of the universe, vast and wide and deep, with the personal intimacy of carrying my own sins to the cross and forgiving me. Same one did both. That's the theme coming back again... all of me for none but you.

The song begins to build to a crescendo musically and then strips down to almost nothing but voices singing the greatest line: So I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the one who gave it all. So I'll stand, my soul, Lord, to you surrendered; all I am is yours". Wow. It's a very powerful moment.

If you haven't heard of United, get this album as an introduction. Then save up and go back and get their other ones. Its money well spent. If you have heard of them, chances are you have some of their stuff. This one's every bit as good as the others.

Review by John Ausmus