The album opens with a joyful sounding song about Christ's mission on earth, 'He Took it Upon Himself': "He took it upon Himself to save this old sinful world/He took it upon Himself to open the gates of pearl/He knew that my sin would be too heavy a load for me/So to save my soul from hell/He took it upon Himself." 'I've Made it Home' is upbeat, features a great bass vocal, and is about the joys of heaven: "And when I've finally found my mansion/How my happy heart will sing/Glory glory hallelujah/I've made it home." 'Movin' Up, Movin' Out will appeal to fans of Gold City and the Nations. It anticipates entering one's heavenly reward: "When I'm readin' in the papers/What I'm readin' in the Word/Well I know it won't be long till that trumpet sound is heard."
The next two songs were written by group member Dave Randall who grew up in Michigan and now resides in Ontario. 'I'm Gonna Sing in the Choir' has a country feel to it and looks toward heaven: "When Gabriel blows his trumpet/We will gather in the sky/And there we'll stand before the Saviour/In that sweet by and by." 'Who Touched Me' is a ballad about Jesus' miraculous power. It tells the New Testament story of the woman with the issue of blood pushing through the crowds to touch Jesus and be healed. 'There's a Testimony' features Jon Hisey's bass vocal. He came to the group when he was just 17. 'Going Home' was written by Bill and Gloria Gaither and is a song of comfort for when times are tough, and for the elderly: "Going home, I'm going home/There's nothing to hold me here/I've caught a glimpse of that heavenly land/Praise God I am going home." 'I'm Gonna keep on Tellin' is happy sounding and speaks of our mandate as Christians: "We must be ready to bear witness for our Lord/The end is soon approaching/My time is almost gone/But I have made a promise as I go pressing on." 'All Aboard (Glorybound)' has a similar message to 'People get Ready' and includes use of harmonica: "I hope you're wearing your travellin' shoes/Get to that station/You got no time to lose/Leave all of your worries and your cares behind." 'Payday is Coming' has a Southern Gospel feel to it and has a message of encouragement for the weary: "He who holds the keys to heaven/May return at night or noon/Keep on workin' for the Master/Payday's comin' soon."
'Pray Daniel Pray' has the crowd clapping along and tells the story of how God delivered Daniel from the lion's den. It features nice piano work and contains the following advice for believers today: "If you want to see the devil run/Listen to me/You gotta spend that time down on your knees/You gotta pray like you believe/Like Daniel prayed." 'A Place Called Grace' is a ballad about Christ's work at Calvary: "In a selfless act of love He changed eternity/And redemption's story wrote it's final lines." 'Here There or in the Air' is a delicious Cathedrals like romp about how believers will meet each other in heaven: "There's no room for sad goodbyes/So dry your tears and lift up your eyes/He's coming in the clouds and it could be anyday/I'll meet you in the mornin' on that milky white way." The album concludes with a modern anthem speaking of harmony, 'I Love You Canada', which is a tribute to our country: "I see our future in our children/So proud, strong, and free/One family hand in hand from sea to shining sea."
AN EVENING WITH THE TORCHMEN is an exciting live album that captures the quartet's energy and enthusiasm. It is clear the audience truly enjoyed this performance. I'm rating it a 90%.