Third Day originally formed in
Marietta, Georgia in 1991. The band
released their self-titled major label debut in 1996 on Reunion Records. A song from it, ‘Nothing at All’, peaked at
#34 on the mainstream Billboard rock charts.
Their follow-up album was CONSPIRACY NO. 5 (Reunion Records, 1997). It was produced by Sam Taylor who had worked
with the likes of ZZ Top and King’s X.
The album did quite well. It was
nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Gospel Album of the Year and won a Dove
Award for Rock Album of the Year! At the
time, Third Day was: Mac Powell (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Brad Avery
(lead guitar, vocals), Mark Lee (rhythm guitar, lap steel guitar, vocals,
mandolin), Tai Anderson (bass guitar, vocals), and David Carr (drums, loop,
vocals). The CD booklet includes
pictures of Abraham Lincoln, JFK, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Jesus Christ.
Keep in mind the title of the album.
The album begins with ‘Peace’, a
smooth rock song that begins with these words of testimony: “Peace like a river
flows within me/Love like a waterfall pours on me/I’ll never be alone/Can’t you
see?/Peace like a river flows/Like a river flows on and on, and on/Hope is a
fire burning in my soul/Life is eternal with You Lord/Who could ever ask for
more?/Peace like a river flows/Like a river flows on”. ‘You Make Me Mad’ is a rocker with a catchy
chorus that could be addressed to one’s friend or spouse: “You make me dance,
you make me cry, you make me laugh/You make me shout, you make me smile, you
make me mad/You make me sing, you make me think, you make me sad/You make me
fall, you make me love, you make me mad”.
‘How’s Your Head’ has a Beatles pop vibe to it. It could be the song of a traveling musician
to his spouse: “How’s your head?/I’m so sorry that I can’t do anything about it/Like
I said, I’ll be praying/Here without you I feel helpless/Sorry I had to go
away/Tomorrow’s just another day/Without you here, I’ll have to say/Hold on to
love”.
‘Alien’ is awesome and won a Dove Award for Rock Song of the
Year! It serves as a sincere prayer: “I
am just like the alien, the fatherless, and the widow (2X)/Keep Your watch over
me/Sustain the life in me/Frustrate the ways of every wicked man/Let me inside
Your home/Father defend my cause/Plead for my case and my innocence”. ‘I Deserve?’ includes nice guest vocals by
Riki Michele, and deals with guilt: “Well, I tasted the fruit that was
forbidden/I murdered the trust that you had given/And now I’m living in a place
that’s not my home.../Maybe I’m just being too hard on myself, I don’t know/Or
is it that your mercy is much more than I deserve, I deserve?”
Max Dyer plays cello on the pulsating rock song ‘Have
Mercy’. It serves both as an admission
of guilt and as a prayer: “If it’s true that the wages of sin is death/Then I’ve
earned quite enough to quit/The reward I deserve I’d surely get/Were it not for You to pay my
debt/Have mercy, on me a sinning man/Lord have mercy, on me a sinning
man”. ‘My Hope is You’ is a beautiful
song of worship: “To You, O Lord, I lift my soul/In You, O God, I place my
trust/Do not let me be put to shame/Nor let my enemies triumph over me/My hope
is You/Show me Your way/Guide me in truth/In all my days/My hope is You, oh
Lord”.
‘More To This’ is a song of spiritual anticipation with a
great electric guitar solo: “People get ready for something like you’ve never
seen/Open up your eyes, open up your heart/Open up your arms/And let the Spirit
of the Savior set ya free/Ooh, yeah, you ain’t seen nothing yet”. ‘This Song Was Meant For You’ is a pretty
ballad that includes these words of encouragement: “You never know what the
future holds for you/But of all I have heard, this one thing’s true/Nothing can
separate us from God’s love/And in our lives there is bound to come some
pain/Surely as there are storms and falling rain/Just believe that the One who
holds the storms/Will bring the sun”.
Producer Sam Taylor plays organ on ‘Who I Am’. It is a song that finds one openly conversing
with God: “And I know that You want to change me/Wanna rearrange the way I feel
inside/And I’ve heard that You take/The broken hearts of lonely souls/And You
make all things right/Do You know who I am?/And have You seen the things I’ve
done?” Next up is the Southern rock
track ‘Give Me a Reason’. It contains
this thought-provoker: “The question still remains the same/On who can I place
all the blame?/The demons, devils of the world/Or is it only myself?”
‘Gomer’s Theme’ was inspired by the events in Hosea,
chapters one to three. It is a great
rock song that centers in on unconditional love and forgiveness: “In this
place, saw her face/He was more than happier/Made for Him, it’s a sin/That she
was not faithful/She couldn’t be foolishly/More unfaithful if she tried/He did
not care, wanted her/Despite lies and wandering eyes/He deserves the very
best/But He loves her none the less/She’s forgotten her first love/But He’s
forgotten that/She ever went away and broke His heart”. The last official song, ‘Your Love Endures’,
offers these words of personal testimony: “No, I can’t explain or even
understand/Why You gave Your life to save sinful man/But I know it’s true, I’ve
seen it myself/Yes, Your love endures forever.../Though our pains and joys will
come and go/Your love endures forever/Even in my fears, I will always know/That
Your love endures...” Track 13 on the CD
also includes a bit of a hidden song snippet if you let it keep playing.
CONSPIRACY NO. 5 is an actual Christian ROCK record. This is rock
music at its finest, with strong emphasis on fine electric guitar work, heavy
drum beats, and passionately delivered, meaty vocals! This is an album that should please fans of
acts like Petra, Mylon & Broken Heart, and DeGarmo and Key. These songs thoughtfully explore the
Christian life. The lyrics are anything
but shallow and are worthy of several listens to get the full meaning. I’m giving this album a perfect 100% for its
depth, originality, innovation, and its ability to evoke feelings. I wish more Christian bands were making rock
music like this today. For more info
visit: www.thirdday.com.