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Waiting for Abraham, the rather long awaited but timely follow up to "Oil" Russ Rosen Band digs into its collection of faith-filled, passionate songs that reflect a season between the promise and the provision. The official release is January 2012. Watch for a release party coming to a venue near you.

RUSS ROSEN has been a fixture on the B.C. Christian music scene for many years. The Fort Lang- ley musician has worked on various projects, for ministries such as Rise Up and Upstream Christian Initiatives; and he provided an outstanding CD for the final March for Jesus. Among his better-known songs are Dancing in a Field, and Wind of the Spirit. Oil is Rosen’s ninth album -- and the first to fully reflect the unique sound of his group. Produced by recording industry veteran Alan Shacklock, it was recorded in Surrey and Nashville. It features all-original material, mostly by Rosen, much of it pre- sented in an exuberant Celtic style; one key to the music’s success is the outstanding violin work of Kathleen Nisbet.Highlights include Through the Curtain, a slow, touching song about Gods love for his children; Stand, written and sung by the bands keyboardist, Sandy Rosen; Courts of the King, which presents fervent worship, set to a very tight 5/4 rhythm; time; and Warriors, an exhilarating call to spiritual warfare, which has a forthrightness that might make some listeners a bit uneasy. Rosen’s singing is energetic and appealing throughout; but my favourite vocal is provided by Kathleen Nisbet on Down to the River -- in future CDs, I hope she’s featured on more solos. All told -- if I can be forgiven a dreadful mixed metaphor -- Oil is dynamite!  

 What do you get when you blend Biblical texts, edgy alternative country-rock, a Celtic-influenced fid- dle player, and layered vocal harmonies? I’m not sure either, but that’s exactly what the Russ Rosen Band delivers on their debut album, Oil.The quality of this album is the biggest surprise. It quite simply looks and sounds like a big-label ef- fort, from the packaging to the performance to the overall sound of the mix. It is hard to believe that the Russ Rosen Band is not on a big label, or even on a well-respected independent label. Producer Alan Shacklock has done a good job at enhancing the basic acoustic guitar (Russ Rosen), keyboards (Sandy Rosen) and violin (Kathleen Nisbet) of the trio that is the Russ Rosen Band with a solid rhythm section. On most of the tracks, the album just would not have had the same punch without the additional players. The songs were composed over a stretch of 10 years, dating from 1992 to 2001, yet come together as a coherent package of music. There is an exuberant, sometimes even aggressive, tone to the songs which revel in God’s grace and deliverance. A strong example of this is the opening song, “Watchmen”: Come, comeClimbing up the slopes of ZionNo more tears, no more cryin’Come, comeWe’re comin’ back with shouts of joy Coming back, shouting for joyGod has blessed usHeaven smiled, we’re bringing with us Grain, new wine, and oil These opening words are half-shouted over tribal-sounding drums and the opening guitars, climaxing on the word “oil”, where the violin breaks into a jig-like figure. The overall effect is very powerful. The song “Warriors” could be best described as heavy Celtic, as overdriven guitars and harsh, throaty vocals ask for God’s holy fire to “Drench the nation / With Your cleansing tide.” The vocal styles are partly what set this band apart. Russ Rosen’s vocals are distinctly gritty, a little like Phil Madeira, and provide a nice counterpoint to Sandy Rosen’s soprano (“Stand”) and Kathleen Nisbet’s strong alto (“Down To The River”). “Down To The River” is a laid-back 50’s-styled rocker, which gives just enough diversity to the album to keep the listener from being too overwhelmed with the heavier tone of the other songs. Very rarely does an album grab my interest every time I listen to it; this one does. Whatever the particulars of this sonic combination are, the result is a joyous celebration of God and His working in the lives of His people, and an album that deserves much wider listening than it is likely to get as an independent. If they keep making albums like this, the Russ Rosen Band has a bright future indeed.