Sonicflood's joyful noise inspires

"Let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy." (Psalm 5:11).

As part of the band's 40-city U.S. tour, Christian rock group Sonicflood made a truly joyful noise in a Christian youth event at the Baltimore Arena last Friday, Oct. 26. The tour is a promotion of the band's third album, Resonate, which was released early in October.

Since their inception in 1998, the group has grown in popularity to become synonymous with the onset of the youth-oriented praise and worship movement in the United States. Although they clearly have a target audience in the Christian community, their songs have earned them many accolades and occasional radio play, even on mainstream stations.

Sonicflood was the final act in an entire line-up of corporate-sponsored Christian youth events. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., the Baltimore Blast, an indoor soccer league, played for a packed auditorium, beating the Kansas City Comets 9-6. Sadly, a large part of the audience left before the post-game concert, missing the band's phenomenal performance.

The concert began in earnest around 10:30 p.m. A non-sequitur mosh pit of sorts formed on the ground in front of the stage, a bizarre conglomeration of people of all ages, dancing and praying simultaneously. California-based solo performer Jason Ingram opened the show with a blast of sound, joyful praise that hyped the audience, including the ever-popular "Yes Lord." Country-style singer Kelly Minter followed with some slower ballads, including the title track from her current album, Good Day.

Then a hush fell over the arena as the opening words from the Gospel of John boomed over an empty stage, blue and white spotlights shining through smoke to create a heavenly glow over the fervent crowd. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The worshippers began cheering for Jesus before the band even appeared on stage.

Nevertheless, the five-man group made quite an impression during their first number. Led by singer and guitarist Rick Heil, Sonicflood began with "Open the Eyes of My Heart," a driving song with a pounding bass. Joining Heil were Dave Alan (keyboards), Thomas Michael (bass guitar), Todd Shay (lead guitar) and Brett Vargason (drums). Many of the songs, some of which the members of Sonicflood wrote themselves, have a mass appeal beyond the Christian music community. They take traditional worship choruses and add a hard-edged flair to create a fresh, catchy sound.

Freshman Samuel Hertig, who tends to favor the sounds of P. Diddy and Missy Elliot, enjoyed his first exposure to Sonicflood. "It was butta, yo," Hertig said. "I especially liked 'Lord I Lift Your Name on High,' because it had a phat beat and you can dance to it."

The band covered a mix of songs from Resonate and their earlier albums. Some of the evening's selections included classics like "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever," "I Want to Know You," "Holiness" and "Heart of Worship." From Resonate were samplings including the title track, "Lord of the Dance," and "In Your Hands." Heil occasionally read Bible verses or spoke openly about his struggle with Crohn's disease and his subsequent Christian awakening.

Sophomore April Harris was especially touched by these personal assertions. "The honest testimonies from [Heil] were so open, so moving. You could see how much he believed in what he was saying."

It was perhaps the slower songs that resounded most with the audience. The Christian concert experience is unique in that the audience members are actual participants with the band in an evening of worship, rather than just spectators. During slow, spiritual numbers like "I Will Give You All My Worship" and "Holy and Anointed One," the audience sang along, many of them raising their arms to let the Spirit fill them, while others kneeled on the ground in prayer.

David "Sparky" Sparks, a sophomore, most enjoyed the spiritual aspect of the performance. "Going into it, I knew it was going to be not so much of a concert as a worship experience. They let God control the worship, and it was a lot of fun."

Harris agreed. "To be able to kneel on the floor and pray with hundreds of other people - what an awesome testament to the power of God."

Indeed, Sonicflood used a combination of talented instrumentals, powerful lyrics, and the grace of God to create an effect that was truly sublime.