Kingdom of Comfort
Encyclopedia
Kingdom of Comfort is the ninth and last studio album
by the British Christian rock
band Delirious?
, released in the United States
on April 1, 2008 and in the United Kingdom
on April 14, 2008.
Ministries, Delirious? decided to place the focus of the album on inequality and justice around the world. Guitarist Stu G
. said,
, author and pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church
.
When the band returned to the studio, they began the process of writing and recording the record. An improvised section, often played during the band's song 'History Maker
', was adapted to form 'God Is Smiling'.'Wonder' was written by Martin Smith about a child whom his family came close to adopting. 'We Give You Praise' was written in collaboration with Hillsong worship leader Marty Sampson
. 'Break The Silence' was also written with ex Snow Patrol
musician Iain Archer
. Fifteen songs were recorded in total, and twelve were selected for the final album. The band released the second track, "God is Smiling", as an MP3
download from their official website on 1 November 2007; it had been downloaded over 10,000 times by January 2008. Another free download from the album, 'We Give You Praise', was released on 1 February 2008. Upon the release of the album, two more tracks were also made available for free download from the band's official website, 'Hallelujah' and 'Mothers Of The Night'. One song, 'Fill My Cup', has not been released by Delirious?, but appears on the Compassionart album
and features vocals by Delirious? lead vocalist Martin Smith
.
Cross Rhythms
gave the album ten out of ten, stating that it was "one of the most raw, passionate albums that these Christian rock titans have ever released".
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the British Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band Delirious?
Delirious?
Delirious? were an English Christian rock and worship band. For the majority of their career, the lineup featured Martin Smith on vocals and guitar, Stu G on guitar and backing vocals, Jon Thatcher on bass guitar, Tim Jupp on keys and piano, and Stew Smith on drums and percussion...
, released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on April 1, 2008 and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on April 14, 2008.
History
Inspired by visits to India with Joyce MeyerJoyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Meyer and her husband Dave have four grown children, and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.-Early life:Meyer was born Pauline Joyce Hutchison in south St. Louis in...
Ministries, Delirious? decided to place the focus of the album on inequality and justice around the world. Guitarist Stu G
Stu G
, better known by the stage name Stu G, is an English vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He served as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and secondary songwriter for the rock band Delirious? from 1994 until 2009. His song writing credits for the band include "Come Like You Promise",...
. said,
Seeing children looking for scraps on the rubbish dump they call homes in CambodiaHe also stated later that the title of the album was inspired from a sermon by Rob BellCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and the education and feeding projects in the slumSlumA slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
s of MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
really had an impact on us. It wasn’t possible to simply proceed with business as usual. We had to ask ourselves, ‘What am I building? A kingdom of comfort? Or a kingdom of heaven?’
Rob Bell
Robert Holmes "Rob" Bell Jr. is an American author and pastor. He is the founder of Mars Hill Bible Church located in Grandville, Michigan and is also the featured speaker in a series of spiritual short films called NOOMA.-Education and ministry:Bell is the son of Judge Robert Holmes Bell, who was...
, author and pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church
Mars Hill Bible Church
Mars Hill Bible Church is an American non-denominational Christian megachurch located in Grandville, Michigan. The teaching pastor is Rob Bell.-History:...
.
When the band returned to the studio, they began the process of writing and recording the record. An improvised section, often played during the band's song 'History Maker
History Maker
"History Maker" is the eleventh track on English Christian rock band Delirious?'s album King of Fools. It has become one of the band's best-known songs, and represents King of Fools in almost every one of their live setlists, along with the single "Deeper"...
', was adapted to form 'God Is Smiling'.'Wonder' was written by Martin Smith about a child whom his family came close to adopting. 'We Give You Praise' was written in collaboration with Hillsong worship leader Marty Sampson
Marty Sampson
Marty Sampson is a Christian songwriter and a worship leader at the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. Originally featuring in the Youth Alive albums of the late 1990s, he was one of original Hillsong United worship leaders. Guitar is his main instrument and he occasionally plays the piano. He...
. 'Break The Silence' was also written with ex Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
musician Iain Archer
Iain Archer
Iain Denis Archer is a singer–songwriter from Bangor, Northern Ireland, who was once a secondary lyricist for the indie band Snow Patrol. Archer comes from a musical background and released several solo albums in the mid 90s on the small Scottish independent label Sticky Music...
. Fifteen songs were recorded in total, and twelve were selected for the final album. The band released the second track, "God is Smiling", as an MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
download from their official website on 1 November 2007; it had been downloaded over 10,000 times by January 2008. Another free download from the album, 'We Give You Praise', was released on 1 February 2008. Upon the release of the album, two more tracks were also made available for free download from the band's official website, 'Hallelujah' and 'Mothers Of The Night'. One song, 'Fill My Cup', has not been released by Delirious?, but appears on the Compassionart album
CompassionArt (album)
CompassionArt is a studio album by the songwriters' charity of the same name. It features the entire CompassionArt song writing team, Paul Baloche, Chris Tomlin, Tim Hughes, Matt Redman, Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, Michael W. Smith, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stu...
and features vocals by Delirious? lead vocalist Martin Smith
Martin Smith (songwriter)
Martin James Smith is an English vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the front man of the Christian rock and worship band Delirious? He co-wrote three songs on Michael W. Smith's 2004 album Healing Rain and is going to be collaborating with Michael W. Smith on his upcoming album...
.
Reception
Christian magazine Christian Today stated that the album "questions everything, from cancer to consumerism, 'five star' dreams to slums and poverty. It is an album that calls for sacrifice, social justice and love." It has also stated that "Kingdom of Comfort is yet another homerun (sic) for Delirious, with amped up modern rock production, some challenging lyrics meant to inspired by social action, and more stirring songs of worship."Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:The roots of what was to become Cross Rhythms go back to two separate sources which merged in 1991. In 1983, broadcaster Chris Cole started a 30-minute weekly Christian music radio show on Plymouth Sound FM, a...
gave the album ten out of ten, stating that it was "one of the most raw, passionate albums that these Christian rock titans have ever released".
Tracklisting
- "Kingdom of Comfort" (SmithMartin Smith (songwriter)Martin James Smith is an English vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the front man of the Christian rock and worship band Delirious? He co-wrote three songs on Michael W. Smith's 2004 album Healing Rain and is going to be collaborating with Michael W. Smith on his upcoming album...
, Garrard, Thatcher) - 3:29 - "God Is Smiling" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 4:09
- "Give What You've Got" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 3:32
- "Love Will Find a Way"Love Will Find A Way (Delirious? song)Love Will Find A Way is a single from the British rock band Delirious? and is taken from their 2008 album, Kingdom Of Comfort. The single was announced at the start of the band's Kingdom Of Comfort UK tour, which began in October 2008. It is currently being sold as three discs: two CDs containing...
(Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 4:29 - "Eagle Rider" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 4:11
- "We Give You Praise" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher, Marty SampsonMarty SampsonMarty Sampson is a Christian songwriter and a worship leader at the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. Originally featuring in the Youth Alive albums of the late 1990s, he was one of original Hillsong United worship leaders. Guitar is his main instrument and he occasionally plays the piano. He...
) - 5:13 - "How Sweet the Name" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 5:42
- "Wonder" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 4:13
- "Break the Silence" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher, Iain ArcherIain ArcherIain Denis Archer is a singer–songwriter from Bangor, Northern Ireland, who was once a secondary lyricist for the indie band Snow Patrol. Archer comes from a musical background and released several solo albums in the mid 90s on the small Scottish independent label Sticky Music...
) - 4:12 - "Stare the Monster Down" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 3:27
- "All God's Children" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 5:51
- "My Soul Sings" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 6:59
- "We Give You Praise (Radio Mix)" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher, Marty SampsonMarty SampsonMarty Sampson is a Christian songwriter and a worship leader at the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. Originally featuring in the Youth Alive albums of the late 1990s, he was one of original Hillsong United worship leaders. Guitar is his main instrument and he occasionally plays the piano. He...
) - 4:03 (US version only) - "Hallelujah" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 4:39 (Download Only)
- "Mothers Of The Night" (Smith, Garrard, Thatcher) - 5:28 (Download Only)
Personnel
- Martin SmithMartin Smith (songwriter)Martin James Smith is an English vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the front man of the Christian rock and worship band Delirious? He co-wrote three songs on Michael W. Smith's 2004 album Healing Rain and is going to be collaborating with Michael W. Smith on his upcoming album...
- lead vocals, guitars, additional keys - Stuart "Stu G" GarrardStu G, better known by the stage name Stu G, is an English vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He served as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and secondary songwriter for the rock band Delirious? from 1994 until 2009. His song writing credits for the band include "Come Like You Promise",...
- guitars, vocals, programming, additional keys - Tim Jupp - piano, keys
- Jon Thatcher - bass, bass synth, programming, theremin
- Stew Smith - drums, percussion