New Petra Sound Catches Media and Retailers by Surprise

Nashville…8/8/01… Following in the footsteps of their two gold-selling Petra Praise projects, Christian rock music pioneer and multiple Grammy award winning group, Petra, is finishing recording their next project, Revival. Produced by Jason Halbert and Dwayne Larring (All Around the World, former members of SONICflood), the praise project is set for release on new label home, inpop records, on November 20th. This makes the band’s 19th studio album in a career that has spanned over 3 decades.

Revival has already caught retailers’ attention. Over a dozen retailers were recently treated to a sneak-listen of the title cut and the overall consensus was one of surprise and approval.

"Petra has done it again! They continue to reinvent themselves and they certainly have done that with a fresh new sound. Truthfully, I didn't even know who it was at first!” - Cheryl Greene, Parable Group

Petra is back!! And I for one am glad to see it. Their new CD has a great sound, which will appeal to those who are already fans, but will really broaden their appeal as well. From what I've heard, this is the record that could bring them back to the top.”- Kevin O’Brien, Lemstone, Corporate Office, Music Buyer

"I believe that you have a real hit record on your hands, and it is a project that we are committed to... These guys should be to CCM what Aerosmith is in the mainstream, pioneers who still have what it takes." - RobTyson, J.O.Y. Bookstore

A handful of media people were also invited to give the song a listen in their own “party in a box” complete with an unlabeled CD of the song "Revival" and instructions to “guess who the artist was.” Some were completely stumped, while others confessed to not having known who it was until 2-3 minutes into the song.

"If the rest of their new stuff is anything like the one song I heard, some people are going to find that they wrote Petra off way too soon," said Chris Well, Editor, Vox Corp.

Inpop records is currently in the process of taping interviews for a “behind the scenes” look at this band with 30 years of music under their belt. Music industry veteran Daryl Harris, Newsboys’ Peter Furler, Audio Adrenaline’s Bob Herdman, Rick Cua and Sparrow & Myrrh founder, Billy Ray Hearn, are just a few of the people who took time to talk about how Petra influenced their own lives and careers. inpop will seek to air the program around the time of the project’s release.

Unbeknownst to many, Petra’s praise and worship albums have been among their best selling, having had an impact on co-producer, Halbert, even before SONICflood had been formed as a band.

“When we were in the initial talking stages of forming SONICflood I brought in the two Petra Praise projects and all the Bible study materials as examples of where we wanted to go. As a worship leader at the time, they were important tools to bringing praise and worship to the youth of our group,” said Halbert. “In approaching this project, Dwayne and I were excited to be a part of something that Petra started over 10 years ago -- impacting youth with great modern worship.

Touted by many as Christian rock trail-blazers, Petra has continued to sell more than 100,000 units per album and consistently plays before audiences 2000+. Their most recent effort, Double Take, a re-make of 10 of their hits, won “Gospel Rock Album of the Year” at this year’s Grammy Awards.