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Home: S : Sonicflood : Biography
Biography (courtesy
of INO Records)
More than just a CD, the new release from pioneering modern
worship band Sonicflood is a call to this generation—not
just Baby Busters or Generation X, but everyone alive right
now—to be what we're made to be: worshippers of God.
The follow-up to 2003's Cry Holy, This Generation (2005)
sees Sonicflood entering a new season that includes welcoming
new players, a season that frontman Rick Heil hopes will
lead people to a definitive understanding that God's heart
is truly good.
It sounds obvious. After all, we learn
about God's goodness from our earliest days in Sunday school. "But in today's
Church, we have a tendency to doubt our Father's heart," Heil
says. "Satan's first lie was that God is holding back
and He doesn't care about us the way He says He does. Satan
planted that seed of doubt in mankind back in the Garden." Through
the songs of This Generation, Heil & Co. hope to help
uproot that seed.
This is also a season of celebration
for Heil as he rejoices over being healed from Crohn's
disease, a painful intestinal disorder he's lived with
for years. "Normally, you have
it for life," Heil explains, "but I was in the
hospital in March and one of the top surgeons went through
all my intestines and said there was no disease to treat."
For so many years, Heil praised God through the pain. Now
he's thrilled to celebrate the way the Lord has given him
back his health. No matter how he's doing physically, though,
Heil knows it's easy to give in to doubt, to believe that
God doesn't have our best interests at heart.
"It's something I struggled with throughout this illness
and through relationships that have gone awry," he admits. "When
we buy into that, it's easy to start blaming God for the
pain or hurt in our lives." That's why Heil hopes that
everyone who listens to This Generation will begin to truly
trust God's promise that He has a plan to prosper us and
not harm us.
"I think worship is the strongest tool we have in fighting
those negative messages," Heil says, adding, "You
are what you're filled with. The great thing about music
is it is always available. If you feel overwhelmed by this
life, you can crank up the tunes and let the Lord minister
to you and get refocused."
To create an album that would help people refuel and refocus,
Sonicflood called on three amazing talents to share production
duties. Marc Byrd (City On A Hill: The Gathering) provided
continuity from the last album, while Jim Cooper (Building
429, Across the Sky) and Dan Muckala (Mandy Moore, Joy Williams)
rounded out the team. Each producer also contributed his
significant songwriting talents.
One track, "The Prodigal Song," written by Heil
with Cooper and Regie Hamm addresses the choice each of us
has to blame God or trust Him. "This song is just another
reminder of how much He loves us and how we underestimate
Him," Heil says.
Heil also co-wrote "Never Forget You," a track
about healing that hits close to home. "It's a reminder
to never take for granted all he's done for us," Heil
says. In fitting contrast, "You Are," penned by
Heil, Cooper and Chad Cates, simply celebrates all God is.
People underestimate this generation,
Heil says, and that's why you won't find Sonicflood delivering
a message that's watered down. "We want to bring the
truth and what's real. Our enemy is hard at work. There's
no time to play around."
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