Before there was Stryper, Jerusalem, and Leviticus, there was Petra paving the way for Christian rock. I never tire thinking how far the Christian music scene has come, sanctifying the entire spectrum of music thanks to all the myriad of brave musicians. It wasn’t easy. Those early Christian rock pioneers fought two fronts constantly: the secular scene and the church. Christians deal with the friction of the secular scene all the time, but I can’t imagine how hard it is when the church, who should have the backs of the faithful, is not behind these Christian bands, even demonizing their work. Thankfully, the fruits speak for themselves.
Petra’s history gives testimony to how God in His mercy reaches out to everyone, regardless of musical preference. Petra started back in 1972 with some kids in a Bible College in Fort Wayne Indiana and fifty years later they have blazed a trail for Christian musicians of all walks and styles. They have won numerous awards both secular and Christian including four Grammys and 10 Dove awards. As is typical for many long-running bands, they had a brief disbandment in the mid-00s before reforming in 2013. The current lineup consists of sole founding member guitarist Bob Hartmann, vocalist John Schlitt, bassist Greg Bailey (no relation), keyboardist John Lawry, and drummer Cristian Borneo. I have been aware of Petra for a long while, but for one reason or another failed to turn my ear to them until now. And I’m kicking myself asking why did I wait so long!
“Hope” as an album is everything the title means and the album cover portrays: clear hope in the choppy seas of life, shining Jesus’ love every which way. I’ve heard a fair amount of late career records lately, and this is one of the most vibrant and optimistic records I’ve heard in that camp, while still having urgency of youthful bands. The tracks are written with a singalong characteristic that both hooks and invites the listener in, giving clear spotlight to the lyrics.
The album starts with John yelling “break your hold!” into heavy industrial synths. A pentatonic guitar riff breaks in driving “Filthy Lucre” into a great groove as John with infectious melody, decries the filth of the world’s wealth. “Kiss The Coals” keeps the energy up in an empowering song that speaks to the purifying power of trials in life. It is one of those rare songs that thrives on a single guitar riff that ties it all together. The next song swerves into the Caribbean with a reggae track. It conjures up clear blue skies and palm trees on a beach where clear clean air is in abundance as the music is a soft push on the brakes. “Skin In The Game” picks up the tempo as the lyrics walk through Jesus’ Passion and death and what that means for us.
“We Rejoice In Hope” is my favorite song on the album. A happy, positive, upbeat track that is like sunshine playing through the radio. Lyrically, it is a defiant statement of hope in spite of all circumstances. Like many of the other songs on the album, John’s vocals are central in creating the variation in the bridge where other bands throw guitar solos. It is quite dynamic setting up a nice guitar flourish into the last chorus.
The energy wanes a bit on the back half but is by no means languid. “Miracle Maker” lands back in a minor key with a bass-driven mid-tempo song speaking of Jesus’ miracles even in us today. “There Will Be A Dawn” is the closest resemblance to a ballad with strings woven around the hope in the dawn during the darkest of nights. “Thorns” picks back up the energy with power chords, showing off a rare, but quite effective solo on keyboard. “Looking Back” takes an interesting detour into a grooving retrospective country song replete with fiddle on how God had always been guiding him, even if the singer couldn’t see it at the time. “Deliver Us” brings an 80s hard rock vibe with a little smokey atmosphere with lyrics as a prayer for deliverance to close out the album.
Petra delivers a rock praise and worship album that will be played along my other Christian rock praise albums for a long time. “Hope” lands in a sweet spot that has driving rock as its backbone and ministry as its mission. Here they are 50 years on and still as relevant today as they were when they began, and I am sure that the fruit of this work will bear that God works through rock music just fine, regardless of what detractors may say. If you are like me and not checked them out, this is a surprisingly wonderful introduction to the legendary Petra.
Rating: 9.0/10
Written by Sean Bailey
Tracklist
1 – Filthy Lucre
2 – Kiss The Coals
3 – Oxygen
4 – Skin In The Game
5 – We Rejoice In Hope
6 – Miracle Maker
7 – There Will Be A Dawn
8 – Thorns
9 – Looking Back
10 – Deliver Us
Petra is:
John Schlitt – vocals
Bob Hartmann – guitars, backing vocals
Greg Bailey – bass, cello, backing vocals
John Lawry – keyboards, keytar, backing vocals
Cristian Borneo – drums
Release Date: January 6, 2026
Record Label: Girder Music
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Video for ‘Deliver Us’