SONICFLOOd
Encyclopedia
Sonicflood is an American Christian Worship band from Nashville, Tennessee
. Originally under the name Zilch, the band formed in 1997. The group took the name Sonicflood in 1998 as they became known as a praise and worship band following some line-up changes. The name Sonicflood is a reference to a line in the Book of Revelation
, chapter 19, verse 6.
Sonicflood is known for producing modern praise and worship music. They released their debut album at a time when such music was gaining commercial success in the Christian music industry
. Their success in turn fed the genre, expanding its appeal.
Since their debut Sonicflood has sold almost two million records, and produced top worship hits (often as covers) including "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever
", "Resonate", "Cry Holy" and "Here I am to Worship". In the early years of their existence, the group earned two Dove awards and three further nominations, and one Grammy nomination. Additionally, their eponymous debut took Gold status, and spawned several No. 1 hits on Christian radio.
Sonicflood's line-up has changed significantly from its original band, partially due to disagreements over the artistic direction that they should take. These conflicts eventually left the band with no founding members. With Rick Heil at the helm since 2000, the band has continued to release albums and tour internationally.
's traveling band, forming into an independent act in 1997. The initial recording lineup was lead singer and guitarist Mark Lee Townsend
, keyboardist Jason Halbert, and bassist Otto Price. Zilch released its first album, Platinum, in 1997 on Gotee Records
but received little publicity. Platinum featured a modern rock sound with clear influences from 1960s pop music. One review cited the sound as being similar to that of All Star United
, and another to Weezer
plus pop and hip-hop influences.
This release was not praise and worship music, which the band would soon become known for, but contained more standard fare, including songs on topics like friendship, complacency
, and priorities. Overall, the band was characterized as not taking themselves seriously, for instance by including a cover of the Schoolhouse Rock!
song "My Hero, Zero", and reflected in the band's name, which was taken from the song by the same name
written by The Monkees
. Likewise, the title of the album was a play on their own status as musicians. "We're appointing ourselves superstars with a 'Platinum
' album..." Jason Halbert told one reporter, "That basically means Zilch!," Their song "In The Sky" is an answer to two hits at the time, Joan Osbourne "One of Us
" and Dishwalla
"Counting Blue Cars
", opening with the line, "... she asked if God was just a slob like us, well maybe something there is lacking," the second verse begins with, "Let me tell you all my thoughts on God, cause I just met with Him this morning..."
In early 1998 Mark Lee Townsend stepped down from the role of lead singer and was replaced by then-independent artist Jeff Deyo
. Zilch would play shows, sometimes ending them with a praise song such as "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
." The band found that playing such music changed the nature of audience interaction with their performance, in positive ways.
of Paul of Tarsus
.
Sonicflood began rotating personnel making changes that would heavily impact the future of the band. Otto Price played bass, co-produced, and shared some writing credits on the album, but not wanting to continue touring, dropped out of the core band. Price would eventually take the spot of vice president of A&R
at Word Records
. Mark Lee Townsend did similarly, and was listed on Sonicflood as an additional musician. Already an industry veteran, he went on to produce albums for The OC Supertones and Relient K
, among others. Additionally, he intended to release a second project under the name Zilch. However, despite occasional status updates throughout the 00s, that album is yet unreleased
.
Seven Day Jesus
guitarist Dwayne Larring and drummer Aaron Blanton became members of the band, bringing their number to four. The original lineup, under which the album Sonicflood was recorded consisted of Deyo, Halbert, Blanton, and Larring. Rick Heil, then Big Tent Revival
bass player, took the bassist slot in early 1999 before Sonicflood began touring, but did not appear on the album in any capacity.
in February 1999. With this release, the band became one of many bands in the burgeoning genre of praise and worship music, joining Delirious?
, Hillsong, Matt Redman
, and others at a time when the genre was a fast growing part of the Christian music industry
. The album landed on Billboard charts
including the Billboard 200, the top 10 Christian albums, and peaking at No. 2 on the Heatseekers Chart. The band would stay on the top 10 Christian album charts well into the year 2000 (for over 72 weeks), and becoming possibly the best known praise and worship band in America.
The release had two No. 1 hits on Christian radio, "I Want to Know You" (written by Andy Park
) and "I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever" (written by Martin Smith
of Delirious?
), and several lesser charting singles. The latter was probably their most well known song, and would gain an additional Dove nomination the following year, in the "Song of the Year" category. The band garnered three Dove Award
nominations in 2000 and one win, for "Praise and Worship Album". In 1999 the band recorded a live album at the Flevo Festival
but featuring content from other shows as well. Originally scheduled for a late 2000 release, changes in the band's structure would delay the album until 2001. .
In the fall of 1999 the band toured with speaker Josh McDowell
. The following Spring Sonicflood joined the "Life Liberty Disco Tour
", headlined by the Newsboys
. The band also recorded a track for the compilation album
City on a Hill
with Peter Furler
as lead vocalist. This release would take a Dove award for "Special Event Album" in 2001, although by that time the band would bear no resemblance to the one which recorded it.
Sonicflood dissolved throughout the year 2000, citing differences in over the vision of the band. Issues that led to the band dissolving included whether the band should return to a more conventional musical strain or continue making praise and worship music and how the band should sound. These were complicated by the fact that the band had no true leadership; the original arrangement was equal ownership for each member. In a corporate fashion
, this meant that each one had equal say in the direction of the band.
Jeff Deyo resigned in May 2000 at the behest of the remaining members. In later interviews, he would state that he viewed what happened as himself having been laid off. Dean Rush, the lead singer of New Zealand
worship band Form and who had previously played with the Newsboy's Phil Joel
, was recruited as lead singer, but lasted only a short time. In the summer of 2000, various radio stations were sent a sneak preview CD of the live Sonicpraise concert recordings with Rush on lead vocals. Since this was a rough cut, these tracks received little if any airplay. This is a collector's item for those who can find it. By the fall of that year, all members except Heil had departed. During this period the disagreements between members cascaded into legal threats
. It was reported that Larring and Blanton were pushed out under pressure directly from Heil. For his part, Heil denies using any form of legal action. Heil took the role of lead singer and began recruiting new members to fill the band's touring obligations.
This turmoil led to the delay of their live album because the now-departed members owned the name Sonicflood, which in turn prevented any publishing under it. By Spring of 2001 Sonicflood had gone Gold
and the legal complexities that surrounded the band's name and ownership had been resolved. Sonicpraise
, the live effort recorded in 1999, was finally released. Similar to their eponymous album, it featured a mix of songs from that Sonicflood and new covers written by other praise artists. This album earned a Grammy
nomination for "Best Gospel Rock Album", and landed the band on Billboard charts once again.
Jeff Deyo
went on to sign with Gotee
, releasing a series of praise and worship
albums under his own name. Aaron Blanton joined By the Tree
, and remains with that band today. Halbert and Larring formed a production company, based in Los Angeles
.
Gotee Records continues to release Sonicflood products from time to time. These albums include Gold (a 2004 re-release of both Gotee albums with some bonus material), The Early Years in 2006 (which contains a mix of songs from the same,) and an installment in the Open Mic Karaoke
series.
. The band switched record labels, leaving Gotee
and partnering with newly-formed INO Records
. Heil began developing a praise and worship album, designing it similarly to the band's 1999 release, with a mix of covers and original songs. The result of these efforts became Resonate
, released in the fall of 2001. Owing to the completely new lineup, the sound of Resonate deviates from that of Sonicflood. The album features a largely electronic sound which was cited as unpolished, like a debut record. Their 2003 release Cry Holy takes an acoustic rock sound, drawing comparisons to Chris Tomlin
.
Following the 2005 release of This Generation, the band toured internationally, recording their performances along the way. While in Muslim
-dominated Turkey
the band filmed a music video for their song "This Generation". Sonicflood toured with sponsorship by Compassion International
in the Spring of 2006, and continued to tour in Europe in the Summer. These recordings were released as Glimpse: Live Recordings From Around The World in fall 2006. As support for Glimpse, the band embarked on a United States tour, with sponsorship from the Southern Baptist Convention
's International Mission Board
, and included missionaries as speakers.
In 2007 the band appeared on Trinity Broadcasting Network
's Praise the Lord to promote their appearance at an upcoming World Harvest Church
-sponsored event. Bandleader Rick Heil would appear again the following year as well, in support of A Heart Like Yours, telling the story of his healing from Crohn's disease
Heil contracted the disease at the age of 11, and was afflicted with it for 26 years. Heil's case was particularly bad and, he was told, incurable, leaving his only hope for cure in miracle
s. While Heil does not profess to have experienced a miracle per se, he does express that "Jesus is the great physician... the healer of the heart, the soul
, the mind
."
A Heart Like Yours features a rock and piano-dominated sound. One critic labeled the release as having a "pseudo-worship/pop album" feel, and noted lyrics "which don't fit very well within the worship genre," at least on some songs.
In 2009, guitarist Phil Baquie received notice of his military
unit's activation, and orders to deploy
to Afghanistan
in October as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Though not yet a United States citizen
, Baquie is in the military reserve
, which is a possible path to citizenship. Phil's final album appearance was on their 2009 Christmas album
, When Love First Cried.
as Sonicflood:
Previous members
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Originally under the name Zilch, the band formed in 1997. The group took the name Sonicflood in 1998 as they became known as a praise and worship band following some line-up changes. The name Sonicflood is a reference to a line in the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
, chapter 19, verse 6.
Sonicflood is known for producing modern praise and worship music. They released their debut album at a time when such music was gaining commercial success in the Christian music industry
Christian music industry
The Christian music industry is a small part of the larger music industry, that focuses on traditional Gospel music, Southern Gospel music, Contemporary Christian music, and alternative Christian music. It is sometimes called the gospel music industry, although this designation is not a limitation...
. Their success in turn fed the genre, expanding its appeal.
Since their debut Sonicflood has sold almost two million records, and produced top worship hits (often as covers) including "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever
I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever
The single version of the song was released to the UK Singles Charts on 10 December 2001. As with most previous Delirious? singles, the song received no airplay on Radio One, the UK's largest pop station...
", "Resonate", "Cry Holy" and "Here I am to Worship". In the early years of their existence, the group earned two Dove awards and three further nominations, and one Grammy nomination. Additionally, their eponymous debut took Gold status, and spawned several No. 1 hits on Christian radio.
Sonicflood's line-up has changed significantly from its original band, partially due to disagreements over the artistic direction that they should take. These conflicts eventually left the band with no founding members. With Rick Heil at the helm since 2000, the band has continued to release albums and tour internationally.
As Zilch
Zilch began as dc TalkDc Talk
DC Talk , is a Grammy-winning Christian rock music trio. The group was formed in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They have released five major studio albums together: DC Talk , Nu Thang , Free at Last , Jesus Freak , and Supernatural...
's traveling band, forming into an independent act in 1997. The initial recording lineup was lead singer and guitarist Mark Lee Townsend
Mark Lee Townsend
Mark Lee Townsend is known best as guitarist for the Christian rock band dc Talk, playing with them from 1996 until their hiatus in 2001. Mark's career started as a member/singer/guitarist/songwriter for the 80's Pop/Christian band Bash 'N The Code from 1986 through 1991. In between dc Talk tours,...
, keyboardist Jason Halbert, and bassist Otto Price. Zilch released its first album, Platinum, in 1997 on Gotee Records
Gotee Records
Gotee Records is a record label founded by dc Talk member Toby McKeehan , Todd Collins, and Joey Elwood...
but received little publicity. Platinum featured a modern rock sound with clear influences from 1960s pop music. One review cited the sound as being similar to that of All Star United
All Star United
All Star United is a Christian rock band that was formed by solo artist Ian Eskelin in 1996. The band is known for clever and sometimes sarcastic lyrics, as they frequently use their songs as vehicles to lampoon perceived excesses in Western culture...
, and another to Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
plus pop and hip-hop influences.
This release was not praise and worship music, which the band would soon become known for, but contained more standard fare, including songs on topics like friendship, complacency
Sunday Christian
A Sunday Christian or Sunday morning Christian is a derisive term used to refer to someone who typically attends Christian church services on Sundays while not strictly adhering to the doctrines or rules of the religion....
, and priorities. Overall, the band was characterized as not taking themselves seriously, for instance by including a cover of the Schoolhouse Rock!
Schoolhouse Rock!
Schoolhouse Rock! is an American interstitial programming series of animated musical educational short films that aired during the Saturday morning children's programming on the U.S. television network ABC. The topics covered included grammar, science, economics, history, mathematics, and civics...
song "My Hero, Zero", and reflected in the band's name, which was taken from the song by the same name
Headquarters (album)
HeadquartersThe sleeve and record both render the title as The Monkees' Headquarters. was the third album issued by The Monkees and the first written and recorded primarily by the four members of the group, rather than by session musicians and professional songwriters...
written by The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
. Likewise, the title of the album was a play on their own status as musicians. "We're appointing ourselves superstars with a 'Platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
' album..." Jason Halbert told one reporter, "That basically means Zilch!," Their song "In The Sky" is an answer to two hits at the time, Joan Osbourne "One of Us
One of Us (Joan Osborne song)
"One of Us" is a song written by Eric Bazilian and originally released by Joan Osborne. Released in March 1995 on the album Relish and produced by Rick Chertoff, it became a top 40 hit in November of that year.- History :...
" and Dishwalla
Dishwalla
Dishwalla is an American alternative rock band based out of Santa Barbara, CA. The band's name comes from a Hindi term for a person providing cable television to a neighborhood...
"Counting Blue Cars
Counting Blue Cars
"Counting Blue Cars" is a song by the alternative rock band Dishwalla that appears on their 1995 album Pet Your Friends. It was Dishwalla's only hit song, making it onto the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996...
", opening with the line, "... she asked if God was just a slob like us, well maybe something there is lacking," the second verse begins with, "Let me tell you all my thoughts on God, cause I just met with Him this morning..."
In early 1998 Mark Lee Townsend stepped down from the role of lead singer and was replaced by then-independent artist Jeff Deyo
Jeff Deyo
Jeff Deyo is an American Contemporary Christian music solo artist and worship leader. He was also the lead singer of the band SONICFLOOd from its creation in 1999 through 2000....
. Zilch would play shows, sometimes ending them with a praise song such as "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
"Lord I Lift Your Name on High" is a Christian worship song. Both lyrics and music were written by Rick Founds in 1989.Founds wrote it during his morning devotion, while reading the scriptures on his computer monitor, and watching television, he plucked his guitar at the same time. He thought of...
." The band found that playing such music changed the nature of audience interaction with their performance, in positive ways.
Formation of Sonicflood
Their label took notice as well, and eventually suggested that the band consider recording a full-length praise and worship album. This idea was initially met with resistance from the band, which was already in the process of recording a second album under the title Millennium. Eventually, the band agreed to do a praise and worship as a one-off, with no intention of continuing beyond the single album. However, as the recording progressed, the band decided to commit to the project. Jeff Deyo characterized the band's name change as a sign of that commitment, saying that is was similar to the story of the conversionConversion to Christianity
Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. It has been called the foundational experience of Christian life...
of Paul of Tarsus
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
.
Sonicflood began rotating personnel making changes that would heavily impact the future of the band. Otto Price played bass, co-produced, and shared some writing credits on the album, but not wanting to continue touring, dropped out of the core band. Price would eventually take the spot of vice president of A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
at Word Records
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
. Mark Lee Townsend did similarly, and was listed on Sonicflood as an additional musician. Already an industry veteran, he went on to produce albums for The OC Supertones and Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
, among others. Additionally, he intended to release a second project under the name Zilch. However, despite occasional status updates throughout the 00s, that album is yet unreleased
Vaporware
Vaporware is a term in the computer industry that describes a product, typically computer hardware or software, that is announced to the general public but is never actually released nor officially canceled. Vaporware is also a term sometimes used to describe events that are announced or predicted,...
.
Seven Day Jesus
Seven Day Jesus
Seven Day Jesus was a Christian rock band formed in Huntington, West Virginia in 1994. The group disbanded in 1998, but they reunited for one concert in 2004.-Band history:...
guitarist Dwayne Larring and drummer Aaron Blanton became members of the band, bringing their number to four. The original lineup, under which the album Sonicflood was recorded consisted of Deyo, Halbert, Blanton, and Larring. Rick Heil, then Big Tent Revival
Big Tent Revival
Big Tent Revival was a five-time Grammy-nominated Christian blues rock band. They began in 1991 and disbanded in 2000. They did extensive touring in the U.S. and abroad and they were featured at the Harvest Crusades. Their music was known for catchy riffs, distortion, and softer acoustic...
bass player, took the bassist slot in early 1999 before Sonicflood began touring, but did not appear on the album in any capacity.
Sonicflood and Sonicpraise
Sonicflood released its debut albumSONICFLOOd (album)
Sonicflood is the debut self-titled album by the Christian rock band Sonicflood, released in 1999. The album features modern pop & rock renditions of praise and worship songs. Musically, the release was likened to a combination of Third Eye Blind and Radiohead, or PFR.-Track listing:...
in February 1999. With this release, the band became one of many bands in the burgeoning genre of praise and worship music, joining 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...
, Hillsong, Matt Redman
Matt Redman
Matt Redman is an English Christian worship leader, songwriter and author based in Brighton.He has worked with Newfrontiers, Passion Conferences, Hillsong London, Soul Survivor, is an artist for Sixstepsrecords and is a member of Compassionart a charity founded by Martin Smith.He appeared with...
, and others at a time when the genre was a fast growing part of the Christian music industry
Christian music industry
The Christian music industry is a small part of the larger music industry, that focuses on traditional Gospel music, Southern Gospel music, Contemporary Christian music, and alternative Christian music. It is sometimes called the gospel music industry, although this designation is not a limitation...
. The album landed on Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
including the Billboard 200, the top 10 Christian albums, and peaking at No. 2 on the Heatseekers Chart. The band would stay on the top 10 Christian album charts well into the year 2000 (for over 72 weeks), and becoming possibly the best known praise and worship band in America.
The release had two No. 1 hits on Christian radio, "I Want to Know You" (written by Andy Park
Andy Park (musician)
Andy Park is a musician, worship leader and author who is associated with Vineyard Music. He was born in 1957 in Los Angeles, California. He studied at UCLA, earning a bachelor of arts....
) and "I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever" (written by 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...
of 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...
), and several lesser charting singles. The latter was probably their most well known song, and would gain an additional Dove nomination the following year, in the "Song of the Year" category. The band garnered three Dove Award
GMA Music Awards
The Gospel Music Association Dove Awards are presented annually by the Gospel Music Association for outstanding achievements in the Christian music industry. The awards are usually presented during a ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee, that features performances by a number of the industry's newest...
nominations in 2000 and one win, for "Praise and Worship Album". In 1999 the band recorded a live album at the Flevo Festival
Flevo Festival
The Flevo Festival is an open air Christian music festival held each August in The Netherlands. The festival was first organized as the Kamperland Festival in 1978 by the Dutch arm of Youth for Christ and became a private foundation in 2002....
but featuring content from other shows as well. Originally scheduled for a late 2000 release, changes in the band's structure would delay the album until 2001. .
In the fall of 1999 the band toured with speaker Josh McDowell
Josh McDowell
Joslin "Josh" McDowell is a Christian apologist, evangelist, and writer. He is within the Evangelical tradition of Protestant Christianity, and is the author or co-author of some 77 books. His best-known book is Evidence That Demands a Verdict, which was ranked 13th in Christianity Today's list of...
. The following Spring Sonicflood joined the "Life Liberty Disco Tour
Love Liberty Disco
Love Liberty Disco is the eighth studio album by Christian pop rock band Newsboys, released in 1999. In some regards a concept album, Love Liberty Disco deviates from the Newsboys' standard pop rock style and focuses on 70's era-inspired sounds and disco.-Track listing:# "Beautiful Sound" – 3:46#...
", headlined by the Newsboys
Newsboys
Newsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 15 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold...
. The band also recorded a track for the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
City on a Hill
City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise
City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise is the first in the City on a Hill series of compilation albums by popular CCM musicians...
with Peter Furler
Peter Furler
Peter Andrew Furler is an Australian musician, songwriter, producer, and record executive but is best known as the former lead singer for the Christian rock band Newsboys.-Biography:...
as lead vocalist. This release would take a Dove award for "Special Event Album" in 2001, although by that time the band would bear no resemblance to the one which recorded it.
Sonicflood dissolved throughout the year 2000, citing differences in over the vision of the band. Issues that led to the band dissolving included whether the band should return to a more conventional musical strain or continue making praise and worship music and how the band should sound. These were complicated by the fact that the band had no true leadership; the original arrangement was equal ownership for each member. In a corporate fashion
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
, this meant that each one had equal say in the direction of the band.
Jeff Deyo resigned in May 2000 at the behest of the remaining members. In later interviews, he would state that he viewed what happened as himself having been laid off. Dean Rush, the lead singer of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
worship band Form and who had previously played with the Newsboy's Phil Joel
Phil Joel
Philip Joel Urry is a musician known as a solo artist in addition to being the former bassist for the Christian rock group Newsboys. He uses the name Phil Joel professionally due to pronunciation issues with his surname....
, was recruited as lead singer, but lasted only a short time. In the summer of 2000, various radio stations were sent a sneak preview CD of the live Sonicpraise concert recordings with Rush on lead vocals. Since this was a rough cut, these tracks received little if any airplay. This is a collector's item for those who can find it. By the fall of that year, all members except Heil had departed. During this period the disagreements between members cascaded into legal threats
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
. It was reported that Larring and Blanton were pushed out under pressure directly from Heil. For his part, Heil denies using any form of legal action. Heil took the role of lead singer and began recruiting new members to fill the band's touring obligations.
This turmoil led to the delay of their live album because the now-departed members owned the name Sonicflood, which in turn prevented any publishing under it. By Spring of 2001 Sonicflood had gone Gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
and the legal complexities that surrounded the band's name and ownership had been resolved. Sonicpraise
SONICPRAISe
Sonicpraise is SONICFLOOd's second album, and is a live release. It was recorded mostly at the 1999 Flevo Festival, but its release was delayed until 2001 due to legal issues surrounding the semi-breakup of the band.-Track listing:...
, the live effort recorded in 1999, was finally released. Similar to their eponymous album, it featured a mix of songs from that Sonicflood and new covers written by other praise artists. This album earned a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for "Best Gospel Rock Album", and landed the band on Billboard charts once again.
Jeff Deyo
Jeff Deyo
Jeff Deyo is an American Contemporary Christian music solo artist and worship leader. He was also the lead singer of the band SONICFLOOd from its creation in 1999 through 2000....
went on to sign with Gotee
Gotee Records
Gotee Records is a record label founded by dc Talk member Toby McKeehan , Todd Collins, and Joey Elwood...
, releasing a series of praise and worship
Praise and worship
Praise and worship may refer to:* The overall praise and worship of God - see Christian worship* A style of music - see Contemporary worship music* A time of congregational singing - see Contemporary worship...
albums under his own name. Aaron Blanton joined By the Tree
By the Tree
By the Tree is a two-time Dove Award-winning contemporary Christian rock group.-Overview:By the Tree was founded in Weatherford, Texas in 1997 by Chuck Dennie and Bala Boyd....
, and remains with that band today. Halbert and Larring formed a production company, based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Gotee Records continues to release Sonicflood products from time to time. These albums include Gold (a 2004 re-release of both Gotee albums with some bonus material), The Early Years in 2006 (which contains a mix of songs from the same,) and an installment in the Open Mic Karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
series.
Under Rick Heil
With Rick Heil at the helm, the band recruited Tom Michael, Todd Shay, and Brett Vargason, each of whom were members of the John Cox Band and David "Moose" Alan, who played keyboards for Big Tent RevivalBig Tent Revival
Big Tent Revival was a five-time Grammy-nominated Christian blues rock band. They began in 1991 and disbanded in 2000. They did extensive touring in the U.S. and abroad and they were featured at the Harvest Crusades. Their music was known for catchy riffs, distortion, and softer acoustic...
. The band switched record labels, leaving Gotee
Gotee Records
Gotee Records is a record label founded by dc Talk member Toby McKeehan , Todd Collins, and Joey Elwood...
and partnering with newly-formed INO Records
INO Records
INO Records, also known as Fair Trade Services, is an American record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, specializing in Contemporary Christian music . It is distributed through Sony Music Entertainment, and was owned by Integrity Media until June 2011. When Integrity Media sold its assets...
. Heil began developing a praise and worship album, designing it similarly to the band's 1999 release, with a mix of covers and original songs. The result of these efforts became Resonate
Resonate (album)
Resonate is Sonicflood's second studio album, and third release all together. It was released in 2001, and features a completely reworked lineup compared to their first two albums.-Track listing:...
, released in the fall of 2001. Owing to the completely new lineup, the sound of Resonate deviates from that of Sonicflood. The album features a largely electronic sound which was cited as unpolished, like a debut record. Their 2003 release Cry Holy takes an acoustic rock sound, drawing comparisons to Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin
Christopher Dwayne "Chris" Tomlin is an American Christian Contemporary Music artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. He is a former staff member at Austin Stone Community Church and is signed to EMI's sixstepsrecords. Tomlin also leads worship at many...
.
Following the 2005 release of This Generation, the band toured internationally, recording their performances along the way. While in Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
-dominated Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
the band filmed a music video for their song "This Generation". Sonicflood toured with sponsorship by Compassion International
Compassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...
in the Spring of 2006, and continued to tour in Europe in the Summer. These recordings were released as Glimpse: Live Recordings From Around The World in fall 2006. As support for Glimpse, the band embarked on a United States tour, with sponsorship from the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
's International Mission Board
International Mission Board
The International Mission Board is a missionary sending agency affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention which operates in virtually every nation except the United States and Canada...
, and included missionaries as speakers.
In 2007 the band appeared on Trinity Broadcasting Network
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
's Praise the Lord to promote their appearance at an upcoming World Harvest Church
World Harvest Church
World Harvest Church is an international pentecostal megachurch founded in Columbus, Ohio that is pastored by Rod Parsley.First started in 1977 in Rod Parsley's parent's backyard, the church consisted of 17 people. Two years later Parsley bought property for the church to be built on. 180 people...
-sponsored event. Bandleader Rick Heil would appear again the following year as well, in support of A Heart Like Yours, telling the story of his healing from Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
Heil contracted the disease at the age of 11, and was afflicted with it for 26 years. Heil's case was particularly bad and, he was told, incurable, leaving his only hope for cure in miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s. While Heil does not profess to have experienced a miracle per se, he does express that "Jesus is the great physician... the healer of the heart, the soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
, the mind
Mind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
."
A Heart Like Yours features a rock and piano-dominated sound. One critic labeled the release as having a "pseudo-worship/pop album" feel, and noted lyrics "which don't fit very well within the worship genre," at least on some songs.
In 2009, guitarist Phil Baquie received notice of his military
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
unit's activation, and orders to deploy
Military deployment
Military deployment is the movement of armed forces and their logistical support infrastructure around the world.-United States:The United States Military defines the term as follows:...
to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in October as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Though not yet a United States citizen
United States nationality law
Article I, section 8, clause 4 of the United States Constitution expressly gives the United States Congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization. The Immigration and Naturalization Act sets forth the legal requirements for the acquisition of, and divestiture from, citizenship of...
, Baquie is in the military reserve
Individual Ready Reserve
The Individual Ready Reserve is a category of the Ready Reserve of the Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the United States composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel, and is authorized under...
, which is a possible path to citizenship. Phil's final album appearance was on their 2009 Christmas album
Christmas Album
Christmas Album may refer to:* Christmas Album , a 1968 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass* Christmas Album Christmas Album may refer to:* Christmas Album (Herb Alpert album), a 1968 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass* Christmas Album Christmas Album may refer to:* Christmas Album (Herb...
, When Love First Cried.
Discography
as Zilch:- 1997 - Platinum
as Sonicflood:
- 1999 - SonicfloodSONICFLOOd (album)Sonicflood is the debut self-titled album by the Christian rock band Sonicflood, released in 1999. The album features modern pop & rock renditions of praise and worship songs. Musically, the release was likened to a combination of Third Eye Blind and Radiohead, or PFR.-Track listing:...
- 2001 - SonicpraiseSONICPRAISeSonicpraise is SONICFLOOd's second album, and is a live release. It was recorded mostly at the 1999 Flevo Festival, but its release was delayed until 2001 due to legal issues surrounding the semi-breakup of the band.-Track listing:...
- live - 2001 - ResonateResonate (album)Resonate is Sonicflood's second studio album, and third release all together. It was released in 2001, and features a completely reworked lineup compared to their first two albums.-Track listing:...
- 2003 - Cry HolyCry HolyCry Holy is SONICFLOOd fourth album. It was released in 2003.-Track listing:...
- 2004 - Gold - best-of compilation
- 2005 - This GenerationThis Generation-Track listing:# "This Generation"- 4:01# "All I've Failed To Be"- 4:21# "You Are"- 4:05# "Everlasting"- 4:16# "More Than Anything"- 4:30# "Prodigal "- 3:26# "Your Love Goes On Forever"- 4:41# "Never Forget You"- 3:20# "Moment Of Glory"- 4:25...
- 2006 - The Early YearsThe Early Years (Sonicflood album)The Early Years is a compilation album by SONICFLOOd, released August 15, 2006, featuring ten early hits.-Track listing:#"I Want to Know You" #"I Could Sing of Your Love Forever"...
- compilation - 2006 - Glimpse - live
- 2008 - A Heart Like Yours
- 2009 - When Love First Cried (Christmas album)
Awards and nominations
- 2000 - Dove AwardGMA Music AwardsThe Gospel Music Association Dove Awards are presented annually by the Gospel Music Association for outstanding achievements in the Christian music industry. The awards are usually presented during a ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee, that features performances by a number of the industry's newest...
for Praise and Worship Album: Sonicflood - 2000 - Dove nomination for New Artist of the Year
- 2000 - Dove nomination for Rock Recorded Song Of The Year: "I Have Come to Worship"
- 2000 - Nashville Music Award nomination for Contemporary Christian Album: Sonicflood
- 2001 - Dove Award for Special Event of the Year: City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and PraiseCity on a Hill: Songs of Worship and PraiseCity on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise is the first in the City on a Hill series of compilation albums by popular CCM musicians...
- 2001 - Dove nomination for Song of the Year: "I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever"
- 2002 - GrammyGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for "Best Gospel Rock Album": Sonicpraise
Members
Current members (as of 2009)- Rick Heil - Vocals, Guitar (1999–present)
- Chris Knight - Drums (June 2008)
- Mckendree Tucker - Keys (May 2008)
- Phil Baquie - Guitar (Jan 2009)
- Branden Taulbee - Bass (October 2008)
Previous members
- David Alan
- Aaron Blanton
- Jeff DeyoJeff DeyoJeff Deyo is an American Contemporary Christian music solo artist and worship leader. He was also the lead singer of the band SONICFLOOd from its creation in 1999 through 2000....
- Tracie Ferrie
- Jason Halbert
- Trey Hill
- Jordan Jameson
- Chris Kimmerer
- Dwayne Larring
- Tom Michael
- Grant NorsworthyGrant NorsworthyGrant Norsworthy is a bass guitarist, up until recently playing with Christian band SONICFLOOd who largely rose to fame through his involvement in Paul Colman Trio. On the side, Grant was also well known around the local Melbourne cover band scene, playing in bands such as Rockett, Stealers,...
- Jeff Pardo
- Otto Price
- Dean Rush
- Todd Shay
- Ben Showalter
- Brett Vargason
- Bryan Willard
External links
- Official website
- [ Album charts] from Allmusic
- Interview with Rick Heil by Wrecked for the Ordinary