The Waiting's third album (1997) offered slightly darker imagery while retaining awe. Nobody writes about the love of God like
Todd Olsen (lead vocals, some guitar); on
The Waiting, that love is alternately grounds for wonder and fear. This tension culminates in the astonishing "Hands in the Air," which is likely to become Christian rock's "Stairway to Heaven" or "Three Days": an incredible epic bearing the listener along on an unforgettably powerful journey. Sonically, a little more daring than its predecessor,
Blue Belly Sky, and lyrically less dense, pointing the way toward 1998's
Unfazed. ~ Doug Dwyer