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JFH Music Review




Seventh Day Slumber
Finally Awake



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 11 tracks: 42 minutes, 27 seconds
Street Date: March 20, 2007


Perhaps no band pens lyrics that are more in-your-face about the hope Christ can provide to anyone broken by sin than Seventh Day Slumber. This was evident on their surprise hit album Once Upon a Shattered Life in 2005, and is just as apparent on their second release with BEC Recordings, Finally Awake. In fact, in its 12 years as a band, the message of their lyrics is one thing that has never changed. The same can't be said for their sound. Known before 2005 for their post-grunge sound, with A Shattered Life, the band started playing more straight rock interspersed with slower songs, and it proved to be a working formula.

Thus, they evidently found no need to make further changes, and Finally Awake is a near replica of the band's previous release. It starts out rocking with the first two tracks, then slows down for "Missing Pages" just like previously done with "Caroline." "My Only Hope" brings back the grinding guitars before the softer "Always" - exactly like the layout of Once Upon a Shattered Life. Clearly, the band could have been more creative. But other slower songs like "On My Way Home" and "Undone" do change things up a bit, the latter having some strong harmony, as well as good use of acoustic guitar and keyboard. And overall, the music, though too much of the same, is easy to listen to and catchy throughout.

The lyrics of the album are really what carry it from the beginning. "The message of this album is clear," lead singer and songwriter Joseph Rojas says on the album's website areyoufinallyawake.com. "We want to empower kids to stop looking to the media, to what the world tells them they have to be, to find identity. You don't have to be what everyone else tells you to be what you were created to be." They certainly are doing everything they can do achieve this. "Breaking Away" boldly talks about "Breaking away / from everything that's hopeless / the road ahead looks wonderful today." Most of the other songs touch on similar subjects, all pointing toward finding hope in God in the midst of a dark world. It's rare these days that a band outside of the worship arena so consistently makes reference to its Redeemer, and it's refreshing to hear.

The sound is nothing new, and even those who have never before heard the band's music may find the songs too repetitive. Seventh Day Slumber would do well to continue evolving musically, and look to add more variety to a sound that, despite its broad appeal, is often too much of the same. Still, there are many redeeming elements that make Finally Awake worthy of a listen, especially if you're in search of a stronger, unapologetic faith.

- PReview date: 2/17/07, Review date: 3/17/07, written by Spencer Priest




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. Artist Info: Discography
. Record Label: Tooth & Nail Records
. Album length: 11 tracks: 42 minutes, 27 seconds
. Street Date: March 20, 2007
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Awake
  2. Last Regret
  3. Missing Pages
  4. My Only Hope
  5. Always
  6. Breaking Away
  7. Burning Bridges
  8. Undone
  9. On My Way Home
  10. Broken Buildings
  11. Every Saturday
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This Friday, October 3, 2025
ALBUMS
BASECAMP Beautiful Like the Truth [Polished Arrow]
Pat Barrett I've Got A Fire [Capitol CMG]
Elan Brio Millennium Funk (independent)
Kristene DiMarco MEMORADUM - EP [Bethel]
Heath McNease Autumn Sessions, Vol. 2 (independent)
Mystical Death Carnation EP (Remastered) [Rottweiler Records]
Matt Redman Life & Breath [Integrity]
Thrive Worship Jesus Song - EP [Integrity Music]
Bay Turner Better Days - EP [Centricity Music]
John Van Deusen As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make a Joyful Noise Pt. 1 [Anotherland]

SINGLES
Gabby Barrett Ain't Supposed To Be - Single [Warner Music Nashville]
Mark Bishop Time To Let Go and Let God - Single [Sonlite]
Franni Cash Church Clothes - Single [Capitol CMG]
ChristianXXII & Futuristic Already Won - Single [DREAM]
Damian Back To You - Single [DREAM]
Dex the nerd who loves Jesus Salvation - Single [Syntax]
Drenae To the Cross - Single [Syntax]
Emerson Day This House Won't Fall - Single [Fair Trade]
Chris Ekiss Life's Biggest Questions - Single [Provident]
The Forerunner Manifesto (independent)
for KING + COUNTRY World on Fire (feat. Taylor Hill) - Single [Curb Records]
Forrest Frank JESUS IS COMING BACK SOON (feat. Josiah Queen) - Single [River House]
Vic Lucas Make a Way - Single [Syntax]
No Vain Glory MOVE YOUR BODY - Single [Syntax]
Nathan Oswalt MAKE UP YOUR MIND - Single (independent)
Drew Parker Blame Jesus - Single [Warner Music Nashville]
Razzie SHORTCUTS - Single [Syntax]
Shamash The Gulf Between Us - Single [Rottweiler]
Anne Wilson Carry Me - Single [Capitol CMG]
Zahriya Zachary Stay - Single [Bethel]

VINYL
Bleach Live/The Lost Show Vinyl (independent)

Next Friday, October 10, 2025
ALBUMS
Citizens m us eum [Anotherland Records]
Jesus Culture Send The Fire: Live From London [Capitol CMG]
Tasha Layton Life in Me [BEC]

SINGLES
Holly Brand One Thing He Wouldn't Do - Single [Integrity]
Chosen Road Daddy Was a Navy Man - Single [Thoroughbred]
Drakeford Writing on the Wall - Single (independent)
Amy Jay Back to What's Natural - Single (independent)
Run51 Song Of My Soul - Single [DREAM]
Zane Vickery Name (Live at Greenbriar) - Single (independent)
Vineyard Worship & Dreaming The Impossible Praise You For Eternity - Single [Vineyard]


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