In 2003, Detour 180 released their self-titled debut album. For those of you who know the band, you may have been wondering what they have been doing for the past couple years. Now, three years later, the Slanted Records Tennessee rock quintet is back and ready to serve it up by releasing their sophomore album, Fighting For You.

Even though these New Zealand natives might not be a recognizable name yet, their newest album has enough potential to bring them up to par with everyone else. Fighting For You is made up of a combination of solid acoustic and electric riffs, elegant, graceful violins and pianos, lead singer Adrian's strong but sleek vocals, and lyrics that paint a picture of a love that's far beyond what we could ever comprehend or imagine. One track that really stands out on the album is "Back To The Cross," which tells us that when we fall short in our relationships with Christ, He will always lead us back to the cross and reassure us of the salvation we have in Him, as displayed in the lyrics "Back to the cross, back to the place where love will carry me away... When I lose my way, you will lead me back." Some other tracks that may catch your attention include "Fade Away," the title track "Fighting For You," the sentimental love anthem "Headlong," "You Know My Name," "Hallelujah," and "See My Savior," which bears similar sounds to the song "When You Call" from their debut release.

This album brings a lot of passion and drive to the table, so I found it difficult to find anything wrong with it. Despite slight flaws there may be here and there, D180's sophomore release has enough talent and ability to become a chart topper.

I must say, Fighting For You is a strong enough record to warrant praise and respect. Detour 180 has really taken it up a notch since their last album and hopefully they will continue to take it a step further with each future album. If you are a fan of Detour 180 or just a fan of worshipful rock music in general, Fighting For You is one you will want to check out.

- Review date: 9/22/06, written by Laura Sproull