Here we have the third studio release by this Nashville-based heavy rock band, headed by main man and songwriter Benny DiChiara. There are some well considered lyrics on this five track EP which can be clearly followed – often not the case in rock productions. Kicking off with the title track, ‘Yahweh-Nissi’ (meaning “the Lord is my banner”) turns out to be the ‘heaviest’ here. The press release describes it as a “war cry for Jesus” and “a rallying cry” for “a return to normalcy in the wake of the pandemic, social upheaval, and a loss of groundedness”. The mid-paced ‘Jesus can heal the world’ comes next and meets its description as “a stand-up-and-jump-into-worship anthem with an instantly singable chorus”. ‘Soul shaker’ refers to a major event in the life of Benny – possibly the loss of his father (the basis of the last track), or the life changing brain surgery he experienced in the recent past. It begins with a nice electric guitar introduction and “last year was the hardest of my life” before proclaiming a desire to be a “soul shaker” for the Lord, a situation I can very much identify with, having many years ago had a similar ‘faith sharpening’ experience as a result of serious illness. ‘I surrender all’ uses a straight rock format and turns out to have a simple repeating chorus (“Jesus I surrender all”) that stays in my head after the EP is finished. Final track ‘I’ll meet you there (Daddy’s song)’ is written “in tribute to DiChiara’s own father”, and is the band’s latest single. A worthwhile release for all CCM rockers out there. 8/10. Dave Deeks
Never for Nothing 