Unlike the actual soundtrack and the other song collections that were issued as part of the marketing muscle for
Mel Gibson's mega-successful Passion of the Christ film, this volume of tunes were allegedly inspired by the cinematic narrative after being commissioned from Icon Productions. As such, this is a mixed bag made up of mostly CCM and contemporary gospel artists. Tracks by
Kirk Franklin,
Bebe Winans and
Lauryn Hill work best, while selections by
P.O.D. and
MXPX add a wonderfully angular dimension. This is the most awkward volume in the series, however, and it is very uneven. ~ Thom Jurek