We just wanted to share with you a little bit of what our friends at JesusFreakHideout had to say about our final release, Adios. For the full review(s), check out the links below...
While the extra song may be a gem in and of itself, the real prize of Adios: The Greatest Hits Special Edition is the DVD - but more specifically, the main documentary included. With Mark Stuart and bassist Will McGinniss serving as the band's remaining original members, "The Story Of Audio Adrenaline" documentary opens with the pair seated on a couch to begin telling of how the band got started. Stuart takes the viewer from the day he met McGinniss to how the band got signed to Forefront Records and their first experiences on the road. As the story reaches the band's 1996 record bloOm, drummer Ben Cissell joins the duo to explain how he came into the band and his role with them. Intermittently between stories, we're treated to sound bites from artists like TobyMac, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Relient K, who all offer their own little reflections on the band's ministry. And by the time the trio reach talking about the Some Kind Of Zombie era, guitarist Tyler Burkum joins the guys to explain his origin. With a smirk, Stuart tells how they met Burkum and first viewed an audition tape of his, and we're treated to a brief glimpse at the very tape Burkum sent in that would later earn him a spot in the band. The rest of the documentary covers their each consecutive album, their Grammy Award wins, and a bit of on-the-road fun that even shows the band's bizarre encounter with a bag of dead squirrels in the back of a van.
It's difficult not to give Adios: The Greatest Hits Special Edition high marks for not only existing, but for offering what it does. While there are probably lists of things that could have been added to it to beef up its contents to honor such a career as Audio Adrenaline's, it's a fine project, the ultimate version of Adios, and the perfect addition to any fan's collection. It may make the goodbye even harder and more teary-eyed, but Adios: The Greatest Hits Special Edition is a wonderful bow out in every way.
