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The Eastern North Carolina Sacred Soul all stars, Dedicated Men of Zion are back with the follow up to their critically acclaimed, 2020 debut album, Can't Turn Me Around. The Devil Don't Like It picks up where we last heard DMZ, blending traditional sacred soul offerings with the fire and passion of a touring outfit. Backed by the Sacred Soul Sound Section and produced by Bible & Tire founder, Bruce Watson, these songs are presented just as they should be, with a precision of sound and style but as raw as the original recordings demand. These men did not come to play, they came to work for the Lord.

The first two albums from reggae roots combo, The Mighty Maytones, collected on one CD. Madness from 1976 and Boat to Zion from 1978 are included for the first time on CD!

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, A Silver Mt. Zion (just one of its many names) came to life in 1999 as a project for Godspeed You! Black Emperor member Efrim Menuck in his attempt to learn to score music. The original idea was pushed aside, and the project would go on to become a group setting, and was more in touch with the idea of the organic growth and exploration of music than the heavily composed and arranged theoretical work of Godspeed. Inspired to record an album of the music that had been made, Menuck built up the first version of A Silver Mt. Zion, taking on violinist Sophie Trudeau and bassist Thierry Amar, both known as collaborators in the Godspeed family. The band made its live debut in 1999 and released its first album, He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms…, on Constellation in 2000. Still known as A Silver Mt. Zion, the band expanded its membership in 2000 – adding cellist Beckie Foon, guitarist Ian Ilavsky, and violinist Jessica Moss – which led to the first of many name changes.

John Eliot Gardiner and his period instrument ensemble produce a lovely, smooth sound in these very well played performances, which use Handel's versions for strings and winds. Balances are fine; playing and recording collaborate to produce a treasurable clarity in which every line registers. –Leslie Gerber … Handel's epic oratorio, Israel in Egypt, here in a gripping performance by John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, was a failure during Handel's lifetime. This was perhaps because of its immense variety of compositional techniques and forms.