The Benjamin Gate

The South African five-piece the Benjamin Gate fused faith-driven lyrics with alternative and pop sounds, achieving rapid recognition once the band members committed themselves fully to music. The lineup featured vocalist Adrienne Liesching alongside guitarists Mark Paultz and Chris Poisat, bassist Costa Balamatsias, and drummer Nick Volsteedt; they came together in 1998 after the passing of their friend, musician Ben, prompted them to pursue recording. A self-made demo soon earned local radio rotation. Momentum built when an EP forwarded to the United States for mastering reached Forefront through a studio engineer, leading to a label deal. Their 2001 debut Untitled generated considerable attention, especially among Christian listeners, and drew favorable critical notices. On the charts the album produced two Christian rock number ones in “How Long” and “All Of Me,” while “Lay It Down” peaked at number two; it also collected four Dove Awards. When preparing the follow-up the musicians deliberately sought a rawer, live-band atmosphere, resulting in the summer 2002 release Contact.