Petra – Hope (2026)

Petra officially released their 21^st studio album on January 5, 2026. It is their first album of new material since Jekyll & Hyde was released on Inpop Records back in 2003. There was a Spanish language version of Jekyll & Hyde (2005), the live Farewell in 2005, a new song (Holy Is Your Name) on the 40^th Anniversary compilation (2013), and a three CD career retrospective released on Girder back in 2023. Hope contains ten new songs that paint a diverse musical portrait of the quintessential Christian rock band.

Petra, now consisting of Bob Hartman (guitars), John Schlitt (vocals), John Lawry (keyboards), Greg Bailey (bass), and Christian Borneo (drums), have playing shows sporadically for past several years. Rumors of new music began circulating in 2025 and were confirmed when Deliver Us was released in September. Cryptic updates continued and pre-orders began later in the year. Hope was released digitally on January 5^th. CDs ship on January 12^th and three different vinyl versions are scheduled to ship in March. There is also a devotional based upon the songs. I have purchased the digital version and am currently waiting for the vinyl (I’m getting the blue) to arrive.

There are similarities to Jekyll & Hyde, which was a return to the hard rock style that Petra had seemingly abandoned in the mid-1990s. However, that album felt the presence of former Newsboys leader, Peter Furler. Given that he produced it and played drums, that was no shocker. Hope, on the other hand, feels very much like the self-produced Petra album it is. One glaring difference is the return of Lawry’s keyboards and Hartman’s solos, even if they are too brief for my tastes. The ten songs clock in right at 35 minutes, which seems really short but is longer than Jekyll & Hyde’s 31 minutes I guess those brief guitar solos do make a difference. The album cover is fine but nothing impressive. A guitar spaceship would have been awesome. All that being said, let’s look at the songs.

Filthy Lucre – Bob Hartman digs out his KJV for this one and it fits the tone of the hard rocking opener. After some distorted vocals and a brief synth lick, Hartman delivers one of the punchiest riffs in Petra’s storied career. The lyrics address those who get rich at the expense of others. This one sounds like the missing link between Beyond Belief and Jekyll & Hyde.

Kiss The Coals – Next up is this mid-tempo rocker which I assume takes its title from Isaiah 6, when a seraph touched the prophet’s lips with a burning coal to purify him. The lyrics build upon the theme of being purified through fiery trials. There are some cool keyboard flourishes and the backing vocals fill the chorus nicely. In a perfect world this one would be a hit on modern rock radio

Oxygen – This seems to be the track a lot of people are talking about and I get it. Petra? Reggae? I admit that does sound odd but I don’t believe it’s as odd as some people might think. Here’s a partial list of rockers who dipped their toes in the genre: The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, The Police, and even Rush. Is it new for Petra? Absolutely. Does it work? I guess that depends on the listener. Personally, I think this one has some of the best lyrics on the album and they pull off the reggae vibe perfectly. It doesn’t sound like a joke or a misstep to me.

Skin In The Game – After the slight detour of Oxygen, they are back to rocking. Lawry’s ethereal keyboards get things started before power chords kick off a galloping verse section. The lyrics address that suffering Jesus endured on our behalf. From his despair in Gethsemane to his agony on the cross, our salvation was accomplished and we should be willing to have our skin in the game.

We Rejoice In Hope – This one begins with a synth lick that is reminiscent of classic Styx that morphs into what could almost be described as pop-punk. The chorus reminds me of I Waited For The Lord from 1997’s Petra Praise 2. The lyrics are classic Bob Hartman and would fit nicely on any one of their praise and worship albums.

Miracle Maker – Greg Bailey’s bass and Christian Borneo’s drums shine on this guitar-driven rocker. There are licks that give it a slight prog vibe (think Trevor Rabin era Yes). The lyrics are unashamed praise to Jesus. This is exactly what fans expect from Petra. As I mentioned earlier, an extended guitar solo would be awesome but the song doesn’t suffer and what Hartman does play fits.

There Will Still Be A Dawn – One thing Petra excel at are encouraging ballads. From More Power To Ya to Just Reach Out to No Doubt, they have been delivering the goods for decades. This is the next great Petra ballad and it would anywhere on any Schlitt era album.

Thorns – Subdued piano and plaintive vocals begin what seems to be the second ballad. Thirty seconds later, the vocals swell and the drums and guitars kick in. This may be the most Petra-sounding song on the album. Lawry gets to show off his keyboard prowess and it you realize it was sorely missed on Jekyll & Hyde. The only thing keeping this from sounding like “vintage” Petra is the Elefante production and a blistering guitar solo.

Looking Back – Lyrically, this is a prayer of thanks from a band that has been serving the Lord for over fifty years. It’s little bit country and a little bit pop. The strings elevate the arrangement and the backing vocals tie everything together. Schlitt’s vocals (while strong throughout the whole album) really shine on this one. You can just see the smile of joy on his face as he sings it.

Deliver Us – The album closer is the first single that was released back in 2025. At the time I was just excited to be getting new music from Petra but I wasn’t exactly blown away. It was a good song but I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, now hearing it in context, it is the perfect way to end this album. The lyrics address the spiritual battle we are engaged in. It is musically consistent with everything that proceeds it. It manages to bring all the elements of Petra into one final salvo that reminds us why we still need this band.