CASTING CROWNS RELEASES NEW ALBUM “THE ALTAR AND THE DOOR” TODAY
Radio And Retail Rally Around High-Profile Release As Band Visits Nine Major Cities This Week

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(Nashville, Tenn.) Aug. 28, 2007 — GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum band Casting Crowns is positioned to release one of the highest-impact albums this year with its third studio project The Altar and The Door in stores today. Retail, radio and media outlets are covering the band’s high-profile street week with on-air morning show appearances scheduled with The Fish Atlanta, The Joy FM radio network, WCSG Grand Rapids, KTIS Minneapolis, WCVO Columbus, WPOZ Orlando, WRCM Greenville, and Star 99.1 in New Jersey. Retail events this week include in-store album signings at LifeWay stores in Orlando and Columbus, Northwestern Bookstore in Minneapolis and the Family Christian Store in Charlotte, N.C.

The band’s extensive media coverage includes Billboard, Reuters, R&R magazine, CCM magazine, Atlanta-Journal Constitution and the Fox morning show, Good Day Atlanta. In addition, CMT.com is currently featuring The Altar and The Door as a Listening Party.

The week will wrap up on Saturday, when Star 99.1 hosts Casting Crowns for an exclusive event at the Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

The Altar and The Door is currently the No. 1 Christian album on iTunes, and the new album’s current single, “East to West” has been the No. 1 Christian song on iTunes for the last two weeks. It also holds the No. 91 spot on iTunes Top Songs, and tops radio charts in its fourth week at No. 1 on R&R INSP, second week atop R&R AC Indicator and No. 2 on R&R AC Monitored.

Over its three-year career, Casting Crowns has been honored with a GRAMMY Award, two American Music Award nods and 12 Gospel Music Dove Awards. Casting Crowns has been the most played artist on all Christian radio formats combined, with six consecutive No.1 AC radio hits, and the group has sold more than 2.5 million albums to date. Lead singer and songwriter Mark Hall has been a student pastor for 16 years and currently serves on staff at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta. Casting Crowns claims the distinction of being the fastest contemporary Christian artist in its career to have its first two albums certified Platinum, and only the second in RIAA history ever to achieve it (the other being Jars of Clay).

Beach Street Records, an imprint of Reunion Records and Provident Label Group, was launched by Mark Miller, founder and frontman of the multi-platinum country music act, Sawyer Brown. SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT’s Provident Music Group is one of the world’s leading Christian music companies. Provident Music Group operates under the umbrella of Sony BMG Nashville.