Deitrick Haddon & Voices of Unity – Chain Breaker 2.5

Deitrick Haddon & Voices of Unity
Chain Breaker 2.5
ManHaddon Ministries / Tyscot (2026)

By Robert M. Marovich

Twenty-five years ago, Deitrick Haddon & Voices of Unity’s Chain Breaker exemplified gospel music’s longstanding tradition of opening each new decade with selections that push the genre’s sonic boundaries. To celebrate the silver anniversary of this album, Haddon and his group has released Chain Breaker 2.5. It honors its ancestor by offering new music as well as a modernistic reimagining of several Chain Breaker favorites.

The title track is a gush of gratitude for how God can break the chains that link us to mental and spiritual suffering. The bass-thumping cut brings veteran vocalists Hezekiah Walker, John P. Kee, and Fred Hammond together with contemporary artists T. Church and Zaytoven. “Fire,” another redux, is a hypnotic rumination on Jeremiah 20:9. “Find Jesus” is a tuneful and dramatic depiction of a desperate soul seeking salvation. “Back to Life” sounds as if it were arranged and performed by Prince brought back to life.

“Anybody Here,” a hit from the 2000 album, gets two treatments: a Southern Soul mix, featuring Jekalyn Carr, who taps her Lumzy Sisters roots to deliver a churchy rendition; and a deep groove Street mix with DJ Malski and Jacky Clark-Chisholm’s daughter Angel Chisholm. It’s another example of the album’s intention to remember the past while looking to the future and also being unafraid to involve artists who work largely outside of the gospel circle. So is “Say the Name,” with Detroit singer-songwriter Anesha Birchett and Atlanta rapper Young Dro.

The album’s finest track is a new version of 1997’s “Hold On 2 Your Faith.” It’s a powerhouse duet by Voices of Unity alumnae Tasha Page-Lockhart and DAMITA (Haddon’s ex-wife who he introduces as “Guess who?! DAMITA!”). The message of encouragement is straight outta church and the track’s bluesy gospel swagger evokes the Anointed Pace Sisters.

The compact eleven-track album is infectious and will appeal particularly to those who grew up with the original album in their iPod or spinning in their Walkman. It demonstrates how music once considered envelope-pushing can be at once nostalgic and forward-looking.

Four of Five Stars

Picks: ‘Hold On 2 Your Faith,” “Anybody Here (Southern Soul mix),” “Find Jesus”