Volym 2 and international expansion (1980–1981)
Ahead of the release of Volym 2 in 1980, Christiansson explained
the reasoning behind the band's name, describing it as meant to
reflect both the music and its forward-looking direction, while
Jerusalem — like the message of Jesus Christ — was meant to remain at
the centre of attention. At the time, he worked as a postman and was
raising three children, and the band combined music-making with day
jobs and family life; even ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus was reported to have spoken positively about the band's fresh approach.
The album was
recorded at the Prim studio, with the band deliberately avoiding extra
musicians or studio embellishments so as to sound the same on record
as in concert. According to the article, Jerusalem had performed 84
shows the previous year, and although the members loved playing, they
found it exhausting to balance touring with full-time work, hoping
growing interest from the United States and several European countries
might eventually let them turn professional.
A 2018 review of a remastered reissue in Heaven's Metal magazine described Volym 2 as more theatrical and progressive than the band's debut, drawing comparisons to Deep Purple's organ-driven style and Queen's theatrical flair. The reviewer singled out "Gethsemane," which told the story of Christ's betrayal and crucifixion "in a way that had not really been done previously," as foreshadowing the musical direction the band would take on Warrior the following year. The same reissue restored two tracks, "Love Song" and "Dialogue
(Between One Person)," that had been omitted from an earlier Fruit Records CD release. The album also marked the band's first lineup change, with Anders Mossberg joining on bass and Klas Anderhell on drums.
Americans attending the Christian Greenbelt festival in England, where Jerusalem participated during the summer of 1980, brought the record to the United States. Glenn Kaiser, who led the Resurrection Band–a prominent Christian rock band in the United States–gave the record to Pat Boone, who owned Lamb & Lion Records, the label that subsequently released Jerusalem's records in the U.S. and Canada.
On 27 December 1981, Swedish public broadcaster SVT aired a television special about the band, Rock för Gud ("Rock for God"), filmed live in Växjö, as part of the Söndagskväll strand. Jerusalem also appeared on West German television, performing on the ZDF concert programme Rockpop in Concert (recorded in Dortmund on 19 December 1981 and broadcast on 30 January 1982), alongside German band Spliff.
Jerusalem's English-language releases helped expand the band's international audience. The band later toured in the United States, where they gained exposure within the American Christian rock scene.
In January 1981, Swedish Christian newspaper Dagen reported on the band's growing international profile. According to the article, Jerusalem had performed in France, Belgium, Germany, and England over the preceding year, and the week before publication part of a concert by the band, filmed at a discotheque in Berlin, had been broadcast on German television. Christiansson said Christian musicians had generally struggled to gain mass-media exposure in Germany, making the development encouraging. The article noted the band had been playing together for six years by that point, but that members had only begun working on the band full-time from August 1980. At the time, Jerusalem's records were among the best-selling Christian records in England, and a tour of Spain was being planned for that May or June.
