Kutless (CD - 2002)

Recorded at The Compound, Seattle, Washington.

Personnel: Jon Micah Sumrall (vocals); Aaron Sprinkle (guitar, programming, loops); Phil Peterson (cello).

Audio Mixer: J.R. McNeely.

Recording information: Hipposonic, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Spectre, South Tacoma, WA; The Compound, Seattle, WA.

Photographer: Kris McCaddon.

In an era when a lot of Christian rock groups are turning to rap-rock, aping such successful mainstream artists as Linkin Park, Kutless emerges with an album of melodic hard rock. Kutless' mainstream influences are clearly such guitar-heavy yet tuneful groups as Creed and Fuel, and the Christian quartet actually holds up pretty well against their secular counterparts. "Your Touch" is a particular highlight, featuring a wall of guitar muscle and modern rock hooks galore. "Run," meanwhile, is an affecting rock ballad. As one would expect, themes of spirituality crop up throughout. On "Down," a girl wrestles with self-image, while "Again" dwells even more directly on faith with its discussion of God's love. Overall this is a strong debut, and like the Supertones before them Kutless rises above a lot of the bands in this sometimes-justly maligned genre. ~ Erik Hage minimize