Kutless (Top-10)

#4 Kutless Sea of Faces 2004

I first saw Kutless by surfing through the cable channels about a year ago and landed on this cool video being played on MTV. Great acoustic sound, strong male vocals and wait, what were those lyrics again?

Sometimes my life it feels so trivial
Immersed in the greatness of space
Yet somehow You still find the time for me
It's then You show me Your love

And In Your eyes I can see
And in Your arms I will be
I am not just a man, vastly lost in this world
Lost in a Sea of Faces
Your body's the bread, Your blood is the wine
Because you traded Your life for mine

If only my one heart
Was all you'd gain from all it cost
Well I know You would have still been a man
With a reason
To willingly offer Your life

A Christian song being played on MTV on some sort of video request show? What a great thing! I ran out to get the CD right away and as I looked at the band's CD's, I was reminded that the song "Run" from their first CD (entitled Kutless) and a Wow compilation disc was also by this band. So I pop in the new (second) CD, also named Sea of Faces, and I hear songs that border on the heavy metal that I grew up with in the 1980'sÖbut with Christian lyrics.

I instantly moved from being a fan to recognizing the audience that Kutless can tap into ñ not only 20-somethings like themselves but 40-somethings like my generation who like this kind of music and are ready for lyrics that bring them closer to God.

Folks, if that describes you, then Kutless is your band. Strap in, hitch a ride and open yourselves to their music and ministry. Kutless' Sea of Faces is our pick for the #4 CD of all time to recommend new believers.

Sea of Faces is far more than the title song itself. The first song "Not What You See" (I am not what you see, oh no/Not much more than a slave I wish to be) is a hard rocking song that indicates this is a humble band of Christians who are struggling to resist contemporary culture and the second "You're All Alone" (You're all alone/But you don't have to/Pretend to cope/There is a brighter way) is a great follow-up for individuals who need to feel God's love.

Every song speaks to the new believer. Lead singer Jon Micah Sumrall explained, "We make sure that the people that come to see a Kutless show know that Jesus loves them, cares for them, and desires to spend time with them. As a band, we have been so fortunate to have this platform to play our music. We are humbled to be able to communicate Christ's love for people night after night."

Two other songs from the CD, "Passion" and "Treason" are powerful renditions that make you stop in your tracks and think about things. "Passion" takes listeners deeper into what being a believing Christian is all about by visualizing Jesus' physical sacrifice on the cross:

Nail pierced hands they run with blood
A splitting brow forced by the thorns
His face is writhing with the pain yet it's comforting to me

"Treason" tackles the struggles of being a Christ-follower with every breath you take and captures the pain of straying from God's path for us:

With my two lips I will praise your name
Then I turn around and only curse and blame
I give in, strength is thin, adding to my shame

Tell me a reason why this isn't treason
Tell me, tell me I'm wrong
I swear I'm back but then it turns out it's only a season
So tell me, tell me I'm wrong

Sea of Faces is a powerful CD and Kutless has grown quickly in international stature with the release of it. If "Run" from their debut CD was on Sea of Faces, this CD just might be number one on our all-time list.

In "Run", Jesus sings to the listener:

Looking down from above as you watch TV
Wondering why you're ignoring me

Do you remember, remember when I came to you
And you loved me
And I'm waiting for you
And I'm waiting for you

Why do you run why do you hide oh don't you know I
just, just want to be with you, to be with you

Still, number four isn't bad. Celebrate this band by getting Kutless' music into the hands of those who think that edgier sounds are owned only by secular heavy metal bands. Kutless is one of the most important Christian bands out there. Their impact over the coming years will be monumental.