Genre:		Hard Rock/Heavy Metal, Rock, Hip-hop/Rap
Members:		Trevor McNevan (vocals, guitar), Joel Bruyere (bass), Steve Augustine (drums)
For fans of:		Linkin Park, The Darkness, Seether, Foo Fighters, P.O.D.
Label:		Tooth & Nail

	Buy 'em here! The Art of Breaking Phenomenon

With six #1 Christian rock singles, half a million records sold, plus airplay at MTV Radio and on NFL and Major League Baseball broadcasts, one might think the intensely energetic Toronto band Thousand Foot Krutch already considers itself quite established. Well, not really.

Started by frontman/songwriter Trevor McNevan back in high school, the act first found an audience with the hip-hop centric debut, Set It Off, and then deftly edged into full-blown rock territory with Phenomenon and The Art of Breaking; each one was a hit in its field.

But the September 2007 release of The Flame in All of Us looks to be that noticeable turning point for Thousand Foot Krutch, when the youthful hip-hop and alternative rock sensibilities uniquely coalesce into a more universal, sometimes pop-shaped framework to create a deeper, fuller experience for this band and a broadening range of listeners. The next level approaches.

"I feel as excited about this record as I did about music when I was a kid," Trevor says. "There's definitely a new energy. It feels like we're just getting started as a band."

Thousand Foot Krutch also features McNevan's childhood friend Joel Bruyere on bass guitar and drummer Steve Augustine; all three originally hail from Ontario, Canada.

Indeed, there is a theme of open door unification throughout the new album beginning with its title and lead-off track, "The Flame in All of Us." An ambitious rocker elevated by a stop-in-your-tracks chorus with strings and a softer melody that refers to the common thread we have in human nature.

"The common thread really interests me, similar to what Donald Miller writes about in his book Blue Like Jazz," Trevor says. "No matter what you believe or how you were raised, you have the same core group of burning questions as the next person: Who am I? Why am I here? What is life really all about?"

As their fans know, the members of Thousand Foot Krutch address such matters from an honest spiritual perspective, singing to and about God in a way that doesn't intimidate anyone who might not think exactly like them. "We talk about life, the things we go through, and things we feel need to be said" says McNevan.

"People can call us a Christian band, or whatever they'd like, we're fine with that. We are very proud of our faith, it is our lifestyle, and who we are, but we make music for everyone," McNevan admits

The musical discussion continues on first singles "Falls Apart" and "What Do We Know?" The former is led by a classic-sounding, arena-ready guitar riff and lyrical antidote for hopelessness.

Everything around me falls apart when I walk away from you, declares McNevan in a voice that sounds inviting and relatable even as it roars atop the track's rock fury.

"What Do We Know?" should be a true landmark song for Thousand Foot Krutch. Easily accessible, it's a "What's Going On"-type of sing-along anthem for the post postmodern world that is equally haunting and hopeful in its memorable use of a children's choir.

Trevor explains, "The song starts out waking up the morning of 9/11, and it references events like Hurricane Katrina, the Virginia Tech tragedy, the 2005 Tsunami, and the major catastrophes that have happened in the last few years that have made us all—no matter what you believe—stand back and say, Wow, we're not in control here."

Elsewhere, The Flame in All of Us rewards the band's longtime followers on heavier cuts like "InHuman" (inspired by McNevan's love of superhero films and "crunchy rawk anthems") and the darkly humorous "My Own Enemy" where the singer manages to laugh at his shortcomings.

In between are bridge-building songs like "Broken Wing" about an addiction-addled relationship and the most compelling "My Favorite Disease." Another hit in the making, the latter is built on an all-around exceptional intelligent pop performance from McNevan, Bruyere, and Augustine plus a beautifully and brutally honest lyric about the struggles we encounter in trying to live as God wants us to: Sometimes I feel like a monster. At times I feel like a saint … Show me; teach me the way to heaven.

All told, even small details behind The Flame in All of Us indicate steps in the right direction for Thousand Foot Krutch, evidence of God's favor at every turn. The band chose to work for the first time with producer Ken Andrews (Beck, Chris Cornell from Soundgarden and Audioslave). Andrews booked the guys into a California studio serendipitously known as The Firehouse, challenging them to record together live rather than separately to better capture the energy of what they do onstage. In just three weeks, the project was complete, and the band was tighter than ever.

"In more ways than one this is the most refreshing record we've made," Trevor says. My favorite albums are the ones with lots of contrast that you can listen to front to back, that take you on a journey. And I believe the strongest bands are the ones that a listener can grow up with."

Come and grow with Thousand Foot Krutch as the flame in all of us continues to burn.

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