Modern Christian rock music comes in plenty of flavors these days, but Kutless undoubtedly lies near the top of the heap.Ranking high on Christian music charts and selling hundreds of thousands of copies of each album they release, Kutless has earned plenty of accolades from critics and fans since forming in 2001. Their signature hard-rock sound has been favorably compared to Switchfoot, Fuel, Creed and Incubus. They've played major gigs with some of Christian rock's biggest bands, including performing before 95,000 people at a Billy Graham crusade in Pasadena. The members of Kutless wear their passionate faith on their sleeves--their name is a reference to their belief that Jesus "took our cuts for us, leaving us 'Kutless.'"The band's genesis (no pun intended) traces back to 1999-2000, when its members all attended Warner Pacific College in Oregon. With hard-edged vocals and a thrash-metal guitar sound, they energized fans. Their music, naturally, focused on their religion, and they've made it clear on their Web site that they're Christians before they're a rock band.Tooth and Nail signed them in 2001, and by 2002 they had released their self-titled debut to positive reviews. Ever the hard-working band, they played 220 gigs that first year to support the album. They've released four records since then, including their most recent, 2008's To Know That You're Alive. That record in particular saw Kutless growing as a band and as people--the songs were written to highlight those themes. As its members have grown older, married, and started families, they've grown wiser as well. Their music reflects a maturing of their faith and the relationships that hold the band together. Anyone looking for a little rock with their worship will find a favorite in the work of Kutless.