Christian rock mainstay Kutless has released a concept-heavy, apocalyptic new single “End of the World.” The song features a guest vocal from Kevin Young of Disciple. You can find “End of the World” on your service of choice at https://kutless.ffm.to/endoftheworld.

The cinematic rock track offers some of the heaviest guitars from the band to date, paired with celestial tones and weighty lyrics.

“The song deals with the pain and suffering we are seeing around the world, an indictment against apathy and the refusal to help when we witness the destruction of innocent lives,” guitarist James Mead reveals. “The song ultimately turns into an evangelistic plea, asking listeners ‘do you need a miracle?’”

Full lyrics are available in the lyric video, which you can watch below.

“This is where streets run with the blood
of the beaten, the broken…
but we refuse to help them,
our doors left unopened.”

The guest vocals from Kevin Young kick in on the bridge before the song thunders to its conclusion, clocking in at just under six minutes in length. From beginning to end, “End of the World” sees Kutless pushing the boundaries of their hard rock sound to previously unexplored frontiers.

“End of the World” is the latest installment in Kutless’ comeback, a triumphant return that began in July with their nostalgic Twenty EP and later led to September’s single “Words of Fire.” The songs are the first hints of what fans can expect from a forthcoming full length album— the band’s first in over five years.

This renaissance for one of faith-based rock’s most beloved bands has also included the podcast Rock in a Hard Place. Hosted by lead singer Jon Micah Sumrall and guitarist James Mead, the podcast offers fans a glimpse into the stories and insights that have shaped Kutless’s genre-defining songs. You can find the podcast at https://lnk.to/kutlesspodcast.

Christian rock veterans in Kutless have announced the launch of a new podcast titled Rock In a Hard Place. Hosted by Jon Micah Sumrall (vocals) and James Mead (guitar), the podcast will revisit crucial moments in Kutless history, sharing insight and humor along the way. You can subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice at https://lnk.to/kutlesspodcast.

“We’ve been through a lot of stuff over the last 20 years, and we’re planning on talking about that more in depth through the podcast,” Sumrall explains.

Rock In a Hard Place is a natural expansion of Kutless’ reintroduction over the past few months. The band recently released “Words of Fire,” their first new material in five years. Before that, they released an EP featuring reimagined versions of three songs from their 2002 debut album.

“We’ve grown, we’ve learned, there have been hard times, there have been fun times. Every step of the way as we revisited these songs, it brought back a lot of memories,” Sumrall says. “It was actually a really neat thing to come back and just reflect on 20 years of music and all that we’ve experienced.”

The first episode is available now, offering fans their first glimpse of Kutless’s origins. You can find it at https://lnk.to/kutlesspodcast.

Christian rock mainstay Kutless has released a fiery statement of faith with their new single “Words of Fire,” available on all major streaming platforms as of September 30. You can find the song at https://kutless.ffm.to/fire.

“The song ‘Words of Fire’ was inspired by the story of the Two Witnesses in Revelation chapter 11,” guitarist James Mead shares. “Around the time I wrote this song, there just seemed to be so many things that were causing tension. In my home city of Portland Oregon, there was a series of riots that lasted for several months. Then the world shut down from a pandemic. We have mourned the losses of several more horrible mass shootings.”

The song was born from Mead’s convicted sense of urgency in how to respond to widespread unrest: “When I read the story of the Two Witnesses, I can just picture a world that wants to stop them from spreading the truth. It’s an anthem for those that will continue to rise up and be bold and share their faith. The dead come back to life.”

“But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.”
— Revelation 11:11 NIV

Sonically, “Words of Fire” blazes a path through the airwaves with an intensity that matches the message. A true return to form for a band that has always been based in rock and roll, the towering guitars and scorching melodies offer Kutless’s heaviest sound yet.

“We really took a hard look at what we wanted Kutless to look like moving forward,” lead singer Jon Micah Sumrall earnestly confesses. “We didn’t want to keep fighting the music industry ‘game.’ We just wanted to make music that we enjoyed. So we really got back to just making music, not worrying about radio or charts, and this brought us back to our rock roots.”

“Words of Fire” is the immediate follow-up to the retrospective EP Twenty, a collection of reimagined versions of three Kutless classics, released in honor of their debut album’s 20 year anniversary. That EP served to remind listeners of Kutless’s foundation, priming them for what’s to come with “Words of Fire” and the songs that will follow after.

“This first song is just a glimpse of what’s still to come,” Sumrall hints. “We are excited for this next chapter as we keep creating new music!”