Strong Tower Explained

Strong Tower
Type:	studio
Artist:	Kutless
Cover:	StrongTowerCover.jpg
Released:	March 1, 2005
Studio:	Compound Recording, Seattle, Washington
Genre:	Christian rock, alternative rock, contemporary worship music
Length:	50:32
Label:	BEC
Producer:	Aaron Sprinkle
Prev Title:	Sea of Faces
Prev Year:	2004
Next Title:	Hearts of the Innocent
Next Year:	2006

Strong Tower is a worship album released by the Christian rock group Kutless and is also their third studio album. An enhanced deluxe edition of this album was released on March 20, 2007, with additional tracks and the "Strong Tower" live music video.^[1] The title track of this record, "Strong Tower", was once in the Top 5 on ChristianRock.net. The album peaked at No. 87 on the Billboard 200^[2] and No. 4 on the Billboard Christian Albums.^[3] Five years later, in 2010, the album reached the Billboard Catalog Albums chart peaking at No. 39.^[4] The album was certified Gold by RIAA in 2009^[5] and is Kutless's best-selling album to date. The official music video for "Strong Tower" came out on YouTube on February 27, 2009, and included lead singer Jon Micah Sumrall, guitarists James Mead and Nick DePartee, bassist Dave Luetkenhoelter and drummer Jeffrey Gilbert.

Personnel

Kutless

• Jon Micah Sumrall – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
• James Mead – lead guitars, backing vocals
• Ryan Shrout – rhythm guitars, backing vocals
• Kyle Zeigler – bass guitar
• Kyle Mitchell – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Phil Peterson – cello on "Arms of Love" and "Strong Tower"
• Anne-Marie Hunsaker – backing vocals on "Arms of Love"

Production

• Brandon Ebel – executive producer and A&R
• Aaron Sprinkle – producer, engineer at Compound Recording (Seattle, Washington)
• Austin Thomason – assistant engineer
• Zach Hodges – additional engineering
• JR McNeely – mixing (1-4, 7, 8, 10) at Compound Recording (Seattle, Washington)
• Skidd Mills – mixing (5, 6, 9, 11-13) at Compound Recording (Seattle, Washington)
• Aaron Mlasko – drum technician
• Brian Gardner – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
• Asterik Studio – art direction and design
• David Stuart – photography

Awards and certifications

The album was nominated for a Dove Award for Praise & Worship Album of the Year at the 37th GMA Dove Awards. The title song was also nominated for Worship Song of the Year.^[6]

This album was certified Gold selling more than 500,000 copies

References

1. http://www.emicmgdistribution.com/newreleases/left.asp?item_id=510219&artist_id=67799
2. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=kutless|chart=Billboard 200}} Kutless - Chart history ]. Billboard . June 26, 2013.
3. Kutless Christian Albums on Billboard.com
4. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=kutless|chart=Catalog Albums}} Kutless - Chart history ]. Billboard . June 26, 2013.
5. Web site: Gold & Platinum . April 3, 2023 . RIAA.
6. http://christianmusic.about.com/od/doves/a/06gmanoms.htm 37th Annual GMA Dove Awards Nominations & Winners

Music video

A video that consists of the band playing at night outside of the Lincoln Memorial courthouse building was released.