I was one of the vocal minority thoroughly disappointed by Kutless's previous album, the praise & worship one. "Hearts of the Innocent" redeems them, though. With this one, they return to the driving, hard-rock edge that made them so great. The lyrics are, of course, inspirational, and the album is filled with uplifting messages of hope ("Smile") and unabashed faith in God ("Shut Me Out"). But it's the edgy guitars and great beat that make this album rock (okay, "Promise of a Lifetime" is a little slow, but still very good). An excellent album for Kutless fans, and a great example of some of the best in rock music today.

DON'T listen to Michael Harmon (he posted a review a little bit above this one), he must have been preoccupied while hearing the great and diverse rhythm, strong rock base, and even the softer songs that still maintain Kutless's image as a CHRISTIAN rock band. I just recently went to a Kutless concert, and the lead singer took some time before starting to talk about his and other's christian faith. For one thing, I do not think that leaning on Jesus is all that christian songs can be about. That is a good subject matter, but not the only thing. Like in song #7, when he sings "I'm learning how to fly", it seems to represent growing and enjoying your relationship with christ, just it of course doesn't actually say that. You have to think outside of the bun, and then you will find the messages it speaks about. Great CD.

Coming off of the "worship album" Strong Tower, Kutless returns to a more aggressive rock sound on "Hearts of the Innocent." Featuring 12 new tracks, "HotI" is overall much more energetic than Sea of Faces. Many of the tracks on HotI are heavily guitar oriented, and utilize the sound used on the previous Kutless track "Not What You See." There are still a few tracks on HotI that are a little more slow paced ("Smile", "Promise of a Lifetime", "Mistakes" and "Changing World"), but the majority are all heavy and fast paced.

As for the lyrics on HotI, it would seem that Kutless took more time to expand on their writing. While many of the lyrics have the same writing style that Sea of Faces had, substance wise they are more metaphorical. The meaning behind them is a little more difficult to interpret at first in places, giving Kutless a much deeper feel. There are spots on the album that definitely give away Kutless are a Christian Rock band, but this does not subtract from the overall feel of the album. Rather, the mixture of faith inspired lyrics and metaphorical ones gives Kutless a much stronger feel than on previous albums. If Kutless continues at this rate, they may become one of the most unique Christian rock bands that the world has yet to see.

I really like the style that kutless is going into for this CD. A more aggressive rock stage. Of course their weakness is that their style seems to not change too much. I really like the song shut me out. I watched the music video of it and I thought that it had good lyrics. I dont understand why people tend to complain about their lyrics in this album. I mean they might not be as clear as their previous music, but it still send the message. I think that anyone would think the lyrics are clear. Other people do have the freedom of speech, but I wouldnt exactly believe them right away. Its best to hear the album yourself. I would say that this album is worth the money.

Kutless is the reason why I love Christian rock. Before hearing Kutless two years ago, the only music I gave a chance was Point of Grace and ZOEgirl. Now, two years later, I'm a huge Christian rock fan, and I can sense a bad album when it comes. So what should I say about Hearts of the Innocent? Absolutely just.. wow. None of their cds sound alike, and that's one thing I really like about this band. With some bands, cds just sound recycled with new words and a few new guitar chords. Not this one! Okay so.. songwise I'd have to say that "Changing World" is my absolute favorite. The lyrics are so deep and it's such a pretty song, even though it's slightly repetitive. Beyond the Surface is a really good song too, and they perform it well live. (well actually they perform every song well live, but that's besides the point.) I could go on for hours about the greatness of this band, but I'll spare you. If you're a Kutless fan, you should like this album.