Despite what some may thing, “Christian music” isn’t all about hymns or gospel music. Any fan of any genre of music can find something that’s right up their ally, but with a positive twist. If someone was a fan of glam rock like Kiss, AC/DC, Guns n Roses, then Stryper had all the hard rock edge and spectacle of those groups. If someone enjoyed the power chords of stadium rock by The Eagles, Journey, Foreigner or REO Speedwagon, then Petra could literally supply the rock. Even Amy Grant’s music could go from feeling like a Pat Benatar rock anthem to a Paula Abdul dance hit, depending on the style of the decade.
Even in the late 90s and early 2000s as rock music seemed to get “edgier” so too did Christian music acts seek to bridge that gap. It might seem like there would be no way for a Christan music act to have that edgy sounds featured in the more industrial grunge sound of Nivana, Nine Inch Nails, and the like would be at odds with Christian music. Even in secular music there was no shortage of poor imitators of the grunge music scene with amateurs cranking out one hit wonders that tended to be like sand: rough, course, irritating, and everywhere, while the vocalists for these imitation groups sounded like a cross between Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, Animal from The Muppets and Christian Bale’s Batman.
This was not the case for CCM group Kutless. If anything, their vocal quality was much closer to the likes of Creed, Daughtry, or the Foo Fighters, and thus Kutless wasn’t just an “angry” grunge group, they were just a little grittier than easy listening music. In fact, upon first listening to Kutless it would be easy to dismiss them in some ways as the successor to Petra, due to a “modern” style that perfectly captured that era of music. Further both of their names have hidden meaning, with Petra literally meaning “Rock” while for Kutless, it’s an alternate spelling for a “cutlass” a short, sharp broadsword that can cut right to the heart.
However, while Petra was heavy on the keyboards delivering epic power chords, Kutless was all about the heavy distorted guitars and steady percussion. This is certainly evident in Kutless cover of Petra’s classic praise anthem “Take Me in”. Their recording of “King of my Heart” felt like a driven anthem for young millennials. However, while many “grunge acts. Focused on darkness, or even hopelessness, Kutless’ style made “That’s What Faith Can Do” a genuine cry of the heart, not of pain and longing, but of reliance, of holding onto faith even when it seems difficult and standing firm on the rock. Thus, if bands like Linkin Park asked the questions of life of that generation, Kutless supplied the answer.
Considering name ‘Peter” means rock, it makes sense that if any group was going to submit and include a song on the inspired by album focusing on Peter it would be a band who could “rock”. Because of the style of music, written by the band’s producer Aaron Sprinkle and the bands vocalis Jon Michael Sumrail it allows them to explore the inner mind of the once and future High King of Narnia. Yet Peter is just a kid, and he’s being called upon to not only fight a battle against an evil witch, and protect his brother and sisters, but to one day lead a country. It’s an incredible burden for anyone to carry, especially when his biggest concern at the start of the movie was making ensure his little brother didn’t get blown up in an air raid.
This Peter, the one in the Walden film and that we meet in this song, wants to take a step back and understand what is happening, as everything he sees does feel like his imagination is going wild. Every choice he makes will have much greater ramifications not just for himself, or his family but for an entire world. At the same time as he goes on this journey, he finds himself changing, growing and learning and becoming an ewer and better person, and hopes that these lessons will stay and make a change in his life.
To that end, much like how Rebecca St. James’s “Lion”, “More than it Seems” feels like the sort of song that could have been on an early 2000s superhero soundtrack. Peter Pevensie, like Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, Peter Parker in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, or Clark Kent in Smallville is a young man called upon to fulfill an incredible destiny and at times it’s a scary proposition. Answering a higher calling doesn’t come without a price. Change is scary, growth can be painful, and the path of sacrifice may find us being taxed beyond our limit.
But in the process those same lessons and experiences can make us stronger, make us a rock that can’t be shaken, especially if we place our faith in Someone stronger, as Peter did through Aslan. When we do, as Peter did through Aslan, of who and what we are truly meant to be, we discover that we are far more capable of doing more then we imagine and can stand firm when the evil of our day comes our way.
Peter’s story, at least as told in the first Walden Media film is that of a boy who would, reluctantly be king. He was far more then he seemed, at least to his brother and sisters. With the song more then it seems, for a generation of young people, they were invited to see themselves in that same position and reminded that they to, if they embrace the calling of their Creator, and see themselves as He sees them, they too can be more then they seem.
Side A:
- “More than it Seems”
- “Take Me In”
Side B:
- “King of my Heart”
- “What Faith Can Do.”
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