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Artist: Troy Sutton
Album: 'Backwards Saint'
CD Review: Label: Independent
Tracks: 10
Released: 2005
For Fans Of: Ozzy, Chris Cornell, The Tea Party, Queens of the Stone Age
Fav Tracks: Dark Matter, Get Me Out Of Here, My Last Living Breath, William Blake Overture

I've listened to Backwards Saint 5 or 6 times now, and am pleasantly surprised at the depth of the songwriting and performance. Right from the first listen, I thought this was something special, and now I know it is.

Troy Sutton is the spirit behind all of this - a contemporary Christian with a bit of an alternative viewpoint, and one that I enjoy listening to thoroughly within the context of his music and delivery.
The highlight of every song here is Troy voice and his expression. He's very dynamic and emotional in his performance. I can feel him as much as I can hear him and know that he's totally engrossed in his art.

As you may guess from the title, Troy isn't joyously pontificating on the bright side of life - rather, he seeks to question from within the darkness that we can find our own answers, whether it's found within the Christian faith or not. If I hadn't known otherwise, I would have categorized Troy as more of a philosopher, spiritual man and free-thinker, with perhaps a bent towards a traditional Christian upbringing.
His voice alone, however, leads him down a darker path, as it resonates naturally in the questioning position as opposed to the stereotypical 'praise-only' approach.

Backing up the voice and the lyrics is some solid and engaging music best described as hard blues-rock. There is plenty of interest, excellent performances and the music complements the tone of the songs throughout.

I'd have to say this is one of the best CD's I've heard this year and would recommend it to everyone interested in rock and especially to those interested in 'Christian' music as it's better than most of what I've ever heard (Petra, Stryper, et al).
This is an artists album and the depth shows itself both the first time and on repeated listens. If this is a first effort, I look forward to more when Troy has honed his songwriting skills just a bit more. There is great stuff lurking here and certainly the potential for something greater.
Check it out.

Contact: Lee Hughes, A&R, The Last Productions
Website: Troy Sutton