Thousand Foot Krutch go back to where they started

Sometimes the best way to move forward is to go back to the basics, taking all of the raw energy and emotion of the past and channelling it into the present.

This is exactly what Thousand Foot Krutch is doing on the aptly titled The End Is Where We Begin, which releases April 17 and finds Canada’s favorite modern rockers voluntarily walking away from record label life altogether (even after a slew of profitable offers came along) to reignite the passionate DIY work ethos that first emerged over a decade ago.

While waiting for inspiration to arrive and fuel the writing process, TFK’s front man/songwriter Trevor McNevan popped in the band’s seminal debut, That’s What People Do, which echoed respected rappers like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys, cross-pollinated with the rhythmic grooves of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Those inspirations return throughout The End Is Where We Begin, alongside the group’s continuously marinating blend of towering choruses, razor-sharp rhythms, epic arrangements and stadium shaking rumbles.

“Without trying, this record has a very militant theme to it, with songs like ‘War Of Change’ and ‘Courtesy Call’ painting more of a visual for that,” states McNevan. “There’s an urgency to it and I think the timing feels right. This record’s heart can be summed up by ‘Be The Change,’ the album’s lyric and phrase seen throughout the album artwork.”

For those who’ve been following the Ontario-bred players since their formation in 1997, it’s been a continuously escalating highlight reel that includes best-selling albums, four top 25 Active Rock hits (including the top 20 smash hits “Fire It Up” and “Move”), plus a slew of soundtrack slots. In fact, the group has literally infiltrated every facet of pop culture, from ongoing ESPN appearances, to various NASCAR, MLB, NHL and NFL airings (including the 2010 Super Bowl), along with the “GI Joe” movie trailer, WGN-TV’s “Smallville” and EA Sports’ “NHL 2010” video game.

That trend is continuing with the new project, which even prior to hitting street, found the lead single “Let The Sparks Fly” (Active Rock) and fellow adrenaline-infused rocker “Light Up the Sky” picked up by ESPN for NASCAR and NCAA Sports programming. Both tracks also serve as the ultimate tone setters for the sonic explosions contained within The End Is Where We Begin, which could be considered the ultimate Thousand Foot Krutch mix-tape showcasing a myriad of full-throttled personalities.

“Be Somebody,” the first song written for the new album, has also gone to radio. “This one still gives me chills,” says McNevan of the track that has already been named a Billboard’s Most Added song at CHR for multiple weeks. “I had been trying to hone in on what this record should sound like, what it should feel like…This song is as honest as it gets.”