Reviving Faith Through Rock Posted February 12, 2024 By TommyG_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need to Know Stuart Patti is a singer-songwriter and independent Christian rock musician from Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S. Stuart began playing guitar and singing at age fourteen. Some of his early musical inspirations were 70s pop and classic rock bands and 80s rock bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, the Scorpions, and Def Leopard.
When Stuart came to Christ in 1981, like many new-born Christians, he got rid of all of his secular albums and began buying Christian albums. After attending concerts with various Christian artists like Amy Grant and Phil Keaggy and other artists like Resurrection Band and Servant, he felt a void left by the different genres of music he had grown up with.
And, in the summer of 1982, he walked away from God and his faith. Stuart attributes this primarily to music. "Heavy metal and rock music had a powerful pull on me. I started re-buying all of my old LPs and new ones. I probably amassed about 300 or so vinyl albums in the 80s." Stuart started making music with a band in the fall of 1985, at the age of 20 but was still left feeling unfulfilled. He eventually parted ways with the band members and ultimately gave up playing music altogether.
After a 25-year up-and-down journey with his faith, in 2003, he was faced with a serious personal trial that made him return to God and his faith. This time, he drew closer to the Lord. And since he has been walking in faith with the Lord for 20 years and is producing music that brings him closer to Jesus. This time, he is focusing on the genre that he has always been drawn to and loved.
Since making music with his family in 2021, Stuart has discovered a new source of inspiration for his lyrics. He has had many writing sessions with his family, and they encouraged him to name his new release The Stuart Patti Project. About the name, he says, "Ultimately, it is God's project, but He has many different projects going on, so I thought it would be presumptuous for me to call this 'God's Project.'"
I desire that any songs that come out of this project, first and foremost, would be honoring to our God and His Son, our savior and redeemer, Jesus Christ." The self-titled Stuart Patti Project EP dropped in mid-January 2024 and is available on all major music platforms.
What It Sounds Like You can get 70's classic rock, 80's heavy metal, and 90's grunge vibes from this EP. It's primarily contemporary rock with undertones of heavy metal and grunge (think alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins).
Spiritual Highlights Tracks like "Lamb of God" and "Take Heart" have biblical undertones and messages in the lyrics. The tracks "Never Alone," "Trust," and "Legion" are reflective of one's faith and journey to freedom in Christ. They can very quickly serve as the soundtrack to the trials and battles that even Christians deal with from day to day.
Best Song The five tracks from this debut EP are "Lamb of God," "Take Heart," "Never Alone," "Legion," and my personal favorite "Trust." "Trust" is a catchy song with inspirational lyrics, powerful vocals, and a 90's alt-rock feel (a major plus). I also like the low-key screaming in the background.
Final Word I see a lot of potential for this project and the artist: the instrumentals are tight, especially the guitar riffs and drums. The production quality of the tracks is impressive, and the vocals are pleasing to the ears. As this project expands in the future, I would love to see more vocalists added and an old-school ballad or two from them. As first releases go for independent artists, this one does not disappoint.
