The Face of Love

The Face of Love is the third studio album from Christian rock band Sanctus Real. It was released on April 4, 2006 and peaked at number 158 on the Billboard 200. The singles "I'm Not Alright" and "Don't Give Up" both reached number 1 on Christian contemporary hit radio. The album was written and recorded following a period of personal struggles for the band members, and carries themes of honesty and brokenness. The Face of Love was generally well received by music critics, who praised its lyrical maturity and vocal performance of lead singer Matt Hammit. The album itself was GMA Dove Award-nominated for Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year, and the song "I'm Not Alright" also received a Dove Award nomination. Background Before recording their third major studio album, the members of Sanctus Real faced several personal struggles including family deaths. In early February 2005, drummer Mark Graalman and his wife had a child, and on the same day, Graalman received news of his father's failing health due to cancer. Within two months his father and lead vocalist Matt Hammit's grandmother died, and the band's bassist left the group. Hammit said in an interview, "It basically left [us] feeling pretty confused about what was next for Sanctus Real, what kind of record we were going to make and how it was even going to happen." The album's final track, "Benjamin", was written to Graalman's infant son in relation to the father's death. The band had difficulty in attempting to prepare and record an album following the circumstances at that time. Producer Christopher Stevens encouraged them to write honest songs about the pain that they had experienced, and was credited by the band members as "walking with them through their dark night of the soul experience".