Skillet- Awake

The now three-year-old Comatose was the album that put Skillet where they are now. Where exactly are they? Stuck somewhere between tons of Christian fans and tons of mainstream fans. Their fantastic live show and hard-rock/cello style combination have been pulling in more and more loving fans from both sides over the past few years. But it seems that this time, Skillet aimed more at mainstream fans with their newest, dozen-track effort, Awake, than Comatose originally was.

Being a predominantly mainstream artist with Christian faith isn't exactly a bad thing. By sticking subtle messages into the lyrics, the band can reach out to non-believers without overwhelming them. And, as we all know, any clean music nowadays is greatly appreciated among Christian fans, and is a great witness to unbelievers. Something is different about Skillet, and one of these days those mainstream fans will figure it out. It seems abundantly clear in the track, "Lucy," which talks about the loss of someone who was loved. Lead vocalist John Cooper sings, "I'll see you in another life, In heaven where we never say goodbye." All songs can be traced back to God in some way, but you'd have to know Skillet was a Christian band to realize the connection, as there can be many interpretations to more than a few songs.

Another thing the band seemed to aim for this time was to bring back fans of Comatose's musical style. While it seems that in 13 years, an ever-changing band would find some other direction to go with, musically, Skillet seemed content to stick very closely to the style heard three years ago--almost to the point where things are scarily similar. The song "One Day Too Late" sounds way too much like "The Older I Get" in certain places (it even sounds similar lyrically). And while Ben Kasica's guitar solos are pretty unbelievable, the one in "Awake and Alive" almost sounds recycled from "Rebirthing" and would even work as a better sounding continuation of it.

A few differences on the album come from the new drummer fro the UK, Jen Ledger. She does vocals on a few songs (yet she doesn't have any solo songs, which seemed like an obvious thing to do), and is a great addition to the Skillet team. Her vocals are most prevalent in the songs "Hero" and "Awake and Alive," providing a better change from Korey Cooper's more solemn voice. Also, the album is a bit heavier. Granted, there is no screaming (sans a distorted growl during "Monster" just for effect), which I suspected might have been present because of their live CD/DVD. Half of the songs are power ballads, all of which makes it a bit more radio-friendly. That's just one other way they'll be able to reach out to the mainstream. Although half of the time Cooper's growly voice is just enough, I think it would've been cool for him to do a little "Savior" type screams.

There are a few other spots here and there where Skillet went out on a limb to try something new. Besides the mainstream focus and the new BGV, a lot of Kasica's guitar solos are even more impressive than previously thought. Also, a lot of the violins and cellos are a lot more intense in places--and others rather calm and peaceful. They're something that makes the album a lot more enjoyable, added in places where things would've been too dry without.

So, given three years, I think Skillet should've been able to come up with something a little newer for them. That's what an artist is--not making the same album a bunch of different ways to please people. Just ask Emery. But given that the gap between albums was three years, it's good to hear anything new from Skillet. A lot of the songs are very enjoyable, but I think most fans will consider Comatose to be their favorite, something which is always a little hard to duplicate. But Skillet will definitely be picking up a lot of mainstream fans, and I give them a lot of respect for reaching out to those kids who need something good to listen to. The band members all have great hearts for Christ, and this album is going to help stretch out their ministry on a huge scale.