Skillet formed in Memphis, TN in 1996. They put out their self-titled debut album
that year. Four singles were released
from that album including ‘I Can’ and ‘My Beautiful Robe’. Over the years Skillet has had two Grammy
nominations and won a Billboard Music Award for AWAKE (2009) which was
certified platinum. The group’s current
roster is: John Cooper (lead vocals, bass), Korey Cooper (keyboards, guitar),
Jen Ledger (drums, vocals), and Seth Morrison (guitar). John is the only founding member left. UNLEASHED (2016) is Skillet’s tenth studio
album. It hit #1 on the iTunes Top Rock
Albums chart, as well as on the US Billboard Top Rock Albums chart, and the US
Billboard Christian albums chart.
‘Feel Invincible’ is the album’s first single. It is a techno-rock song featuring additional
guitar and backing vocals by Brian Howes.
It speaks of how God gives us strength when we need it most: “You make
me feel invincible/Earthquake powerful/Just like a tidal wave/You make me brave/You’re
my titanium/Fight song raising up/Like the roar of victory in a stadium/Who can
touch me cause I’m made of fire?/Who can stop me tonight?/I’m hard wired/You
make me feel invincible/I feel, I feel it, invincible (2X)”. ‘Back from the Dead’ is one of four songs
written by John L. Cooper and wife Korey.
This hard rocker is a song of encouragement: “Enemies clawing at my
eyes/I scratch and bleed just to stay alive, yeah/The zombies come out at
night/They’ll never catch me (2X)/B-b-b-b-back back back/Light it up, light it
up/Now I’m burning/Feel the rush, feel the rush of adrenaline/We are young, we
are strong, we will rise/Cause I’m back back back from the dead tonight/To the
floor, to the floor/Hit the redline/Flying high, flying high at the speed of
light/For the love, for the life, for the fight/Cause I’m back back back from
the dead tonight”.
The album’s second single, ‘Stars’, was penned by John L.
and Korey Cooper, Seth Mosley, and Jason Ingram. It is a techno-worship ballad: “If You can
hold the stars in place/You can hold my heart the same/Whenever I fall away,
whenever I start to break/So here I am lifting up my heart/If You can calm the
raging sea/You can calm the storm in me/You’re never too far away/You never
show up too late/So here I am lifting up my heart/To the One who holds the
stars”. ‘I Want to Live’ is a good rock
song that uses strings and offers hope to the hopeless: “All I ever needed was
a reason to believe/You help me hold on/You ignite the fire in me/You always
come for me/You know just what I need/Don’t make me wait for this/Save me from
this darkness.../I want to live my life/The choice is mine/I made up my
mind/Now I’m free to start again”.
‘Undefeated’ is one of two songs written by John, Kevin
Churko, and Kane Churko. The latter two
help with backing vocals on this hard-rocking motivational number: “I came to
fight for the love of the game/Unstoppable/That’s why I, I’m undefeated/Off the
leash, out of the cage, an animal/That’s why I, I’m undefeated/I, I, I know I
can beat it/Won’t give up cause I believe it/Fight for the love of the
game/Unstoppable/That’s right I, I’m undefeated/I’m undefeated”. Sam Tinnesz is a co-writer on ‘Famous’, a
song of praise: “I testify/This is not a secret meant to keep/Your love is like
fire/Spreadin’ from my heart straight to my feet/And when I was dead/You gave
me new life/I’m liftin’ You up/With all of my might/I don’t care who’s to the
left, to the right/You’re all that’s on my mind/Don’t really care what they
say, what they think/I feel so alive/I’m unashamed, I’m wide-awake/Not gonna
hide/Can’t deny You’re my everything”.
Mia Fieldes is a co-writer on ‘Lions’. It includes backing vocals by Jerricho
Scroggins and Asa Wiggins and is a pretty praise and worship song: “If we’re
gonna fly, we fly like eagles, arms out wide/If we’re gonna fear, we fear no
evil/We will rise/By Your power we will go/By Your Spirit we are bold/If we’re
gonna stand, we stand as giants/If we’re gonna walk, we walk as lions/We walk
as lions”. ‘Out of Hell’ is a heavy rock
song. If you’ve ever felt abandoned,
you’ll relate to these lyrics: “I can’t trust anyone/All that I got is another
scar broken heart/I’ve been stabbed in the back, the bleeding won’t stop/Just
another cut in the dark/Ohh, can You see me?/Ohh, can You hear me?/Can You hear
me screaming for You?/I’m afraid I’m gonna die down here/I can’t save, I can’t
save myself/Get me out!”
‘Burn it Down’ has these thoughts many will relate to: “Do
you ever feel your colors are fading, like your world might combust?/Do the
voices in your head make you crazy when they’re the only ones you trust?” ‘Watching for Comets’ is a ballad about lost
love: “Now I see you/I’m frozen in time/All your colors burst into life/I don’t
dare close my eyes/Cause a love like this happens once in a lifetime/You were a
comet and I lost it/Watching for comets/Will I see you again?”
Next up is ‘Saviors of the World’. Granted, ‘saviors’ might not be the best
choice of word here. Maybe they should
have went with ‘the lights’ instead. At
any rate, the chorus goes as follows: “We are the saviors of the world/And I
will not be ruled/We are kings and conquerors/And I won’t bow to you/They will
not control us anymore/We will not conform, no, anymore/We are the saviors, the
saviors/The saviors of the world”. ‘The
Resistance’ is a motivational rock anthem: “You can take my heart/You can take
my breath/When you pry it from my cold dead chest/This is how we rise up/Heavy
as a hurricane/Louder than a freight train/This is how we rise up, heart is
beating faster/Feels like thunder/Magic/Static/Call me a fanatic/It’s our
world, they can never have it/This is how we rise up/It’s our resistance, you
can’t resist us”.
So, how does UNLEASHED (2016, Atlantic) compare to other
Skillet albums? Unfortunately, it is not
one of their stronger albums. Several of
the songs revisit themes the band has already covered on other albums. Also, lyrically, this is one of the least
creative Skillet albums. That being said
there are a handful of songs that would be worthy of being on a greatest hits
project. Musically, there is a good mix
of songs to rock out to, and songs of reverence. John Cooper and Jen Ledger’s vocals
complement each other nicely. Skillet is
still one of the best Christian rock bands out there and this is certainly not
an awful album, it just doesn’t show the growth and maturity I was looking
for. I’m rating UNLEASHED 83%. For more info visit: www.skillet.com and www.atlanticrecords.com.
In 2017 Skillet released a Deluxe Edition of this album, called UNLEASHED BEYOND. It begins with five songs not on the original album and concludes with three alternate takes of songs on the album.
13. Husband and wife duo John L. and Korey Cooper co-wrote 'Breaking Free' a hard rocker with great electric guitar work and some growled vocals. Lacey Sturm formerly of Flyleaf also sings on this awesome track about finding true freedom: "These things you say/They don't hold me/I'm not your slave/No way, I'm stronger than before/I will break, breaking free, coming alive/I broke these chains, never be afraid to live my life/Break, breaking free, one last time/No matter what they say, I will never change/And I know I can/Break (4X)/Look out, I'm breaking free".
14. 'Stay Til the Daylight' is a pretty, sentimental ballad: "All I know is I want you/Love can heal, love can bruise/On your side, win or lose/It's all in the past, yeah (2X)/Battlefield in my car/Almost home in my arms/I'll be fine if you are/It's all in the past, yeah (2X)".
15. John L. and Korey Cooper co-wrote 'Brave' with Seth Mosley. This is a terrific, powerful, sing-a-long modern worship song: "Wherever I will go, wherever You will lead/I never walk alone/Your Spirit is with me/Oh, You're with me as I go/So I will not be afraid/You call me to be brave/In You, in You/Brave/In You/You call me to be brave". John and drummer Jen Ledger share lead vocal duties.
16. 'You Get Me High' is a catchy rock song of testimony: "Everybody wants satisfaction/I need, I need, I need it too/Nothing else can numb the pain of crashing/My only true escape is You.../You get me high/You always save me/You get me high/You are my remedy.../You give me life when I feel empty".
17. The Cooper's co-wrote 'Set it Off' with Brian Howes. It's a heavy rock song that includes words that could be Christ's: "Though kings will rise and fall/I will keep standing tall/My words won't fade away/It's a brand new day, a brand new day".
18. 'Feel Invincible (Y2K Remix)' has a slower, cooler vibe to it than the original.
19. 'The Resistance (Soli Remix)' has a punchy feel to it, as if a boxer is landing blows. I prefer the original version.
20. Last up is the version of 'Stars' from the soundtrack to the 2017 film 'The Shack' starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer. This version of the song is more laid back than the original version.
I'm rating the eight bonus tracks combined on UNLEASHED BEYOND an 88.5%. Every Panhead should own this deluxe edition. Some of the bonus cuts are better than the original 12 songs. For more info visit: www.skillet.com and www.atlanticrecords.com. The deluxe edition also comes with an extra pic of each band member.
In 2017 Skillet released a Deluxe Edition of this album, called UNLEASHED BEYOND. It begins with five songs not on the original album and concludes with three alternate takes of songs on the album.
13. Husband and wife duo John L. and Korey Cooper co-wrote 'Breaking Free' a hard rocker with great electric guitar work and some growled vocals. Lacey Sturm formerly of Flyleaf also sings on this awesome track about finding true freedom: "These things you say/They don't hold me/I'm not your slave/No way, I'm stronger than before/I will break, breaking free, coming alive/I broke these chains, never be afraid to live my life/Break, breaking free, one last time/No matter what they say, I will never change/And I know I can/Break (4X)/Look out, I'm breaking free".
14. 'Stay Til the Daylight' is a pretty, sentimental ballad: "All I know is I want you/Love can heal, love can bruise/On your side, win or lose/It's all in the past, yeah (2X)/Battlefield in my car/Almost home in my arms/I'll be fine if you are/It's all in the past, yeah (2X)".
15. John L. and Korey Cooper co-wrote 'Brave' with Seth Mosley. This is a terrific, powerful, sing-a-long modern worship song: "Wherever I will go, wherever You will lead/I never walk alone/Your Spirit is with me/Oh, You're with me as I go/So I will not be afraid/You call me to be brave/In You, in You/Brave/In You/You call me to be brave". John and drummer Jen Ledger share lead vocal duties.
16. 'You Get Me High' is a catchy rock song of testimony: "Everybody wants satisfaction/I need, I need, I need it too/Nothing else can numb the pain of crashing/My only true escape is You.../You get me high/You always save me/You get me high/You are my remedy.../You give me life when I feel empty".
17. The Cooper's co-wrote 'Set it Off' with Brian Howes. It's a heavy rock song that includes words that could be Christ's: "Though kings will rise and fall/I will keep standing tall/My words won't fade away/It's a brand new day, a brand new day".
18. 'Feel Invincible (Y2K Remix)' has a slower, cooler vibe to it than the original.
19. 'The Resistance (Soli Remix)' has a punchy feel to it, as if a boxer is landing blows. I prefer the original version.
20. Last up is the version of 'Stars' from the soundtrack to the 2017 film 'The Shack' starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer. This version of the song is more laid back than the original version.
I'm rating the eight bonus tracks combined on UNLEASHED BEYOND an 88.5%. Every Panhead should own this deluxe edition. Some of the bonus cuts are better than the original 12 songs. For more info visit: www.skillet.com and www.atlanticrecords.com. The deluxe edition also comes with an extra pic of each band member.