Tomorrow, Skillet releases Comatose, their sixth studio project in ten years (their first self-titled album was released in 1996). This CD rocks. Musically, it's closer to Collide than any other Skillet album, with orchestral instrumentals similar to what was on Collide intertwined with Ben Kasica's excellent guitar riffs and Lori Peters' heavy drum-pounding. However, Comatose is not quite as heavy as Collide. That is not to say that Comatose doesn't rock; it's just different. As John Cooper (singer/songwriter, bassist) puts it, "Yeah, it's still rocking, but it's different. On Collide we kind of entered a little bit of the string orchestration world...did a little bit more piano and acoustic guitar on Collide, and we're just kind of taking that further. We're kind of going more into that. It's just that...I would say it's just more dynamic. Collide had that real heavy thing, and then that real soft thing. It still has that, but it's kind of mixing the two, and it's just kind of making it more dynamic."
This dynamic mixture has certainly shown in the success of Rebirthing, the first major single. It opens up with a violin part before going to into another one of Kasica's riffs. In just six weeks, the song has climbed to number 1 on the Christian R&R charts:
I lie here paralytic / inside this soul / screaming for you until / my throat is numb / I want to break out / I need a way out / I don't believe that it's got to be this way / the worst is / the waiting / in this world I'm suffocating / feel your presence / filling up my lungs with oxygen / I take you in / I've died // Rebirthing now / I want to live for love / want to live for you and me / (breathe for the first time now / I come alive somehow) / Rebirthing now / I want to give my life / want to give you everything / (breathe for the first time now / I come alive somehow) // Right now
The song Better Than Drugs, talking about being addicted to God (somewhat similar to My Obsession from Collide), should be really popular at Skillet's live shows:
Feel you when I'm restless / feel you when I cannot cope / you're my addiction / my prescription / my antidote / you kill the poison / ease the suffering / calm the rage / when I'm afraid / to feel again / How can I tell you / just all that you are / what you do to me // you're better than drugs / your love is like wine / feel you coming on so fast / feel you coming on to get me high / you're better than drugs / i'm addicted for life / feel you coming on so fast / feel you coming on to get me high
The project ends with Looking For Angels, which is a call for Christians to do more to make a difference in the world and talks about issues many people go through:
Going through this life / looking for angels / people passing by / looking for angels / walking down the streets / looking for angels / everyone I meet / looking for angels // I became a savior to some kids I'll never meet / sent a check in the mail to buy them something to eat / what will you do to make a difference / to make a change? / what will you do to help someone along the way? / just a touch / a smile as you turn the other cheek / pray for your enemies / humble yourself / love's staring back at me / in the midst of the most painful faces / angels show up in the strangest of places
With Comatose, Skillet explores some new styles they've never really done before; they did some orchestral stuff on Collide, but way more here. The style of Looking For Angels is something Skillet has never done before. There's even a pop-punk song on the album, called Those Nights. Korey (keys, guitars) Cooper does more singing on this album than before. Skillet has really evolved as a band, and most of their fans should really enjoy it.
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