Skillet
Comatose
By Andy Argyrakis

Classic rock riffs, swirling drums, monstrous hooks and undeniably catchy choruses. Hints of old school progressive rock mixed in with modern alternative flourishes and touches of classical influence as swelling strings intersect with sonic adrenaline rushes. It’s indeed a fusion unlike any other, marking the latest chapter in the continuous evolution of Skillet, whose moniker couldn’t be more fitting come its explosive Lava/Atlantic Records release Comatose.

The project comes hot on the heels of 2004’s Lava/Atlantic debut Collide, which launched the group meteorically into the public eye with the single “Savior” (the #2 most added at CMJ’s “Loud Rock and Crucial Spins” panel the first week out), touring with the likes of Three Days Grace, Salvia, Shinedown and Finger Eleven, plus a prestigious nomination at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. Add in the fact that Collide became their best-selling project with over 200,000 units sold, coupled with 200 dates a year on the road, and this foursome is one of the hardest working, heaviest rocking and most broadly appealing acts of its generation.

“We’ve been proud of where we’ve been in the past, but I feel like this is our strongest record,” notes vocalist/bassist John Cooper, citing the band’s recent completion of the Comatose sessions at Chicago Recording Company (Smashing Pumpkins, Michael Jackson, R. Kelly) with producer Brian Howes (from famed Canadian TVT band Closure and Hinder’s hit debut). “There are so many different influences where it won’t just be about rock audiences or metal audiences. I think there’s something here for everybody and it’s our most mass appeal record.”

Pop in the project for a matter of seconds and it’s obvious Skillet’s struck gold yet again, building off the refined musicianship found on Collide and taking it to even more jaw dropping extremes. The lead single “Rebirthing” is a complex but accessible amalgamation of piercing strings, jarring guitars, humongous power chords and neck snapping reactions sure to be a concert staple. In sharp contrast, but equally compelling, are “The Last Night” and “Say Goodbye,” oozing with ethereal orchestration and insanely infectious sing-a-long potential.

“I just love rock ballads and the old days of Motley Crue, Aerosmith and Bon Jovi,” Cooper contends of the latter two selections. “They always help you remember where you were, what you were doing and who you were dating. They represent more of the pop side of what we do, which might have been hinted at in other records, but was never fully realized or matured.”

While such selections are sure to storm the radio, Comatose has several examples of Skillet flexing its experimental muscles, adding several piano based and progressive periods. A careful dissection of “Whispers” unveils nods to the current prog crop via the channels of Yes, while “Better Than Drugs” is a delightfully schizophrenic barnburner sure to tip the decibel scales in one of the disc’s most aggressive displays. “The Last Night” takes a more delicate twist, pitting John’s vocals with his wife Korey Cooper as her keyboards glide with chilling cadence.

“It’s a new era for both Atlantic and Skillet,” exclaims Andy Karp, head of A&R for Atlantic Records. “It’s the first record where we’ve really been one on one with the band and it’s the latest step in our unique journey together. I’ve been at the label seventeen years and we’re known for having so many classic rock n’ roll bands: Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Yes, Bad Company. There really aren’t a lot of labels that have that kind of pedigree for rock acts and Skillet is yet another in the long line of great bands.”

Cooper and company can certainly relate, citing several from the label’s lineage as influencers since its infancy. “Growing up I was a prog freak and loved bands like Yes and [fellow label mates] Dream Theater,” he confirms. “I also grew up with my mom as a classical piano teacher and took lessons for eight years along with the marching band and symphonic band. It’s funny because every once in a while there was a touch of that on Collide, but until recently, I didn’t see what that background had to do with rock music. On this record we were able to make it work structurally within the piano and strings, plus there’s enough prog to make me happy.”

Aside from the band’s musical strides, Cooper’s songwriting has also expanded to cover a vast range of topical territories, some of which follow socially conscious thought processes, while others vulnerably mirror his personal life and struggles. Take for instance the aforementioned “The Last Night,” which talks about someone considering suicide after living life in despair and not having support from their parents. Rather than calling it quits, the track suggests life is worth living and through the help of a supportive friend, they’re eventually talked down from that ledge. Even closer to home for Cooper is “The Older I Get,” which picks up after his mom passed away, tracing the rocky relationship he had with his dad and new stepmother.  

“My dad got remarried two months after my mom died and my stepmother’s husband had also passed away a few months earlier,” he recalls. “It was a really bizarre situation and they didn’t get along, which was also the point where my dad and I started fighting. From the time I was fourteen or fifteen, I don’t remember having a single conversation with him that didn’t have to do with fighting for about four years. But a lot has mended since then and we’ve been able to move on. You can only go through life so long living in regret, and while those situations certainly affected me, I don’t hold onto the anger anymore.”

Those introspective visions tie in with the group’s overall goals of promoting positive messages that will give fans something to digest beyond pre-conceived clichés or trite topics. Naming the record Comatose further cements those expressions, hoping to rev up listeners to break beyond the mundane, get on track with their relationships and charge forward with hope.

“John has written the best songs he’s every written and there’s been such an evolution on all levels for the band,” Karp continues. “Sonically we set out to create a combination of electronic elements, orchestration and a melodic approach and Skillet’s managed to hit all of those three exactly on target, raising up its game to yet another level of excellence.”

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