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| Artist: Skillet
Label: Atlantic / Wea
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $6.80
You Save: $7.18 (51%)
New (33) Used (12) from $6.80
Rating:  113 reviews
Sales Rank: 923
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 94537
UPC: 075679453723
EAN: 0075679453723
ASIN: B000I0QJI4
Release Date: October 3, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Clearly their best. November 13, 2007
Kevin Davis (Charlotte, NC United States)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Most bands seem to peak with their first, second, maybe third album. Well, it took Skillet a decade (and I don't know how many albums later) to produce a truly great album. Here, finally, is the mature, creative, talented Skillet that's been waiting to bloom, separating them from the mass of mediocre Christian grunge-metal bands out there. Yes, this album is a little more polished and has greater pop-sensibility than their previous work, but it's entirely for the good. From beginning to end, this album does not disappoint. They truly should get mainstream play with this album. It's hard to pick favorite tracks, but I would point you to "The Older I Get" and "Those Nights," plus, of course, the fantastic first single, "Rebirthing."
The Soundtrack to My Life July 25, 2008
Lit Chic (The Lone Star State)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
There are not enough words available to contain the genius that is Skillet. I truly think that when the dust settles from the rock movement, eventually Skillet will be one of the bands remembered for their lyricism and musical ingenuity. Many bands have attempted to put a hard spin on classical refrains, but Skillet has largely succeeded, and it will give them longevity beyond many other more well-known bands.
Skillet also manages to be relevant in a scarily intimate way--I cried the first time I heard "The Last Night," and I don't cry to music. They've tapped into a generational Zeitgeist; you can see them laid open in their music and follow them through it. They acknowledge the messy, sticky, depressing ugliness of humanity, and then offer a way out. They are brave enough to confront inner demons that we all face, and then brave enough to stand up and say, "I know it doesn't have to be this way." Their devastating and honest spirituality is an affirmation of Faith and a total obliteration of excuses. I pray for this band, because I don't want to ever see them lose that total transparency that comes from a genuine relationship with Christ.
While each of their albums has some real gems, this one is nothing but one big hit. Once again, in an apropos theme, it's entitled "Comatose," with a trash heap of TVs in a drab field on the cover. Just staring at the artwork gives one chills, and completely sets the stage for the first song. I know that artwork is supposed to complement the album, but for it to be a part of the experience is new to me.
The journey opens with the adrenaline rush that is "Rebirthing." The tune is catchy--maybe I shouldn't do this, but I've played this album enough that my two-year-old can sing along with the chorus. However, the complexity of the song, both musically and lyrically, keeps it from becoming a pop-tune casualty. It's accessible hard rock that makes you want to embrace your inner head-banger instead of covering your ears!
Next up is "The Last Night," a gorgeous utilization of vocals. It's a love song; it's a tragic acknowledgement of depression; it's an allegorical love song; it's a passionate refrain. It should be blasted along with "Rebirthing," yet it could be a lullaby. However you want to categorize it, "The Last Night" is an experience rather than a song.
In a mellowing turn, "Yours to Hold" continues the double-meaning--it could be a simple love song, but it could also be an emotional cry from a Savior. This continued double emphasis raises the idea of love to a level of dignity that much of mainstream music doesn't understand, but it also makes Divine love accessible. Once again, part of the genius of Skillet: they're just not afraid to go there.
"Better than Drugs" necessarily amps it back up; subject matter like this can't be handled with a keyboard alone. I have to admit it's not a perspective on God that I would have naturally thought of, but it does make sense. How many of us who have been Christian for longer than three months can honestly say that God *hasn't* been our alternative to any alluring self-destruction?--and then we find that He's so much better, because He's the original. I love this raw honesty.
After that prep, we get to the title track, a rush all to itself. The lyrics are a delicious turn in wordplay: "Comatose/I'll never wake up without an overdose of you." The music is again appropriate to the subject matter, and the listener is swept away.
At this point, there's a shift in the album. The first five songs are musically and thematically similar, but beginning with "The Older I Get," the album goes deeper, as odd as that might seem. "The Older I Get" is a reflection on broken relationships. As much as we would all like it to be different, it's a fact of life that some relationships don't work out. The lilting nature of this song gives it a closing, healing quality--we acknowledge it, learn from it and move on.
The theme of "The Older I Get" finds its partner in "Those Nights," also a song with a musical abandonment that makes the bittersweet nature of the song palatable. "Falling Inside the Black" starts slow and then turns it up, a musical rendition of desperation. Again, there are levels of meaning in this song; is it betrayal? Or is it that familiar desert of faith where the Christian has nothing to hang onto but the promises of God, when she can't see or hear Him? Or is it that overwhelming depression that swallows us whole when it hits, and all we can do is muster the strength to, as Paul said, Stand? Maybe it's all three. But it's absolutely wonderful to have lyrics that go deep enough to withstand analysis. I am, after all, a literature person....
"Say Goodbye" is another bittersweet track, slightly more straightforward than other songs on the album, but endearing in its stubbornness: "Don't say anything tonight/If you're gonna say goodbye." The music is more lyrical than other songs on the album, closer in theme to "The Older I Get."
The album ends on a high note: "Whispers in the Dark" is the companion to "Falling Inside the Black," the answer we all want to hear. I would almost wish they would have put the two tracks together, but I suppose there's something to be said for not being too obvious. "No, you'll never be alone/When darkness comes you know I'm never far" is the direct answer to "Don't leave me here like this/Can't hear me scream from the abyss." Life has these pits of despair, but God never leaves us alone in them--and this is the companion promise that's just edgy enough to be believable.
The album is capped with a spiritual/social conscience song, that reminds us, through all of our struggles, that life isn't about us alone. We're here for a greater good: "We want a reason to live." "Looking for Angels" reminds us that the suffering are everywhere, and those of us who have been fortunate enough to receive Light in our lives need to be there to pass it on and be that Light to others. Our overcoming isn't much use if we can't help dig others out of their pits of Hell. "We represent a generation/That wants to turn back the nation/To let love be our light and salvation." Amen.
In short, this album is a tour de force not to be passed up. It's a masterpiece that will endure, because it's not just an album. It's a story of redeemed humanity that will resonate for years to come.
an excellent album October 4, 2006
Lucas Kunert
3 out of 16 found this review helpful
So the new album by Skillet, 'Comatose', is amazing. This band is a Christian Rock band with a great and intense rock sound, as also are their lyrics. The opening track and first single from the new disc, "Rebirthing", is nothing short of amazing and a good kick-start to this new array of music by Skillet, who from Tennessee, include 2 male and 2 female musicians in the band. "Rebirthing" is a strong track and very good choice for the first single. Then, the second song "The Last Night" makes you (at first) think Skillet went soft on us for this song with the opening piano, but then kick it into gear with some violins bringing in the hard rocking guitars followed by a verse mixed between John & Korey's differing voices (male & female of course), and this continues through the entire song. All in all, a great song and a wonderful theme lyrically. "Yours to Hold" comes in as a very light song for these guys, but again, the lyrics are what makes this song worth listening to -- all Skillet lyrics have very deep meaning and great themes in them, although you should expect that from these seasons musicians having released 5 previous albums. "Better Than Drugs", song four, starts out with a great guitar riff and some cool voice effects. This one has a very catchy chorus and keeps you listening all the way through. The track-titled song follows with a great musical sound with a good mix of violins/cellos throughout this one -- again, a catchy chorus and John's awesome vocal work in this one suck you in to this song. "The Older I Get" is a good track on the light side, and afterwards is "Those Nights", which starts out loud and drops down into some great piano work for the first verse; it then speeds up into the chorus -- this song definitely gets some attention, although it too is lighter than the vast majority of Skillet songs, but not a bad thing at all. "Falling Inside the Black" is a bit of a slower song with some great, passionate lyrics by both John and Korey again in this one, with the chorus picking up some speed for the song, but it's not a boring song at all. Now, if you like some piano work in Skillet music, the next song "Say Goodbye" maybe be the best song on the album for it, with a piano at least in the background all the way through this song -- the lyrics may not be the best on the album, because how many times and ways can you re-write about saying 'goodbye'. They're pushing the sad mood in this song a lot with the lyrics and piano combination. Personally, it's probably my least favorite song from the album. This album's final two songs definitely make this one worth the listen all the way to the end. "Whispers in the Dark" and "Looking For Angels" cap off the end of this album with a big bang of energy and emotion (lyrically and musicially). "Whispers in the Dark" comes first with a very soft piano playing and John coming in for about 10 seconds and then *boom*, the guitars come in to kick your ear drums in -- the vocals in this song are simply amazing, as are the guitars and music as a whole. Definitely one of the best written songs and one of my favorites on the album -- I'm thinking second single off the album. Last, but far from least, is "Looking For Angels" on 'Comatose'. This song blew me away the first time I heard it and fell in love with it instantly. It starts instantly with John's vocals and into some pianos along with a kind of "narrator-like" talking, but it flows very well with some back vocals in between sentences, and this continues through most of the song. The chorus is one of the catchiest I've heard in awhile and an awesome theme to this song ties it to being my most favorite off the album. The violins added in to the song make it such a masterpiece.
In conclusion, I'd give this album 9/10, just because there's a few songs I think could've been a bit better done and may have sounded rushed, although most are great. I'm sure this album will do well, and if you're a Skillet fan you shouldn't be disappointed at all by this album. John's vocals are amazing as always and the band's sound has grown a lot from their last album.
The bar has been raised!! Well Done!!! October 18, 2006
Jay C (sacramento)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
After sampling this new Cd I ran to purchase a copy.I was taken back by the depth and the sound of this new release. From the Album art to recording quality. I have recently upgraded my home theater and notice how well this Cd was recorded and engineered!! How many Cd's do you have that you can press play and not skip a track? I have heard Skillet's music before and could take or leave them. There is a substantial change in there music from the previous releases. So far the best album, I've heard this year!! No longer are Christian musicians relegated to the back seat, or a sub genre, the quality of recent Christian artists (last 5 to 10 years) is unmatched. While secular music stumbles along with there falling sales,lack of talent and originality, Christian music has exploded. The quality of bands like Demon Hunter,Disciple,Red and many other Christian bands should be given heavy rotation on radio but are not. The talent coming from these artists is awesome. Wow, have we come along way! 15-20 years ago we never had such a selection of music and artists.......enough lamenting......My prediction album of the year.....we will see!
 I wish this album was better than drugs!!! March 31, 2007
Rjupiter
3 out of 14 found this review helpful
The album title could not be more apt as this is what it does to me when I listen to it, fall into a coma. From the overly generic lyrics and repetitive nature of it all to the sheer annoyance of the female vocals (his wife) is off the scale. What made me love Collide I hate in this album. It shows no growth or anything of interest to listen to this album. Is one big long whine fest that is utterly disappointing. What a freakin shame that this crap is there next album I have been waiting for.
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