Alien Youth: The Unplugged Invasion DVD

While many other DVDs are merely a few music videos and a couple behind-the-scenes featurettes, Skillet treats you to a truly unique experience as they play some favorite tracks reimagined as acoustic tracks. This finds bassist and lead vocalist John Cooper accompanied by guitarist Ben Kasaica pounding away on their acoustics while Lori Peters beats the bongos and a very pregnant Korey Cooper slams away at the keys (Korey has since given birth to her and John's first child, Alexandria!). The first song is "Alien Youth," which takes a few seconds to adjust to the different sound, but easily becomes a joy to watch despite their electric shows being so loaded with unbridled energy. The direction on the live shots keep the viewer's attention, bouncing between members and the audience at key moments. "One Real Thing" makes a great transition to acoustic considering it's more ballad approach, as does "You Are My Hope." "Kill Me, Heal Me," meanwhile, is an almost perfect acoustic rendition.

In addition to the acoustic session, fans are treated to a 10 minute "Bible study" with John Cooper and a group of young teens which is edited nicely to keep moving steadily as it turns into a brief question-and-answer session. A photo gallery of moments during the session is also present, including a surprising 29 photos. Finally, the music video for "Best Kept Secret" is included as well as a complete discography of musical offerings from the band's career.

This disc is a must for the fans, in this case, the panheads of Christian music.