Skillet [Comatose Comes Alive]
Posted October 31, 2008
By christianmusicreview,
[MAIN REVIEW]
There is something about live albums that make us feel like we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Its fun to get swept up in the music you’re listening too, and when you are hearing the audience cheer and the band talk directly to the crowd, you feel like you’re in the middle of it all.
Skillet’s new live CD, “Comatose Comes Alive,” really puts you in the action. But the best part about this new release is that it is a CD/DVD combo. Not only do you get the audio (which has a few extra songs on the end) but you get the DVD of the concert, which rocked. Also included on the DVD are four Skillet music videos: “Rebirthing,” “Whispers In The Dark,” “The Older I Get” (behind the scenes video, and “Savior.” I spent a couple hours just watching the concert DVD and perusing through the video and behind the scenes section. The CD includes four acoustic songs included after the live performance portion.
If Skillet is a band you have never heard of before, it’s time to change that. Going strong since 1996, Skillet has released seven albums since the self-titled “Skillet,” which is nothing to sneeze at for any band, let along a Christian one. “Comatose Comes Alive” is project number eight, and their first live album. Lead singer John Cooper is the only original member from Skillet. His wife, Korey Cooper - who plays guitar, backing vocals and keyboard - joined in 1999. Ben Kasica on guitar, joined in 2001, and the newest member, drummer Jen Ledger, joined this year.
Lead singer John Cooper explains the meaning of comatose right before the last live song, “Best Kept Secret.” “The word comatose means being in a coma,” said Cooper. “We called the record that because if we don’t wake up out of our comas and realize we are loosing this world, we are going to lose. I’m really excited about this message because it’s not exclusive for Christians. We can all agree this world is getting worse, and you have a role to play, to make it a worse place or a better place. All it’s gonna take is us deciding that we’re gonna care more about somebody else than we care about ourselves.”
The entire album is packed with meaning and poetic lyrics that relate well to people in all kinds of situations. One highlight includes “The Last Night,” which is about being pulled out of our darkness by the Savior. “Your parents say everything is your fault / but they don’t know you like I know you. / I’m so sick of when they say, ‘it’s just a phase, you’ll be ok. Your fine, / but I know it’s a lie. / This is the last night you'll spend alone / Look me in the eyes so I know you know / I'm everywhere you want me to be.”
This is one of the most exciting projects I’ve seen in a long time Skillet is a band that continues to get better each time they put out an album. They won’t be going stale any time soon.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
This band is pumped with passion and a heart for God. Watching the show and listening to their lyrics gives the audience a sense of how genuine this band is in their caring for others.
“We’ve all been talking about changing this world,” Cooper continued. “I say its time that we quit talking about it, and just do it. If we actually believe that love is the answer, then let’s start loving people and see what God can do in our country, and see what God can do in our world.”
Rating: 9.7 out of 10 (97%, A-)
Review written by: Liz Zelinski | Review can also be found here.
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