![]() Following is a track-by-track analysis of “Awake”: As is always the case with Skillet, the album is best experienced at high volume. The CD starts with a bang, with three of the first four songs being of the traditional Skillet hard rock variety (two of these three songs also being the best on the album in this reviewer’s opinion). ![]() This is “overcomer” music, and that makes for an encouraging and enriching listening experience. ![]() It is marching music, army music, not the lovesick “Jesus is my girlfriend” crooning that has seemed to dominate contemporary Christian music for years or the similarly lovesick music played in the mainstream world. It’s really a unique sound, which is a real feather in Skillet’s cap, given the general homogeneity of the music scene these days.īefore moving to song-by-song analysis, I should mention that I very much appreciate is the way some of the songs on these albums are-the only way I can describe it is that it is “battlefield music” or “fighting music.” That is, it is replete with light/dark imagery (even down to the music composition), and the featured songs (especially “Hero” and “Awake and Alive”) strongly emphasize the need to hold fast and stand firm in the face of darkness, shining the light and being the face of change to the peoplerather than passively addressing one’s world, letting evil gain the upper hand. There are times where glimpses of the old 80’s Arena Rock days can be heard, there’s a lot of progressive rock/metal influence, along with a few classic rock elements, and it’s all mixed together with a post-grunge modern rock feel. One noteworthy element common to the last two projects is that in their harder material, Skillet has managed to merge various elements from different eras and styles of music. ![]() Add that to the songs that did have that “wow” factor, and this is a really good album.** **Note: After having listened through the album a few times, I’ve gained an increasing appreciation for the album as a whole a couple of the songs that didn’t initially “pop” have really started to grow on me. “Awake” features strong, introspective lyrics and well-developed music, reflecting a band that isn’t new either to rock music or to the ups and downs of their spiritual journey. That said, the album is a bit “softer” than either of the last two projects, with nearly half the album consisting of power ballads or other non-hard-rock options. (Panheads will surely recall the stylistic changes that have typically marked each of their studio albums.) Much of “Awake” will remind the listener of a song or two from the previous “Collide” or “Comatose” projects. My first impression is that this is a “Comatose: Part II” project more than it is an innovation or development in Skillet’s sound. (In order to provide the reader some background in terms of my preferences, let me state that I definitely tend to prefer harder music, with my favorite Skillet songs from the past including, “You’re in My Brain,” “Whispers in the Dark,” Better than Drugs,” “Falling Inside the Black,” “Comatose,” “Locked in a Cage,” “You’re Powerful,” “Kill Me, Heal Me,” and “Angels Fall Down,” while my favorite ballads include “Come My Way,” “Safe With You,” “More Faithful,” and “Will You Be There.”) My pre-order copy has already arrived, so here is my review of their newest project, “Awake.” Before continuing, I have to admit that my expectations were sky-high for this CD, especially following a project that I regard as one of the best efforts in the history of Christian rock music. Skillet’s eighth studio album, their long-awaited sequel to their 2006 smash hit “Comatose,” finally hits the stores on Aug 25.
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