My Top 40 Albums - #37

#37
Skillet - "Comatose"

Year: 2006
Label: Atlantic
Favorite songs: Whispers In the Dark, The Last Night, Falling Into Black, Comatose, Rebirthing
Lyric sample: "You come to me with scars on your wrist / You tell me this will be the last night feeling like this / I just came to say goodbye / I don't want you to see me cry / I'm 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 everything you want me to be"

I got excited about Comatose when I saw Skillet live at Ichthus festival a year or two ago. Along with standards like "Savior" and "You're Powerful," Skillet played two new songs from their upcoming release. "Rebirthing" was a cool song, but the "The Last Night" was a song that really made an impact on me. Normally when you hear a new song in concert, you don't really get much from it. You might like it, but with sound issues and everything, sometimes you don't really get a good feel for how it will sound on the record. "The Last Night" was different. John introduced it and explained that the song, a duet between he and his wife Korey, was a conversation between a girl and God. ("I sing the part of God, because I'm awesome," he quipped.) It was an emotional though ultimately uplifting song. It nearly brought tears to my eyes right there in the crowd - I got chills. Very unusual. Yes, this new Skillet record was going to be something special.

Ever changing and ever the same, each Skillet album is always something different. Their sound evolves with every release, but John Cooper's vocals and lyrical style is the center around which these stylistic variations revolve. Comatose finds the band moving from the gritty hard rock of Collide to a smoother, more compressed radio rock. This could have easily been disastrous, and almost was. Songs like "Yours to Hold" seems just a little too radio eager - a bit overproduced and sappy, but it's nothing compared to "Those Nights," which comes much closer to pop-punk than anything that should appear on a Skillet record. Tracks like this could derail the effort, which becomes hit and miss.

Fortunately, the hits hit big. The rock songs are some of the finest Skillet has done. With fantastic bass-heavy guitar riffs, added piano and synth, and catchy melodies, these songs carry a smooth but deadly force. "Rebirthing," the anthem that starts the album, gives us a good taste of what we can expect. Followed by the "Those Nights," it's an unforgettable one-two punch. Both songs pack a lot of power and energy as well as emotion. The latter sounds like it has kind of a minor verse but manages to sound almost happy and soaring on the chorus without losing any of its punch. This style goes a long way to explaining the success of the album. A similar formula is followed on "Whispers," perhaps the best song on the album. "Falling Into Black" recalls the sounds of Evanescence or Nightwish. It's high time Christian music had something approximating those sounds, and Comatose should be somewhat satisfying for fans of that goth-rock angle. The title track is another highlight, accented by striking strings and prominent harmony. One of the virtues of this disc is that the band finally let Ben Kasica show off his chops. He flirted with his potential in "Imperfection" on the last record, but here his blinding solos on songs like "Rebirthing," "Whispers in the Dark," and "Better Than Drugs" are the icing on a particularly delicious cake.

"Better Than Drugs" is a classic Skillet lyric, always flirting with metaphors that seem dangerous. However, if there is one downfall to Comatose it is the lyrics. They just don't seem inspired like in previous outings. It's hard to pick out any really interesting phrases. The music is enough to carry it, but sincerity doesn't completely make up for the lack or originality. "Say Goodbye" is almost embarrassing in this area, and it's not the only one with problems. "Looking for Angels" adds some interest. "All the faces are filled with so much anger / Losing our dignity and hope from fear of danger / After all the wars / After settling the scores / At the break of dawn will we be deaf to the answers." But it's  too late to really redeem the rest. So while it's not Skillet's best record, it's still very good and certainly fans will find plenty to be happy about. Hopefully they also gain some new listeners with their new and accessible sound.