My Top 40 Albums - #17

#17
Skillet - "Collide"

Year: 2004
Label: Lava
Favorite songs: Imperfection, Forsaken, Cycle Down, Savior, Under My Skin, Energy
Lyric sample: "You're a silent rage / You're a hurricane / You are everything I cannot see and can't explain / You're an enigma / Wrapped in a mystery / Everywhere I got I can't escape Your energy"

I've been informed that this record is not "hardcore." It's not really anything-core. But it is "hard." It's hard rock. Yet as an adjective and not as a genre term, you might say that it is hardcore because it rocks so hard. As you can see I don't much care what you call it, as long as you can come to grips with the idea - and that idea is a bone-shaking, earth-moving juggernaut. With Collide, Skillet has in some way come full circle while always moving forward. Their first record was a grungy affair, changing radically on the second to an overwhelmingly electronic sound. Invincible blended the techno and rock in almost equal parts, and Alien Youth scaled the loops and synths back to accommodate a up-front, guitar-driven hard rock. Enter Collide. The techno sounds that defined the middle of Skillet's career have almost entirely disappeared, and we're left with a severe disposition blending a bit of the grungy sensibility from their debut with a heaping helping of the heaviest down-tuned guitars and pounding drums the band has ever used. It's raw almost to the point of being abrasive. Cooper's vocals compliment that angle - they've never been so harsh and he's never screamed so much. In place of the electronic sounds, Skillet has introduced a much more organic accompaniment. On songs like "Savior" and "Under My Skin" you'll note strangely appropriate use of acoustic guitars, and a string section has been added on anthems like "Collide." This has been done quite a bit in the last few years but in 2004 I wasn't used to hearing it, and it seemed like a very creative way to approach the genre. As it happens, the strings are extremely effective.

I'll admit it took me some time to warm up to the new format. 12 tracks of crashing intensity can be a bit much, especially if you're not a veteran of this kind of music. The drop-C guitars, the immense bass response, the frequent screaming - it's enough to rattle the brain a little. So why does it work so well? Precisely because Skillet's extreme lyrical imagery and style has been practically begging for this kind of bold treatment. After hearing this, it's almost hard to picture them any other way (although I wish John had kept the hair from Invincible).

Of course, all of this noise could easily be just a clanging cymbal. The second reason that Collide is successful is that the songs are consistently melodically strong with the heavy riffs to match. "Cycle Down" is one of my favorite songs on the record. While it might not be a standout for most people, I find that the song - the bridge especially - is very catchy and singable. That appeals to me (it's a good ending song as well). A hard rocker's true joy may well be the middle section including "My Obsession" and "Fingernails." These songs (along with "Energy" and "Forsaken" as bookends) are unrelenting, even dark, rockers that pound incessantly. I actually feel that "Obsession" and "Fingernails" is the weakest section, and that the one following is among the best. "Imperfection" is my personal favorite tune from the record and I consider it one of the best songs of Skillet's career. For one thing, it starts off slowly and builds into a wonderfully melodic chorus that contrasts the lyrics with the rhythm and has some very pleasing chord progressions. Moreover, it allows the talented Ben Kasica to show of his guitar chops a little with the only solo on the album. 

This is just a powerful recording in which Skillet finds (another) niche that they can well command. Alien Youth was more of a growing, experimenting period. With Collide the experiments have paid off, and they have produced a splintering, remorseless, in-your-face brand of rock that takes no prisoners without sacrificing lyrical integrity or songwriting savvy. It's one of the purest rock albums on this list and an exemplary offering from one of my all time favorite groups.

Collide with Skillet's popular single "Savior." Watch the video!