Review: Skillet – ‘Awake’
Posted: September 22nd, 2009
Contributed By: Nick
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Purchase @ iTunes Release Date: August 25, 2009 on Ardent/Lava/Atlantic |
| Skillet starring: John Cooper (Vocals / Bass) Ben Kasica (Guitar) Jen Ledger (Vocals / Drums) Korey Cooper (Keyboards) |
Produced by: Howard Benson
Knowledge: Skillet’s eighth album ‘Awake’ turns a veteran band on the cusp of breaking out into a chart-topping powerhouse. ‘Awake’ moved 68,000 units in its premiere week, while also producing the most commercially successful tune in Skillet’s catalogue, “Monster”.
Valedictorian: “Awake and Alive”-An absolutely riveting and gripping piece of music. The Goth-curious landscape gives the song an unspoken invincibility that no other song on ‘Awake’ can even get close to touching.
Salutatorian: “Lucy”-Skillet speak from the soul with “Lucy”, as the song’s energy and passion come straight from Skillet’s own untamed, innate human emotion.
FAIL: “Never Surrender”-Simply put, “Never Surrender” is a complete bore.
Turn-Ons: Leadoff standout “Hero” implements crisp, pinpoint note seιection and some hip-hop styled hi-hat work to generate tremendous amounts of movement and flow. Angelic and desperate, cathartic and straight from the heart, “Don’t Wake Me” is a song painted of many colors in their best shade, with a spellbinding hook that will give you more goosebumps than R.L. Stine. Despite its jilted, highly reflective rhetoric and a title stricken with Julia Gulia syndrome, “Should’ve When You Could’ve” promotes an overall sun-kissed demeanor. Producer Howard Benson’s signature chorus-emphasizing keyboard harmonization with a siren-like sound-delivers the goods yet again. “Forgiven” is buoyed by an accompanying orchestra, which breathes new life into the melody. Front-man John Cooper has help reeling in this titanic hook, as Benson’s keyboard work, drummer and vocalist Jen Ledger’s background vocal layering, and that lush symphony all make “Forgiven” burn brightly. The doleful and highly personified finale “Lucy“ captures Skillet fully involved in their raw emotions, bolstering an already sentimental moment.
Turn-Offs: I do believe Three Days Grace already released “Monster” in 2006 only they called it “Animal I Have Become”. John Cooper repeatedly caterwauls the word “today!” in emphatic fashion on “One Day Too Late”. Hearing these screams is not very fun, as if Cooper were yelling hysterically while jumping off a cliff; the friendly version of all that-let Jen Ledger handle that part next time. Cooper tries to vindicate himself at the chorus resolves of “Believe”, however his unbuckled wails of urgency signal a major skip button emergency. “Sometimes” should have spent some time doing something other than rushing and relaxing the same central riff, as “Sometimes” could have been a standout had it possessed a bit more breadth.
Cool Points: The choruses of “One Day Too Late” are fed harmonies from the spoon of…a flute. When was the last time you heard a flute on a rock record? “Should’ve When You Could’ve” flashes a glimpse or two of Semisonic’s 1998 hit “Closing Time”, a pleasant nugget of nostalgia.
Moral of the Story: Skillet have finally become the double market marquee many swore they would become. And to their credit, Skillet didn’t construct ‘Awake’ to be a twelve-track meal ticket-they made a twelve song EXPERIENCE. That’s something you just can’t put a price on.
A Fine Line: “I’d give up all the world to see/A little piece of heaven looking back at me”- from “Lucy”
TuneLab Rating: 8 out of 10
20 Comments
Why is this crap on the news? Shouldn’t it be in the review area?
probably forgot to check the category button, that’s all
Well, OK, we all make mistakes……heheho
leave it to me
Nick, I miss your old set up. This one has too much stuff going on with it, but I do agree with pretty much everything you said in this one.
yea i kknow how you feel, im a creature of habit too
thats why ive been so hesitant to change the template
but i had to do something man…
That’s quite an interesting set up! Not bad though. Just different
It’s “I’d give up all the world to see/that little piece of heaven looking back at me”
Also, I feel like the bonus tracks from the deluxe edition should get a mention (Dead Inside and Would It Matter). I enjoy them both more than most of the rest of the album, I don’t know why they were made bonus tracks instead of actually being on the album.
This album “should’ve and could’ve” been called “All Filler, No Killer”- a remake of Sum 41! I do heavily agree that “Monster” is “Animal I Have Become”. Thought that from the first listen of the song. I heavily don’t agree that this is an “EXPERIENCE”. I think it’s a very redundant album with almost every song having the same mood whilst having no direction. Same as every other skillet album, they have a couple decent songs, maybe one standout track. The rest just filler. 5.5/10
Another great review, Nick. Pretty much right on w/ the good and bad stuff. I do like “Sometimes” more than you seem to, though. One of my fav’s. And “Lucy” is kinda boring to me. The bonus tracks for this album are also pretty good to replace those few I didn’t like much. “Awake and Alive” is one of their best songs ever. I also really like “Believe” and “It’s Not Me It’s You”. 9/10 for me.
“Should’ve When You Could’ve” a filler? If that song gets released as a single it’s going to tear up the charts.
Eh, this is a good few points weaker than an 8 for me. When John said he loved power ballads on “Comatose Comes Alive” he wasn’t kidding, and this album is living proof. Sad deal is, most of Skillet’s ballads are formulaic and boring. Truth be told Lucy is the only one of it’s kind that stands out for me on this album. “Hero” and “Awake and Alive” are fantastic, “Monster” is even good if you toss aside that blatant rip-off talk and the horrible sound effect in the middle, and I feel like “Believe” “Lucy” and “It’s Not Me It’s You” are respectable cuts, but I could skip the rest and not miss any of ‘em. 5 or 6 for me, one of the biggest disappointments of the year.
Not the song “Should’ve when you could’ve”, the album is all filler, save for a couple decent tracks. I agree with Gravity.
Well. I loved it 10/10. But maybe I’m biased cause I’m a HUGE panhead. But I love every song. There are more ballads than on the past records, but I think the change was good. You can’t always do the same exact thing.
Good review. I agree with the score. It’s a really solid album – and I really enjoy listening to it. Strange considering that I like the ‘Collide’ and ‘Comatose’ better.
thanks for supporting the work of a pothead, panheads
The first few tracks are remarkable but the album becomes to mellow for my liking later on. 7/10
Mellow Yellow is what this album should’ve been called.
WELL! f.y.i I’ve NEVER liked christian rock…. and I”M christian!!!!!!!! when i heard this album i LOVED it and is now on my ipod