Artist Expo: Skillet

October 15, 2021

Forged in the “Home of the Blues & Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Memphis, Tennessee, the Christian-rock band, Skillet, has been roaring onto stages and turning up in Billboard charts since 1996. The heavy rock four-piece consists of front-man John Cooper, his wife Korey Cooper (rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Jen Ledger (drums, vocals, as well as solo performer), and Seth Morrison (lead guitar). Skillet has definitely become a household name in the Christian-rock community and shows no signs of plateauing anytime soon.

During their 25 years of shredding in the name of Jesus (editor, am I allowed to say that? serious question) (editor note: yes), the band has released ten albums, two of which received Grammy nominations (Collide and Comatose, respectively), and their eighth album, Awake, debuted at the number two spot on the Billboard Top 200 in 2009. It was this album that truly brought Skillet into the music world’s spotlight. Songs from the aforementioned record would appear in NFL promotional ads, feature as the theme song for WWE events, and included as songs to be played in the mega popular video game, Rock Band 2. But what has led to their resounding success?

Skillet has found favor in the ears of their current 6 million plus monthly listeners on Spotify for their raw and unapologetic sound. The band does not shy away from personal and difficult topics within their lyrics. It’s their honesty and transparency that adds to the group’s intrigue and breaks down barriers. Take for example their two biggest singles, “Monster” and “Hero”. In the former, lead singer John Cooper belts out lyrics of a deep, dark feeling within himself that he wants to hide away from everyone. As the chorus rings out, he feels “like a monster”. In the second mentioned track, “Hero”, Cooper again sings of his personal struggles, this time regarding his feeling of helplessness to save himself and aligning with the track’s title, is in need of a hero. These are universal themes that practically everyone as human beings can relate to. This is part of what makes the group especially unique. They are able to draw in secular fans by making truly great music while remaining true to their Christian values through the undertones of their lyrics. The strong and defiant style Skillet plays with makes them feel even more genuine and personable and makes it no wonder that they have become a staple not only in the Christian-rock community, but amongst hard rock fans all around the world.

Passion is unquestionably at Skillet’s core, and their concerts certainly don’t lack any of it either. So, grab your tickets to experience Skillet in the Vine’s Center on October 29th, and find out for yourself why they are dubbed as one of this generation’s most successful rock acts!

References:

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/skillet-mn0000749571

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/arts/music/exalting-the-sacred-wooing-the-secular.html

https://skillet.fandom.com/wiki/Skillet_(Band)

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