Skillet
Comatose Comes Alive
Ardent
Grade – A

You have to give him credit; John Cooper has really stuck it out and worked his way up a hard road through Skillet.  Considering he is not a big fan of the bands name, he’s never given up on his vision.  Granted, the band line-up has changed drastically since its inception, but they really have made a name for themselves with the past few releases.  So much so that the band has been able to cross the Christian borders and dabble a bit on the secular side of the radio.

According to their press materials, Comatose is the bands best selling album to date.  The album has generated 5 number-one hits on the radio and so far it has sold over 400,000 copies.  I can add to the accolades from my own experiences as well and say that in the past couple of years their live show has improved greatly.   That being said, it’s the right time to capture and share that live moment through Comatose Comes Alive. 

The new live project comes on CD/DVD and is sold as a set.  On the CD there are additional tracks that were recorded acoustically.  The DVD has a small amount of extras, there is one behind the scenes video, but most of the extras are pre-recorded videos. 

One of the cool parts of the DVD is when the new drummer, Jen Ledger, takes the front stage and sings a piece on “Yours To Hold.”  Watch closely as she walks back to the drum set – it’s cute how she gives this shy-humble little shrug as she looks to John Cooper on her way back.  You may also recognize Jonathan (Todd Agnew) on Violin.

Overall the concert rocks loudly and their performance is right on and equally representative of the hard work that has honed the band over time. 

- Ken W.

http://www.myspace.com/skilletmusic