Skillet
Comatose

THE REVIEW

Skillet is an American band, more precisely from Memphis, the city of the King of Rock, Elvis. The peculiarity of this band is the way in which light gothic influences are mixed with heavier electronic influences with classic alternative rock. The result is quite respectable, considering the many musical experiments seen in recent years in the field of modern rock; just as many have been flops, Skillet’s can be considered a satisfactory result.

"Comatose" from 2006 is their seventh album, which along with the penultimate "Collide" have marked the group’s career. These two works can be considered the only ones with relative success, given that their previous albums struggled even in the new continent.

The first single extracted from the album coincides, as in many cases, with the opening track of the same; "Rebirthing" has a great melodic and vocal impact. In particular, in this track, the vocal style and the base used by the band greatly resemble that of Evanescence feat. Paul Mccoy in "Bring Me To Life". In fact, the quartet includes two women, one of whom, Korey Cooper, is the 'backing vocals', accompanying her husband, and leader John Cooper in the choruses and instrumental solos. Notably, John is on bass, and she is on guitar and keyboards.

The latter have a fundamental importance in "Comatose", almost all the bases are abundantly seasoned with keyboards and piano, which makes the album vibrant but in the long run a bit predictable. The "Emo" influence, strongly present, can indeed seem a tad inappropriate if not the backbone of the work, but ultimately makes it appealing even to the more distracted listeners, as confirmed by listening to "The Last Night" and "Better Than Drugs". The title track "Comatose" is excellent, which almost undergoes the electronic seasoning as a side dish, in short, a piece to classify as nu-metal. The "Emo" wave returns with force in "The Older I Get" and "Those Nights". This will benefit newspapers, their wallets, and the record label, but it pollutes somewhat what could have been considered an album of excellent craftsmanship. The nu-metal of "Whispers In The Dark", is the last good piece of the CD, with good 'Emo/Dark' influences this time.

In conclusion, I would say that "Comatose" is worth listening to, in the car, at home after a day of work or after school, but don’t expect a masterpiece; not everyone born in Memphis can then become like "The King".

3 very, very sturdy stars.