With its edgy brand of industrial rock and aggressive live shows, Skillet has been on the cutting-edge of the Christian music scene since the band debuted in 1996.
Now after a season of transformation, Skillet unveils its fourth studio album, ALIEN YOUTH. It's a hard-driving piece of work that captures the energy of the band's legendary concerts; more importantly, its powerful proclamation of faith finds the band taking bold steps with its message and musicality.
"The people we've played it for are like, 'Woah! This is heavy! This sounds like Skillet live, this is great!'" exclaims founding member John Cooper, who serves as the band's lead singer, bass player, chief songwriter, producer and all around guiding force.
"It's not live, but because we are so much more aggressive live, I wanted to capture that energy and passion here," he explains. "I said to the engineers, I want this to be as big as we can make it. I want the drums to be loud, I want the guitars to be huge, I want you to mix it like you're at a live concert."
Taking that same approach to the songs, ALIEN YOUTH's message is equally aggressive. Rooted in the band's zeal for youth ministry and evangelism, it speaks of a generation rising up to radically change the world for Christ. The title track "Alien Youth" expresses this idea with its searing lyric, "Worldwide Jesus domination, love conquers all/Rise like a chosen generation, we're taking over the world." The song also sums up the band's mission.
"A lot of times people say 'yeah, that's our generation,'" explains John. "I don't mean like what we see now, with people listening to Christian music and wearing Christian T-shirts. I mean a generation so passionate for God that we will literally change the face of the earth. We're telling people, it could be us -- but if it's going to be us, we've got a long way to go. That's the whole idea of ALIEN YOUTH. There's a movement there to be started and we want to be a part of it."
Bold talk indeed. Yet Skillet's uncompromising faith and outspoken demeanor have become as much a part of the band's persona as its driving guitars and fiery vocals. Widely regarded as one of the most fearless rock bands around, Skillet sealed that reputation early on by eschewing trends and forging its own path. Who else would interrupt a raucous rock 'n roll set to lead the crowd in an emotional praise and worship session -- at a secular club?
"Worship has always been a part of what we do," says John. "We started playing 'Shout To The Lord' in '96 -- people thought we wrote it! The thing is, we never did worship music because it would sell records. We did it because we wanted to pour our hearts out to God."
Formed in 1996 by John Cooper, John's wife Korey joined the lineup in 1998 as keyboard player, co-songwriter, and backing vocalist. Together, the Coopers make up Skillet's emotional core, collaborating on such groundbreaking releases as Hey You I Love Your Soul, and Invincible. With five No. 1 rock radio singles to its credit, sales exceeding 200,000 copies, and more than 200 live concerts each year, Skillet has solidified its position as a fan and critical favorite.
"For all the songs I write, Korey is my sharpening tool," says John. "She doesn't realize what an influence she has. When I produced this record, people got nervous -- because you know, an artist producing their own record cannot be objective! But Korey is my objectivity."
Today, Skillet consists of the Coopers, 27-year-old drummer Lori Peters, and 17-year-old guitar prodigy Ben Kasica. Ben, who came aboard in February 2001, is a St. Louis native whose parents are classical musicians with the symphony. Performing since the age of 11, he came to Skillet's attention via his participation in the same church as the other band members.
In fact, it has been a few years since Skillet members all attended the same church. John says that point marks a critical juncture for the band. "With all the members now involved in the same church, Skillet carries a new excitement. We're all agreeing in the spirit, we're all on the same page."
"Each band member has to carry a vision of what we are doing," reasons Korey. "They have to be in the Word and moving in God and maturing. We want Skillet to be a team of people who are envisioned; that's how we know we'll be effective.
"Rooted in the church, Skillet focuses its full attention on ALIEN YOUTH's message of awakening a generation for Christ. This message is clear throughout ALIEN YOUTH, even on hard-core songs like "Eating Me Away" and "Vapor" where the lyrics, inspired by Ecclesiastes, proclaim that life is meaningless.
"The only way that this 'alien youth' thing is going to work is when you realize your life is nothing without Christ," John explains. "The only reason we have to live is to know God and be a part of something bigger than ourselves."
One of the album's most intense moments stems from an experience in which John, curious about the hype, attended a Marilyn Manson concert. Not knowing what to expect, John says he found the experience "spirit-crushing," inspiring him to pen the raging "You're Rippin' Me Off."
"Manson had all these fanatical fans agreeing with him, cursing our God," lamented John. "I wanted to tell these kids the Truth. That our God is a loving God and that they are being ripped off by these lies."
But ALIEN YOUTH counters that intensity with moments of tenderness, providing a worshipful perspective on the arise-and-conquer message. Case in point is "You Are My Hope," which delves into melodic alt-pop with its sweet strings and Korey's soaring backing vocals. Its message is rooted in the eternal truth that amid a world of change, God remains constant.
"Slower songs tend to be your really pensive songs," says John, who wrote the song. "That song's basic message is that God is our one real hope, the only thing we have to put our trust in. He's everything that we need. It's a real worshipful song about leaning into and trusting the Lord."
One of Korey's contributions is "One Real Thing," an alt-rock number that mixes sunny strings with edgy, driving guitars. "I wrote the song because a lot of times it's easy to lose focus of what you're doing," Korey explains. "Not even as far as being a Christian -- it's easy to just click into automatic and not be stretched, not press into God more and more. Your friendships may change, people you love may die, and God will shake up your life, too. And then you realize that your security can only be in Him, anyway."
Taking that message on the road, one "real thing" about Skillet is the band's tireless touring and commitment to reaching out to its audience in concert as one of the most dynamic live performers in the industry. Known affectionately as "panheads," dedicated Skillet fans will drive 13 hours to see one show, some even sporting skillets duct-taped to their heads. These fans are in for a real treat as Skillet's fall headline tour will feature its largest production ever. ALIEN YOUTH's combination of tender worship and raw energy is tailor-made for a passionate concert experience. Full of raw energy and spiritual conviction, the fall tour is expected to propel Skillet to the next level.
Says drummer Lori, "I'm really looking forward to playing this album live. John definitely challenged us in the studio to make it sound live. I think the result is very energetic, heavy, in-your-face type of music that will translate well to the stage."
For Skillet, it's all part of a grand vision that John promises will be expanding radically over the next year. With a solid band lineup, a firm spiritual footing, and an unequivocal message, he vows they are ready to take that step.
"We've always known God was telling us to do this, but now we feel even more excited. This is our group, we're all from the same church, and we know we're all together on this. We're moving forward."
"We've always known God was telling us to do this, but now we feel even more excited. This is our group, we're all from the same church, and we know we're all together on this. We're moving forward."
