If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.
When I was growing up in the midwest during the 90s and early 2000s there was a clear division between contemporary Christian music and mainstream pop/rock music. The Christian music industry was an entity all its own, with artists and charts specifically catering to those who chose their entertainment based on their religious affiliation. Those things still exist today, but the niche market of contemporary Christian music is not at all like it was in the past. Bands trying to make it in that corner of the industry today need to thematically meet certain standards while musically pandering to a much larger and for more general audience. The need to have some level of crossover appeal has never been higher in terms of ensuring longterm monetary success, and as a result fewer and fewer bands are able to establish a notable presence in both secular and religious arenas. Many tenured acts are struggling to keep afloat as well, but one band has endure the turbulent trends of the industry while continuously raising their profile world wide, and they just so happen to have one of the silliest names in music.
Skillet is a band I first encountered in my young teens when every piece of audio my parents allowed in our home was undeniably labeled Christian. The band built throngs of fans around the globe with a uniquely edgy take on modern praise and worship music that was kept grounded thanks to hard-hitting originals with creative themes that spoke to the feeling of being outside mainstream society in a way few artists could achieve. Skillet wrote music for outcast youth that told them there was a place for them within Christianity that they could feel safe calling home. I cannot speak for other teens of the time, but for a boy like me from a small town where he was bullied for being different than everyone else those songs felt like the answer I had been seeking throughout my young life. I took solace in the music of Skillet, and because their originals rocked so hard I had the confidence to tell my non-religious friends about their music (something that is typically difficult for me and many other young people to do).
As I grew older my continued interest in music lead me to bands and ideas well outside the world of contemporary Christian music, which in turn caused me to care less about bands I had previously clung to, but my love for Skillet never wavered. I could hypothesize why this was for several hundred words, but in short it’s due to the fact no other band to my knowledge was ever as forward-thinking as Skillet. With each release the band would push themselves to be something entirely different than whatever they were when recording their previous record. Sometimes they were obsessed with how they saw those with faith as being akin aliens, but other times they were tackling the monsters inside themselves. The only constants in their music was quality, creativity, and an unflinching desire to share their beliefs and faith without being so on the nose that they were written off as too preachy. I believe the band has achieved these goals with each album, and their latest is no exception.
Hitting stores this Friday, Unleashed is Skillet’s ninth studio album in a career that dates back to 1996. It’s a remarkably infectious release that builds on the sonic foundation of the band’s previous records without repeating any key themes. When I play the record, and in the last month I’ve probably logged at least three complete plays a week, I find the strength to fight through whatever stands between me and the things I wish to accomplish. While I will admit the band still caters to my belief in the unknown, I don’t think anyone needs to share their beliefs in order to be inspired by their music. Skillet are not trying to convert you as much as they are trying to encourage you to fight for what matters to you. They want you to find the success and empowerment that comes from recognizing you have the power to be whatever you want to be. That may sound corny written here, but it’s true, and their latest single(s) are proof of this:
Regardless of your religious affiliation, you could stand to learn a thing or two from Skillet. Don’t sleep on Unleashed.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records (RIP). Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
