Skillet - Rise (13/08/2013)
Following the success of 2009’s Awake, Skillet’s newest offering Rise refines the style that the band is known for while also adding to it.
Dubbed a concept album, the tracks come together to tell your typical teen story (something which seems common amongst many rock concept albums). This is the band’s first foray into this type of album and they really pull it off.
Listening to the album it can be hard to distinguish between tracks as one will often interlude to the other. My favourite example of this is with the songs Good To Be Alive and Not Gonna Die. Normally these two contrasting tracks (Good To Be Alive has quite an upbeat sound whereas Not Gonna Die is quite dark) would not flow quite so easily from one to the other. However, Good To Be Alive finishes with an interlude that is both enchanting and haunting which helps to make the connection with the next track almost seamless.
Circus For A Psycho showcases the type of shredding that Skillet are known for and ends with another great interlude. It helps lead into the lovely piano opening the track American Noise. Again, these contrasting tracks seem to fit together nicely. This contrast is consistent throughout the album and helps to tell the story of teenage angst.
The way this album has been arranged along with the lyrics of the songs provide a great reflection on what many people can relate to. The beauty of Skillet is that although they are considered a religious band they describe universal experiences and appeal to all sorts of audiences. There’s no denying that they are great musicians, especially when listening to Rise. Skillet have really polished their sound and achieved new things in their life as a band.
Natalia Baranowski
Dubbed a concept album, the tracks come together to tell your typical teen story (something which seems common amongst many rock concept albums). This is the band’s first foray into this type of album and they really pull it off.
Listening to the album it can be hard to distinguish between tracks as one will often interlude to the other. My favourite example of this is with the songs Good To Be Alive and Not Gonna Die. Normally these two contrasting tracks (Good To Be Alive has quite an upbeat sound whereas Not Gonna Die is quite dark) would not flow quite so easily from one to the other. However, Good To Be Alive finishes with an interlude that is both enchanting and haunting which helps to make the connection with the next track almost seamless.
Circus For A Psycho showcases the type of shredding that Skillet are known for and ends with another great interlude. It helps lead into the lovely piano opening the track American Noise. Again, these contrasting tracks seem to fit together nicely. This contrast is consistent throughout the album and helps to tell the story of teenage angst.
The way this album has been arranged along with the lyrics of the songs provide a great reflection on what many people can relate to. The beauty of Skillet is that although they are considered a religious band they describe universal experiences and appeal to all sorts of audiences. There’s no denying that they are great musicians, especially when listening to Rise. Skillet have really polished their sound and achieved new things in their life as a band.
Natalia Baranowski