Download Free Skillet Songs

Skillet music biography continued...

Cooper (lead vocalist, bassist), Korey Cooper (guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist), Ben Kasica (guitarist), and Jen Ledger (drummer). The band, which was named for its desire to throw all types of musical styles into the skillet and see what came out, received attention from a major Christian label (Forefront) a month after forming. They came out with their self-titled debut album in the same year, but didn't break out until after lineup changes and 2001's Alien Youth, which featured a heavy live-band sound. Its title track topped Christian rock charts for six weeks in a row, and the album sold 10,000 copies during its first week. In November of 2003 the band moved to Lava Records, a mainstream label that included acts such as Vanessa Williams, Kid Rock, and The Blue Man Group, and released their album Collide. This album, unlike their earlier ones, did not explicitly mention Jesus. In addition, it had a louder sound and was more dominated by guitar than their previous work, and it lacked some of the techno and industrial elements of earlier albums. At the time, founding member John Cooper commented that it was easier to spread the Christian message if a band didn't alienate people by preaching to hard. The band's move to the mainstream was ultimately rewarded with a Grammy nomination in 2005 for Best Rock Gospel Album, solidifying their respected status with both young Christian and mainstream audiences.



In 2006, Skillet released Comatose which also garnered a Grammy nomination. In recent years Even conservative Christians have become more accepting of Christian rock bands, including the heavier ones like Skillet. Even churches that had been strict about music have backed off, realizing that it's a fight they won't win, and that their youth will listen to the music whether it's approved or not. In a biography of the band on the Christianity Today website, Cooper said, "I've always made a conscious effort to write about what I felt God was telling me on every project, and since we've started, I think we've covered a lot of bases." Fans would certainly agree.