Skillet - "Better Than Drugs" (2006)

Skillet is another one of those bands that started out in the Christian market and in recent years has seen some much deserved success in the mainstream market as well. They released four albums from 1996 to 2001 that truthfully I’m not that familiar with. From what I’ve heard, I gather that they went through varying styles of rock and the first four records had a good deal of electronics involved. I first got acquainted with them with 2003’s Collide which has a much more straightforward modern rock sound that is pretty heavy. It’s probably true that the band were going for a more radio friendly vibe on this album but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. All of the songs are extremely tight musically and have very strong hooks. In 2004 the band signed onto Lava Records who re-released Collide with a new track called “Open Wounds.” This song went further toward the polished modern rock sound that radio was pushing then and is still pushing. It’s not my favorite song on the album but still a very good one. Last year Skillet released their sixth studio album entitled Comatose and it’s probably their strongest yet. They are backed by a huge string section on many of the songs and it adds an extra element that put all the songs over the edge. The lead track “Rebirthing” should’ve been on top of rock radio’s charts last year but for some reason the band have yet to realize the success they deserve. Today’s song is a good one to just rock out to and it remains true to Skillet’s Christian roots. Lyrically, singer John Cooper is describing God as being better than drugs, which might seem crude to some of their Christian fans but I think it will resonate with a wider audience and that’s what Skillet is going for. I know I usually stick to obscure indie rock but sometimes you just want to crank it up to 11 and play air guitar and Skillet is a great band for that.


Skillet - "Better Than Drugs"