No.46 - ‘Victorious’ by Skillet (2019)

“I need a saviour now, someone to break me out who’s been the place I've been; Don't wanna be forgotten, when I'm dead and gone; I just wanna be the one who got up and came back strong…”

Predictability within music can often be a bore; Bands are always looking for ways to reinvent themselves through experimentation and genre switching. But when you have a tried and tested sound that never grows old, why change it? Skillet haven’t adjusted too much in their most recent 6 or so albums and this is to their, and our, huge benefit.

Skillet are possibly the biggest band in the Christian metal scene and becoming universally massive, simply down to their incredibly epic song writing and huge catchy sound. Mixing the odd synth and strings with massive guitar riffs and pumping drum beats is the core of many more listenable metal bands and Skillet do this especially well. But their standout feature is the incredible vocals of Jon Cooper interweaving every now and then with drummer/vocalist Jen Ledger’s strong and beautiful voice.

The pumped up energetic songs soar throughout this album, with very honest, wholesome and positive lyrical content. We will be victorious, no matter what crap this world throws at us! Melodies are really catchy and great to sing along to. Generally, each of their albums have slower reflective songs, which aren't always to my taste, but ‘Terrify the Dark’ and ‘Anchor’ are two of my favourite songs on this album. You may not be into heavy metal, but this album is really worth a listen. It is a beautiful piece of work.

Skillet formed in Tennessee, 1996 and has included husband and wife duo, Jon & Korey Cooper for most of this time. The band started as a side project and within a month got called up to a Christian record label. They have released 11 studio albums and Victorious hit no.84 in the UK chart, no.17 in the US, and no.1 in the US Christian charts. The vinyl also resides in my collection. 

Favourite songs - Victorious, The Kingdom, Anchor, Terrify The Dark, Finish Line

Other great albums - Awake (2009), Rise (2013), Unleashed (2016), Dominion (2022)





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