Skillet - Monster

[My Life Is A Stereo]

Phobia? Clear something up....I think Pen thinks you were talking about Monster being your "favorite song" this year. You are talking about Awake and Alive right?

[PHOBES]

Yup, we've had this argument about our different standards before. He pretty much hated the Skillet album and I hate the Chevelle album so we let each other have it, lol.

[jvandyck87]

^In that case, you're both right. =)

I haven't heard the full albums, but I've heard a few songs off each, and nothing has impressed me to the extent that I had hoped. "Jars" blows "Monster" out of the water though. That said, I probably like "Awake and Alive" the most of anything I've heard from either album.

Alice In Chains' "A Looking In View" is my favorite single to come out this year. My favorite album track so far is probably Karnivool's "Simple Boy" or Dredg's "Gathering Pebbles." Porcupine Tree's new album came out yesterday, and so far it doesn't have any song that completely wows me, which is very disappointing, because every album of theirs has had something to blow me away. All 9 of the others. Why couldn't you be 10 for 10???

[pen]

Sept 16, 2009 16:31:44 GMT -5 PHOBES said:

Sept 16, 2009 16:18:05 GMT -5 pen said:

I'm sorry my favorite song this year isn't a straightforward post-grunge rock song...

...seems a little defensive. It came off as pissed actually.

As for "you haven't heard a lot this year," you couldn't be further off. I think I've listened to and bought more CD's this year than any other year. It's just that we disagree, it doesn't mean I don't listen to stuff.

It was meant to be derogatory, not defensive. I'm more snide than pissed, really. I think if I'm ever really pissed, you'd recognize it.

And I know, it's just that I love to rib you.

[pen]

Sept 16, 2009 16:39:54 GMT -5 PHOBES said:

Yup, we've had this argument about our different standards before. He pretty much hated the Skillet album and I hate the Chevelle album so we let each other have it, lol.

Except I don't hate the Skillet album, you just think I do cause I don't love it as much as you do.

[PHOBES]

I think my favorite album this year, so far, is Decyfer Down's "Crash." DD was barely on my radar until T.J. Harris joined them, and he's probably my favorite vocalist. With the exception of the title track (sounds a bit pitchy), he pretty much nails every song. "Comatose" may be my all time favorite CD, and "Awake" definitely had the same basic sound, but the new album fell just a bit short for me. I had huge expectations though, I still think it's a really good CD.

As I said, my favorite song this year is "Awake and Alive," and my favorite single so far is probably between DD's "Fading," Red's "Forever," and Switchfoot's "Mess of Me." And "A Looking In View" is about 10 times better than "Check My Brain" IMO.

[My Life Is A Stereo]

Personally, Jars doesn't blow Monster out of the water, as you say, but I do like Jars a little bit more. I have however listened to both albums in entirety and have to say that I like Skillet's way more overall than Chevelle's. That's not me comparing them against each other either, I have a musical taste that is ALL over the map and although I like both bands, I like this Skillet album more.

[PHOBES]

Sept 16, 2009 16:53:55 GMT -5 pen said:

It's just that I love to rib you.

At least it's mutual ;)

[Timmy]

up to #13, incredible longevity for them too! any ideas of where it will peak?

[metalfan87]

Oct 19, 2009 18:26:30 GMT -5 Timmy said:

up to #13, incredible longevity for them too! any ideas of where it will peak?

I think this is where they will peak.

[Shadows in the Dark]

I think they'll manage to slide into Top 10.

[lockebox]

Peak prediction: #8

[lockebox]

Goes for adds for Alternative on November 16th.

[metalfan87]

top 10 in Active

11 10 SKILLET Monster 1139 1076 63 2.981

[Nicholas2.0]

I'm sorry, but Skillet's way too wholesome for me to get into. Also, their sound is extremely tiresome to my ears. I was a little surprised, as I was expecting something a little fresher. That's just me, though. The implementation of the violinist and cellist here and there helps a little bit, admittedly. For a band their size, the level of their stage production is enormous. I don't see how they make much money with so much overhead.

Also, while Jen is one of the more talented and less awkward-looking of the handful of female drummers I've watched, I still believe that, double-bass use aside (I never owned a double bass pedal) I could've taken her in my high school prime. I totally could've played her solo then.

Christian metal bands seem to be just about the only Christian rock bands who I feel "get" rock & roll. Sadly, it has to be music that extreme. I guess if a mellower Christian rock band had an astounding level of musicianship, an unusual sound, and innovative song structures I could appreciate it, but most Christian rock just comes off as boring, safe pop-rock played by people who enjoy rock & roll more than they understand it.

[jvandyck87]

I'm not a Christian, so I say this from a musical standpoint only: I think Jars Of Clay may be an exception to your rule. They're not at all heavy and display a high level of musicianship and innovation that keeps their sound fresh. Songs like "Flood" and "Liquid" are beautiful.

Otherwise, from what I've heard, I agree.

[Pipa]

Nov 18, 2009 2:13:27 GMT -5 Nicholas2.0 said:

most Christian rock just comes off as boring, safe pop-rock played by people who enjoy rock & roll more than they understand it.

You just hit the nail on the head there. Don't get me wrong, "Rebirthing" by these guys is awesome, and there are a few songs by Christian rock bands that I like, but I find that as a whole, it's lacking something. Maybe if I could influences from them beyond Linkin Park it might make a difference.

[Timmy]

Comatose Certified Gold! and tour with Shinedown and Puddle of Mud coming 1/10-2/10
"COMATOSE" CERTIFIED GOLD BY THE RIAA AS "AWAKE" SURPASSES 200K IN 12 WEEKS!

Mainstream Active Rock Single “Monster” Hits Top 10 Triumphs on MTV2 and FUSE

Band to Hit the Road in Early ‘10 with rockers SHINEDOWN AND PUDDLE OF MUDD

NASHVILLE, TN...11/18/09.....As their “AWAKE & ALIVE” tour packs houses across the U.S., Atlantic/Ardent/INO rockers SKILLET’s 2006 release, “COMATOSE,” has been certified GOLD by the RIAA, while their latest effort, “AWAKE,” which debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at No. 2, has surpassed 200,000 units in just 12 weeks. Likewise, “AWAKE” remains a top-ten charting Christian project, best-selling CD overall on Billboard’s Top 200, a top 30 best-seller on iTunes® Rock album chart, and boasts the No. 2 and No. 8 top Christian digital singles with “Monster” and “Hero” respectively.

**ACTIVE ROCK RADIO TOP 10, MTV2 and FUSE

-Along with album sales, mainstream Active Rock radio and video channels like MTV2 and FUSE are also propelling SKILLET:

**Active Rock radio has given Skillet a top 10 single with “Monster,” hitting No. 9 with a bullet on BDS this week and No. 10 with a bullet at MediaBase.

**MTV2: As their music video for “Monster” recently moved into MTV2’s ELITE 8, the band also hosted the network’s Rock the Deuce show and talked about their favorite videos and more.
Rock the Deuce calls itself “the heaviest rock show in American history.” Catch clips from the show at:
www.mtv.com/videos/misc/446208/skillet-on-what-band-theyd-love-to-tour-with.jhtml#id=1623864

**FUSE
“Monster” is a hit on both the network’s Number One Rock Countdown show and Viewers Choice.

**TOUR SELLING OUT AND PACKING HOUSES COAST TO COAST:

**As their “Awake & Alive” Tour rolls across the U.S., the band has rocked sold out and capacity crowds in Chicago, Tulsa, Columbus, Boston, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Boise, Denver,
Minneapolis, Des Moines and more.

**Skillet recently announced they will be touring with SHINEDOWN and PUDDLE OF MUDD in January and February 2010. For tour dates and updates go to: www.skillet.com or myspace.com/skilletmusic.

[Nicholas2.0]

Nov 20, 2009 19:26:47 GMT -5 Timmy said:

Band to Hit the Road in Early ‘10 with rockers SHINEDOWN AND PUDDLE OF MUDD

Touring with Puddle of Mudd. That's a gag. Not as bad as touring with Hinder or Buckcherry or what-have-you, but still...

[PHOBES]

I wanna go, really just to see Skillet. However I've never seen Shinedown either so they'll be a nice bonus. So, the order of festivities would likely be:

1. Watch Skillet perform
2. Bathroom break / Check out merchandise / Get food / If Puddle of Mudd is still on stage at this point, find something else to do (basically the same stuff I did during Seether's set when Skillet was opening for them, Breaking Benjamin, and Three Days Grace).
3. Watch Shinedown

[pen]

I wish you liked Seether. It makes me a sad panda. :(

[PHOBES]

I don't mind their studio stuff (wasn't a big fan of much of Negative Spaces though), but their live show was awful that night. I pretty much browsed merchandise for most of their set because I knew they'd be playing "Remedy" last, and that's the only one I really wanted to hear, especially considering "Broken" turned out to be a duet with Adam Gontier.

[pen]

That's...awkward.

[jvandyck87]

If I were in your position, I'd at least come back to hear Puddle Of Mudd play "Blurry." If enough people did that, it might make them realize the disparity between "Blurry" and everything else they've written.

[pen]

I think that's unfair. There are a lot of great songs on the first album like "Nobody Told Me" and "Out Of My Head" and "Drift And Die". They just pretty much stopped making those kinds of songs around the third album. I blame the loss of band members.

[metalfan87]

what should be the next rock single from Skillet, in your opinion?

[Timmy]

IT was originally going to be Its Not Me Its You, but last i heard it is going to be Hero

[pen]

"Hero" or "Awake And Alive" since those are the only good songs.

[Ron57]

I like Lucy. But I don't see it being released as a single.

[lockebox]

"Awake and Alive" is surely a shoe-in.