SKILLET: UNLEASHED BEYOND- ALBUM REVIEW

SORRY FOR THE EXTREMELY LATE REVIEW…

THE FOLLOWING IS MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION, THIS IS NOT MEANT TO OFFEND ANYONE.

SKILLET JUST NOW (FINALLY) RELEASED THE DELUXE/SPECIAL EDITION OF THEIR ALBUM “UNLEASHED”, FEATURING 5 NEW SONGS AND 3 REMIXES. I ALREADY DID A REVIEW OF UNLEASHED, BUT IT’S REALLY CRINGY COMPARED TO MY NEWER REVIEWS, SO I REWROTE THAT AS WELL. SO THIS IS A WHOLE NEW REVIEW, THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ALSO HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME.

HERE’S THE REVIEW:

THIS ONE YOU’VE MOST LIKELY HEARD BEFORE, IT IS PLAYED IN SPORTS GAMES, SPORTS COMMERCIALS AND IS THE FIRST CHRISTIAN SONG TO TOP #1 IN ROCK CHARTS,  THE VAGUE REFERENCES TO GOD MAKE IT EASY TO CHANGE THE MEANING, THE NFL HAS DONE, APPLYING IT TO THEIR PLAYERS INSTEAD. THE OVERALL SYNTH-BEATS AND GUITAR DOES GET OLD PRETTY FAST.

RATING: 3.5/5.0

BACK FROM THE DEAD IS A FAST PACED ROCK SONG WITH ELECTRONIC ELEMENTS AND IS SURPRISINGLY PLAYED IN STANDARD TUNING. IT FEATURES DARK REFERENCES TO ZOMBIES AND DEATH. IT DOES HAVE A PRETTY AWESOME VIDEO CONTINUATION OF MONSTER, THE SECOND TRACK ON AWAKE.

RATING: 4.4/5.0

TO BE HONEST, IT REALLY ISN’T MY FAVORITE AND DOES SIGNAL A CHANGE IN STYLE, WITH MOST OF THE SONG BEING TECHNO SYNTHESIZER THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT’S FROM VERIDIA. RADIO HAS ALSO OVERPLAYED THE SONG TO DEATH, IT ALSO KILLS MOMENTUM LEFT BY PREVIOUS SONGS. HOWEVER, IT IS ONE OF THE MORE CHRISTIAN SONGS, AND IT HAS GROWN ON ME SINCE MY LAST REVIEW. THE SHACK VERSION IS BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL SURPRISINGLY. THE NEW BEYOND REMIX HOWEVER… BLEECHH! THE VIDEO IS ALSO COOL.

KIND OF SOUNDING LIKE IT’S FROM THE PREVIOUS ALBUM “RISE”, THE SONG’S COMBINED VIOLIN AND ELECTRIC GUITAR GIVE THIS ONE A TWO THUMBS UP.

THE MESSAGE IS ABOUT WANTING TO LIVE FOR CHRIST. IT ALSO CONTINUES THE ZOMBIE REFERENCES FROM BACK FROM THE DEAD.

RATING: 4.4/5.0

NOW THIS IS A SONG THAT HAS A STRONG GUITAR IN THE VERSE, AND REALLY HAS MOMENTUM, BUT IT DROPS IN THE CHORUS, AGAIN A MIX OF SYNTHESIZER AND GUITAR. THE SONG ALSO SEEMS TO LACK SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT BETTER.

RATING: 3.9/5.0

AGAIN, FAIRLY WELL BASED ON THE SYNTHESIZER, AGREEING FOR ONCE WITH ARTV, MAKING JESUS FAMOUS ISN’T QUITE THE WAY YOU MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE IN HIM, AND HE IS KIND OF FAMOUS IN SOME PLACES AROUND THE WORLD ANYWAYS, JUST IN THE WRONG WAY MOST OF THE TIME. THE SONG HASN’T REALLY GROWN ON ME AT ALL, SURPRISINGLY.

RATING: 3.9/5.0

LIONS IS A SLOWER SONG THAT DOESN’T QUITE MEASURE UP WITH THE REST OF THE ALBUM. IT IS ALSO OVERPLAYED ON CHRISTIAN RADIO AS WELL, LYRIC VIDEO IS ALSO WEIRD… THE SONG’S… JUST MEH…

RATING: 3.3/5.0

OUT OF HELL IS A FAST-PASTED ROCKER THAT DOESN’T EXACTLY MAKE SENSE ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT IT’S A PUMP-UP SONG, MUCH LIKE FEEL INVINCIBLE, BUT STILL IS GOOD LISTEN ANYWAYS.

RATING: 4.6/5.0

BECAUSE EVERY ROCK BAND HAS TO HAVE A SONG CALLED BURN IT DOWN, I MEAN SERIOUSLY A LOT OF BANDS HAVE ONE… AND IT SOUNDS EXACTLY THE WAY YOU THINK IT WOULD IT’D SOUND. STILL NOT BAD THOUGH. DROP D… EASIEST GUITAR SONG EVER…

RATING: 4.3/5.0

WATCHING FOR COMETS IS DEFINITELY THE SLOWEST SONG ON THE ALBUM, BUT ONE OF THE BEST, THIS CONTINUES A STREAK SKILLET HAS FOR HAVING SOME OF THE SLOWEST SONGS BEING ONE OF THE BEST. (FIRE AND FURY, BELIEVE, NEVER SURRENDER)

RATING: 4.3/5.0

SAVIORS OF THE WORLD IS A SONG THAT IS FAIRLY MISINTERPRETED, WHICH SKILLET  THEMSELVES BY SHOUTING “WE ARE THE SAVIORS OF THE WORLD” WHICH SOUNDS WEIRD CONSIDERING THE MESSAGE THEY ARE NORMALLY TRYING TO SPREAD. OVERALL, THE SONG’S ELECTRONICS AND GUITAR DON’T QUITE MESH WELL.

RATING: 3.7/5.0

THIS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE REBELLION SONGS WHERE THERE SUPPOSEDLY FIGHTING SOMEONE OR SOMETHING, BUT IT’S NEVER CLARIFIED, SO WHAT IS THEIR RESISTANCE FIGHT BACK AGAINST? THE FIRST ORDER? I DON’T KNOW, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT’S MY FAVORITE SONG OFF THE ALBUM, AND GUITARS IN THIS ONE ARE GREAT, ESPECIALLY THE OUTRO RIFF AT THE END.

RATING: 4.7/5.0

ONE OF THE HEAVIEST SONGS OFF THE ALBUM, BREAKING FREE FEATURES LACEY STURM, WHO HAD ONCE BEEN THE THE SINGER FOR FLYLEAF, AND IS KNOWN FOR HER SCREAMS, DOES VOCALS ON THIS TRACK, HARMONIZING WITH DRUMMER JEN LEDGER. HOWEVER WHEN JOHN COOPER TRIES TO MIMIC LACEY’S SCREAM… IT FALLS FLAT.

RATING: 4.4/5.0

A LOVE SONG BY JOHN COOPER, WRITTEN FOR HIS WIFE, KOREY, THE GUITARIST/KEYBOARDIST IN THE BAND. TOO SLOW IN MY OPINION. IT ALSO GETS ANNOYING, DEFINITELY A DELUXE EDITION B-SIDE.

RATING: 3.0/5.0

SKILLET MADE A POP SONG… THAT’S SOMETHING I WOULD NEVER THINK I’D BE SAYING… BUT SKILLET MADE A POP SONG… AND IT SUCKS! IT’S CRINGE-WORTHY AUTOTUNE AND SELF-HARMONIES ON/BY JOHN COOPER HAS GOT TO BE THE WORST VOCAL PERFORMANCE BY THE BAND. AND I’M SAYING COMPLETELY AWARE THAT THEIR SELF-TITLED EXISTED. AND THE BRIDGE… I HAVE NO IDEA WHO IS SINGING… SHE HAS A GOOD VOICE… BUT THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE JEN LEDGER, AT ALL… BUT IT IS??? THE CHORUS IS PLAYED SO MANY TIMES IN THIS SONG IT GETS OLD EVEN FASTER THAN FEEL INVINCIBLE. I’M ACTUALLY CALLING THIS THE ABSOLUTE WORST SONG OFF THE ALBUM, CERTAINLY NOT THE WORST OF THEIR CAREER, BUT THE WORST OF THE PAST 5 YEARS FOR SURE. AT LEAST IT HAS A GOOD MESSAGE… DID ANYONE THINK OF THE SEVEN DWARFS WHEN HEARING THAT CHORUS? HEIGH-HO, HEIGH-HO, IT’S OFF TO WORK WE GO!

RATING: 2.7/5.0

THIS SONG HAS GREAT GUITAR WORK, AND IN FACT, IT’S BETTER THAN A HUGE CHUNK OF THE ALBUM. BOASTING A HUGE CHORUS AND CHOPPY ELECTRIC GUITAR RIFFS, YOU GET ME HIGH IS A DEFINITE SUCCESSOR TO BETTER THAN DRUGS, AND DESPITE IT’S MURKY MESSAGE, I MEAN IS THIS REALLY WHAT THEIR SONGWRITING SKILLS HAVE COME TO? SINGING THAT GOD APPARENTLY MAKES THEM HIGH, DOESN’T WORK WELL AT ALL… JUST SAYING, LYRICALLY, THE WORST SONG, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE MAKES UP FOR IT.

RATING: 4.2/5.0

GREAT ANTHEMIC, PUMP-UP SONG… WITH A HUGE CHORUS WITH HELD HEAVY GUITAR NOTES, HOWEVER THE DRUMS SOUND LIKE A ELECTRONIC TRACK, AND JOHN COOPER SHOUTING “NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA” HAS GOT TO BE THE WORST SONDING PART OF THE ALBUM… IF THE NA NA NA PART WASN’T IN THIS SONG MY RATING WOULD BE MUCH HIGHER.

RATING: 4.0/5.0

OVERALL, THEIR STYLE HAS OBVIOUSLY CHANGED, ADDING MORE SYNTHESIZERS AND ELECTRONIC SOUNDS INTO THE SONGS, SOME SONGS, LIKE STARS, COMPLETELY RELY ON IT. BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THEIR MORE SUCCESSFUL ALBUMS, AND THE VERY FIRST CHRISTIAN BAND AND ALBUM TO TOP BILLBOARD OVERALL ROCK CHARTS, THANKS TO FEEL INVINCIBLE.

THIS ALBUM DIDN’T HIT ME IMMEDIATELY LIKE RISE DID, SO IT DIDN’T GET MUCH IN TERMS OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS, THOUGH I STARTED LISTENING MORE AND I, OF COURSE, STARTED A FEW OF THE SONGS AND ALBUM, BUT UNLEASHED IS KIND OF A MIXED BAG, AS IT GOES UP AND DOWN AND NEVER FIXES ITSELF, UNLIKE OTHER RECENT CHRISTIAN ROCK RELEASES BY DISCIPLE, SWITCHFOOT, AND RED, AMONG OTHERS. THE BEST SONG IS DEFINITELY THE RESISTANCE, BUT THE WORST SONGS, I CAN GUARANTEE, ARE BAD SONGS, YET AGAIN, UNLIKE OTHER RECENT RELEASES AND RISE.

OVERALL ALBUM RATING: 4.0/5.0

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