It’s November 2006, I’m new to downstate NY and a brand new born again Christian. Totally clueless about how to read the Bible, I start at the beginning with Genesis. But what do I do about music? I love hard rock and heavy metal. Do I have to give it all up? Discovering the Christian Living Store, that is now gone, I find I can sample music there. Right off the bat, I discover Skillet’s Comatose album and I’m blown away. This is Christian music? My love of metal can still work for me? I buy the cd and instantly listen to it over and over and over again.
The opening song, Rebirthing blew my mind and still does today. The album totally worked for me. Ten years later, does Comatose still hold up? It sure does, maybe not as great as my original experience, but it’s still a game changing album. It’s symphonic metal at its best, blending hard guitar riffs with many heartfelt ballads. The album has since gone platinum and other than Stryper is the best-selling Christian rock album out there. This album took them into the stratosphere of crossover appeal. The secular world has taken notice of the band and history will show that they get better with each release. Playing both secular and Christian festivals, Skillet is a huge headlining act now.
Yes, the album still works for me. The second song, The Last Night, speaks directly to me and my own struggles with mental illness. The album is beautifully laid out. My only complaint being that there may be a few too many like sounding ballads, but I’m an 80s metal guy where that was normal.
Even today, I give this album a 4-star review. If you’re looking for something slightly heavy and a true game changer in the business of Christian music, pick this one up. It’s worth a listen. You can listen to the full album below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUrdnLLEs1I
