Comatose is the sixth studio album by American Christian rock band Skillet. Released on October 3, 2006, by Lava Records, Ardent Records and Atlantic Records,[1] this album continued a similar music style set by the band's 2003 album, Collide, of downplaying the keyboard elements that were prominent in previous releases in favor of distorted guitars, and included more of an emphasis on orchestral elements. Comatose was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 3, 2009, their first album to do so,[2] and has since gone platinum, selling over 1,000,000 copies as of May 20, 2016.[3] A deluxe edition of the album was released on December 26, 2007, and a live DVD of their headlining tour in support of the record was released in fall 2008. Comatose was nominated for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008.[4]
Comatose | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 3, 2006 | |||
Recorded | February – April 2006 | |||
Studio | Chicago Recording Company (Chicago, Illinois) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 41:33[1] | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Skillet chronology | ||||
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Skillet studio albums chronology | ||||
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Singles from Comatose | ||||
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Deluxe Edition | ||||
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This is the last album drummer Lori Peters recorded with the band, who later left in 2008.
Reception
editReview scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [5] |
Christianity Today | [6] |
Cross Rhythms | [7] |
Jesus Freak Hideout | [1] |
IGN | (5.0/10)[8] |
The Phantom Tollbooth | [9] |
Comatose has mainly received positive reviews. AllMusic praised its unique mixture of instruments, saying, "When guitar progressions meet piano nuances, special things happen with this band."[5] Jesusfreakhideout.com also gave the album a high rating; "Filled with big songs from beginning to end, Comatose relies on more theatrics to build their sound while delivering substance at the same time."[1] Christianity Today, while mostly giving the album positive remarks, felt that the ballads were a bit too pop-oriented compared to the heavier songs. They also found some of the lyrics to be generic.[6] IGN.com gave the album a mixed review, commenting, "This may play well within that niche market of Christian music, as many of the traditional listeners eschew 'secular' radio. But anyplace else, this album will be ignored by the masses, as it's all been done before in one way or the other."[8]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by John L. Cooper
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Rebirthing[a]" | John L. Cooper, Brian Howes | 3:53 |
2. | "The Last Night[a]" | Cooper, Howes | 3:32 |
3. | "Yours to Hold[a]" | Cooper, Howes | 3:42 |
4. | "Better than Drugs[a]" | Cooper, Howes | 3:57 |
5. | "Comatose[a]" | Cooper, Howes | 3:50 |
6. | "The Older I Get[a]" | Cooper, Howes | 3:38 |
7. | "Those Nights[a]" | Cooper | 3:46 |
8. | "Falling Inside the Black" | Cooper | 3:30 |
9. | "Say Goodbye" | Cooper | 4:16 |
10. | "Whispers in the Dark[a]" | Cooper, Howes | 3:24 |
11. | "Looking for Angels" | Cooper | 4:31 |
Total length: | 41:33 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Live Free or Let Me Die" | 3:52 |
13. | "Rebirthing (Acoustic version)" | 3:54 |
14. | "Yours to Hold (Acoustic version)" | 3:44 |
15. | "The Older I Get (Acoustic version)" | 3:27 |
16. | "Whispers in the Dark (Acoustic version)" | 3:25 |
17. | "Say Goodbye (Acoustic version)" | 4:12 |
- a Live recording appears on Comatose Comes Alive (2008)
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Rebirthing (Music Video)" | 4:00 |
2. | "Whispers in the Dark (Music Video)" | 3:22 |
3. | "The Older I Get (Music Video)" | 3:41 |
4. | "Looking for Angels (Music Video)" | 4:34 |
Singles
edit- "Rebirthing" - RIAA: Gold[10]
- "Whispers in the Dark" - RIAA: Platinum[10]
- "The Older I Get"
- "The Last Night" - RIAA: Gold[10]
- "Comatose" - RIAA: Platinum[10]
- "Live Free or Let Me Die"
- "Those Nights"
- "Better than Drugs"
Personnel
editSkillet
- John L. Cooper – vocals, acoustic piano, guitars, bass guitar, additional string arrangements
- Korey Cooper – keyboards, acoustic piano, programming, guitars, vocals, additional string arrangements
- Ben Kasica – guitars
- Lori Peters – drums
Additional musicians
- Brian Howes – additional guitars, additional vocals
- Paul Buckmaster – string arrangements and conductor (1, 3)
- Suzie Katayama – string contractor (1, 3)
Technical personnel
- Zachary Kelm – executive producer, management
- John Cooper – producer
- Brian Howes – producer
- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing at Resonate Sound (Burbank, California) (1, 3, 6, 9, 13, 14, 15, 17)
- David Bottrill – mixing at Metalworks Studios (Toronto, Canada) (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 16)
- Richard Chycki – mixing (12)
- Jay Van Poederooyen – engineer, Pro Tools editing
- David Rieley – assistant engineer
- Sean Geyer – second assistant engineer
- Chris Crerar - assistant engineer, Metalworks Studios (Toronto, Canada)
- Andy VanDette – mastering at Masterdisk (New York, NY)
- Mark "Patch" Patchel – drum tech
- Andy Karp – A&R
- Kevin Tully – A&R coordination
- Jeff Gros – photography
- Josh Horton – design
- Invisible Creature, Inc. – art direction
- Gregg Nadel – product management
Charts
editChart (2006–2008) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200[11] | 55 |
US Christian Albums (Billboard)[12] | 4 |
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[13] | 24 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[14] | 19 |
Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[15] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Awards
editIn 2007, the album was nominated for a Dove Award for Rock Album of the Year at the 38th GMA Dove Awards.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b c d DiBiase, John (September 25, 2006). "Skillet, "Comatose" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ https://www.grammy.com/artists/skillet/14706 [bare URL]
- ^ a b Losey, Stebe. Comatose at AllMusic. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ a b Breimeier, Russ. "Comatose, Music review". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ "Skillet – Comatose". Cross Rhythms Magazine. Cross Rhythms. March 28, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Thompson, Ed (October 10, 2006). "Skillet - Comatose review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ Avants, Jonathan. "A Review of The Phantom Tollbooth". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "American certifications – Skillet". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
- ^ "Skillet Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ "Skillet Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ "Skillet Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ^ "Skillet Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ "American album certifications – Skillet – Comatose". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ 38th Annual GMA Awards Archived April 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine on About.com