Every successful band has its hits. Fans have naturally come to accept that. This means there will unavoidably be "deeper cuts" that are mostly only known by die-hard fans. With the release of the new album Revolution upon us, I'm looking at some of the most overlooked songs in the famous rock band Skillet's discography since they went national with Collide. These songs may not have received the commercial acclaim that the band's more popular tracks enjoy, but they still resonate deeply and deserve a spot on your playlist. For this list, I'm focusing exclusively on songs from the main release of the album that I feel have been overlooked and not B-sides exclusive to Deluxe Editions. (Those gems are a list unto themselves.)
"Imperfection"
Buried in the back half of the band's album Collide, this dark song confession of self-loathing over our failures is lyrically one of Skillet's rawest hits. The song's slow build into a gritty rock-hard hitter is more subdued amidst Collide's more immediate loud, in-your-face rockers. It was never released as a single and only saw limited play in their setlists. But it's arguably one of the worthiest inclusions on Skillet's breakout album. While "Savior" or "Forsaken" may have left the most significant legacy, don't sleep on "Imperfection."
"Falling Inside The Black"
Skillet's album Comatose was a massive success for the band. Over half of the album was released to radio as singles (most of which went number one on one format or another). Even more of the album was played live for several years, including on the band's live album Comatose Comes Alive. Alas, one song in particular tends to get lost in the shuffle. "Falling Inside The Black" was another of the band's honest looks at interior darkness and the need to be saved. It played like the first half thematically of the band's more iconic "Whispers in the Dark." Coming out before Christian artist and drummer Jen Ledger joined the band, it features supporting vocals from band member Korey Cooper. Add a soaring guitar solo, which makes for all the signature ingredients for a Skillet classic. Yet, the song wasn't chosen as a single and only played live by lead vocalist John Cooper's harder-edged side project, Fight the Fury. While Comatose's more well-known hits vastly overshadow it, this one is worth checking out.
"Sometimes"
Awake was the album that cemented Skillet's commercial success for years. Its trio of big hits in "Hero," "Monster," and "Awake and Alive" still casts a long shadow on the band's setlists. And even some of the supporting songs found their way to radio success. "Sometimes" was the only full-on rocker from the album to not be released to rock radio. To its credit, it briefly featured in their setlist during Awake's touring cycle. But overall, it seems forgotten by all but the most die-hard Skillet fans, which is a shame. Like others on this list, the lyrics are a raw and honest look at human sinfulness and the need for a savior. While these lyrics may have contributed to the song being less commercially appealing than the band's victory anthems, the grittier approach has made this one a standout among the deeper cuts.
"Salvation"
This one is a bit of a puzzle to me. When Skillet's album Rise was first released, this track seemed destined to be a significant hit. The song's interlude and softer introduction transitioned into the band's signature orchestral rock sound, suggesting it would be a strong candidate for radio play. It's the only Skillet song where Jen Ledger takes over the song's lead vocals, with John Cooper serving the more supporting role Ledger usually plays. Overall, the song is a fine standout on the Rise and is the climactic turning point in the album's "concept" story. And yet, it wasn't played live or released as a single. For all the buildup to it, it felt like something changed somewhere along the way. But for those who listen to the entirety of the band's albums, this one remains an underappreciated classic.
"Out of Hell"
I could make a case for a few songs on Unleashed being underappreciated, but I feel "Out of Hell" is the most egregious. The intro to this song was the first taste of the album we were given, released as a teaser before any full song dropped. The song was also briefly in the band's setlist in the early touring cycle of the album. And then it was dropped, and more or less, it hasn't been heard from since. It's a shame since the song is one of the band's best. Hard-hitting with a juicy guitar solo and one of the band's strongest choruses, the song is both catchy and heavy. The darker themes are portrayed honestly. This one had all the makings of becoming one of the album's most enduring songs. That it's relegated to the back half is a big disappointment.
"Valley of Death"
I'm skipping Victorious on this list. While the album overall is a bit weaker, the band gave many of these songs reasonable chances to become more classic than the albums before and after it.
Dominion, on the other hand, is another story. This is the band's overall strongest collection of songs since Comatose, yet it feels like almost the entire album has been overlooked. I could make a strong case for just about any of the songs to be included here. I even toyed with listing "Beyond Incredible" as my choice from Dominion as it's a Top 5 Skillet song for me and has all the ingredients of a Skillet hit.
Instead, I'm choosing the sole ballad inclusion on this list, "Valley of Death." Skillet is known for its rockers, but many of its ballads received a lot of love on Christian radio. This one seemed a prime candidate to do the same. Opening with one of the most peaceful and reverent Skillet melodies in years, the song felt almost hymnlike. While it sings of loneliness and pain, the chorus ultimately points to the truth that "I am not alone in the valley of death." The song's simplicity explodes in the bridge into an epic full-band breakdown. John Cooper gives one of the best vocal performances of his career. Everything is firing on all cylinders. This would've been a fantastic moment in a live set. Sadly, it wasn't to be. This treat will be reserved for those who dig deeper into Dominion's tracklist.
"Fire Inside of Me"
It's too early to say which Revolution songs might be overlooked. I want to see the band's newly independent status lead to more freedom in promoting songs that haven't been released as singles. The best songs from this new project aren't those initially chosen as singles, so I can see some new tracks becoming best-kept secrets in the band's catalog.
One such song is "Fire Inside of Me." It's got "classic Skillet" written all over it. It's got the dueling vocals between John Cooper and Jen Ledger. It even employs orchestral strings. Not to mention one of the album's strongest, most introspective choruses. Declaring, "I want to save the world/but I can't even save myself," the song probes some deep and introspective territory. Sadly, it feels like this one may become the next neglected song. It received minimal mention in prerelease promotion, with most attention on the lead three singles. Of the songs that remain, I would imagine songs like the title track will probably be talked about some. "Not Afraid" could join this list, but the song's heaviness could lead to it getting more love than this. And checking similar "classic Skillet" boxes, I could see that song overshadowing this one. It would be a shame, as it's a highlight of the delightful new album.
But here's hoping I'm wrong and these new songs are given the proper chance to become classics in their own right. Skillet is a very talented band with decades of history behind them. While it's terrific to appreciate their contributions to the list of rock songs that will one day be viewed as classics, some of the best material they've ever penned are among the "deeper cuts" that those who know them only by their radio hits might not be familiar with. Maybe this article can be a jumping point for fixing that if you've not familiarized yourself with the band's greater body of work.
J.J. Francesco is a longtime contributor to the NRT Staff. He's published the novel 'Because of Austin' and regularly seeks new ways to engage faith, life, and community. His new novel, 'When Miracles Can Dream,' is out NOW!
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