Skillet Awake and Remixed EP

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by Mark Allen
Staff Writer

Skillet, who began their career in the Christian rock niche before crossing over, have always been trend-chasers rather than trendsetters. They groped at grunge, infused their sound with industrial, nibbled on nu-metal, and most recently have moved very comfortably into the modern melodic hard rock market where they have been embraced by millions thanks to their anthemic hook-drenched approach to the genre. Their last studio album, Awake, was also their most successful, so what’s a trend-savvy band to do? What so many others have done before them: release a remix album.

Well, not an album, exactly, merely an EP featuring four popular songs off Awake. Contrary to what we have come to expect when we hear the term “remix,” this is not a bunch of techno beats hammered over some song snippets that have been chopped up worse than nubile young teens in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel. No, these are full-fledged tweaks and alternative takes on well-known tracks. But rather than breathe fresh, energizing life into the songs, they merely sound…different. Not necessarily bad, but nothing that’s going to make you jump around like bullfrog on a hot griddle.

“Awake and Alive (The Quickening)” opens the EP and despite what the parenthetical subtitle says, there is nothing quick about it. The song has been slowed way down compared to the original, now driven by piano rather than guitar, with an echoic vocal effect that lends them a moody, experimental aura. While the memorable melody remains unmolested, it now slouches along at a pace that is borderline lethargic until seeing salvation in the final minute when the guitars come crashing in and whip the track furiously toward the finish line.

Skillet cooks things just right on “Hero (The Legion of Doom Remix)” and the result is the best concoction of the EP. The band nostalgically indulges in their early industrial days, sifting the song through that Nine Inch Nails/White Zombie filter, retaining the heaviness of the original while simultaneously serving up a cool new dark-edged spin. Old-school Skillet fans should love this one and in this digital age when you can download only the songs you desire, don’t be surprised if this one receives the most purchase clicks while the others are ignored like the ugly girl on prom night.

Skillet have always harbored a soft spot for a good power ballad and even on a four-track EP feel obligated to provide one. “Don’t Wake Me (Pull Remix)” fulfills that obligation and while it won’t make anyone forget the original, it does offer a moodier, more haunting feel thanks to the electronic beats and sinister synthesizers that swell during the chorus, accentuated by a sultry guitar riff.

Skillet seriously errs by slapping the worst song, “Monster (Unleash the Beast)” at the end of the EP instead of exiting on a high note. The original is a head-banging hard rocker, but here it is twisted into a boring mess. While there are distorted vocal clips from Cooper and Ledger sprinkled throughout this droning disaster, this borders on being an instrumental, with those vocals buried deep in the mix like a mangled, Auto-Tuned corpse nobody wants you to find. This leaves the electronic overload to carry the track and unfortunately it carries it right into the realm of, “I never want to hear that song again.”

As remix projects go, this is not a total loss. You get one great remix, two okay ones, and one total turd. Diehard Skillet enthusiasts will most likely experience some limited enjoyment, but if you choose to ignore this novelty project and just go back to sleep until the band’s next studio album, you’ll probably still respect yourself when you wake up.

Genre: Christian/modern hard rock

Band:
John Cooper (lead vocals, bass)
Korey Cooper (Keys, synthesizers, rhythm guitar, vocals)
Jen Ledger (drums, vocals)
Jonathan Salas (lead guitar)

Track Listing:
1. Awake and Alive (The Quickening)
2. Hero (The Legion of Doom Remix)
3. Don’t Wake Me (Pull Remix)
4. Monster (Unleash the Beast)

Label: Atlantic Records

Online: www.skillet.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 6.7/10