Reviewed by Steven Bridge

So who would have thought way back during 2000 in suburban, sleepy Sidcup (an outlying town in Greater London) from when I took my youth group along to see a loud American band playing in a dark, dingy hall, the aforementioned Skillet would emerge from the pan of local bewilderment (who are Skillet, what does Skillet mean?) to such worldwide acclaim! Well, Skillet have travelled a long and winding road since then to produce in all eight quality albums with this re-release giving the opportunity for new listeners to sample them with two great, well put-together albums for the price of one! With echoes for me of P.O.D., Red and Evanescence, Skillet deliver on both the 'Comatose' album (originally released in 2006) with standout tracks "Comatose", "Better Than Drugs", and "Last Night" showing what a great band Skillet are, not withstanding "Hero", "Awake And Alive", "Should've When You Could've", and "Forgiven" on the 'Awake' album (from 2009). Skillet has undergone several line-up changes, leaving founder John Cooper as the only original member remaining in the band in 2012 as they work on a new album. But as this bargain-priced re-issue shows, they have already produced some of Christian rock's finest moments.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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The latest in the ‘2’ series features one of Christian Rock’s best bands Skillet and their two classic CDs Comatose and Awake.

Skillet were formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1996. The band currently consists of husband and wife John (lead vocals, bass) and Korey Cooper (rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), along with Jen Ledger (drums, vocals) and lead guitarist Seth Morrison. The band has released eight albums, two receiving Grammy nominations: Collide and Comatose. Over the past 15 years, Skillet has undergone several lineup changes, leaving founder John Cooper as the only original member remaining in the band.