The Christian Manifesto

GENRE: ROCK

LABEL: INO RECORDS

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2008

RATING: 5 OUT OF 5

Nutshell Version:

Skillet’s “Comatose Comes Alive” is quite possibly the best live Christian album I’ve heard in years. Come to think of it, it may the best live rock album I’ve heard in years, sacred or secular. “Comatose Comes Alive” is definitely something you need to add to your collection. If live CD/DVD combos are going to continue to be the way the record industry adjusts to the digital age, then Skillet has definitely set the bar high for anyone coming after them.

Full Version:

This review is going to be short and sweet. Skillet’s “Comatose Comes Alive” is quite possibly the best live Christian album I’ve heard in years. Come to think of it, it may be the best live rock album I’ve heard in years, sacred or secular. All I know is the DVD portion of this CD/DVD combo is the best Christian rock concert video I’ve ever seen. From the band’s stage presence to the camera shots to the digital effects inserted on the back end of things, “Comatose Comes Alive” is simply astonishing.

The album features 15 tracks (with 5 more acoustic tracks available online) with a majority of the tracks coming from the band’s last two studio efforts, “Comatose” and “Collide.” There are one or two tracks from earlier albums, but the bulk of it comes from the band’s return to their rock sound. I won’t belabor things by talking about the songs individually. If you’ve heard either of the aforementioned albums, then you’ve heard what is presented here. This album isn’t about delivering new songs. This album is about harnessing the electric energy of Skillet’s live show.

And capture that energy is exactly what they did.

Generally speaking, something is always lost in translation between a canned experience and a live experience. One might even argue that a recorded live experience is essentially part of a larger canning process. But, vocalist John Cooper opens that can and releases a torrent of power that Skillet shows have become known for. In a way, I feel like the DVD experience is even better than actually having been there. Almost. While nothing will ever truly replace having “been there,” “Comatose Comes Alive” makes you feel as if you actually are part of the audience…closer even.

An added bonus to the show is the band’s inclusion of a cellist and violinist on the tour, as both “Collide” and “Comatose” featured a fair bit of strings to back their rock sound. It helped keep their sound authentic and definitely lent itself to the more ominous side of some of their songs.

“Comatose Comes Alive” is definitely something you need to add to your collection. If live CD/DVD combos are going to continue to be the way the record industry adjusts to the digital age, then Skillet has definitely set the bar high for anyone coming after them.

Track Listing

1.     Intro

2.     Comatose

3.     Whispers in the Dark

4.     Collide

5.     Forsaken

6.     The Older I Get

7.     The Last Night

8.     Better Than Drugs

9.     Those Nights

10.  Yours To Hold

11.  Rebirthing

12.  My Obsession

13.  Angels Fall Down

14.  Savior

15.  Best Kept Secret