Skillet has become a poster child for bands that seek to appeal to a more widespread audience the further they get into their career. This has resulted in a bevy of criticism from long time fans over the years, yet has paid off for them in a huge way. So who’s correct? Maybe no one, but it’s something to ponder when going into their latest release, Unleashed.

Count me in amongst the fanbase who thinks the band peaked with their album Collide. They mix industrial with catchy loud rock tunes that seek to make you headbang. Brutally honest lyrics coupled with brutally heavy instrumentals are a nearly unstoppable combination.

So where does Unleashed fall in the Skillet paradigm? Ever since the release of Comatose, in my mind the band has struggled with writing consistently enjoyable albums. The singles are always enjoyable but the inconsistency makes the albums feel disjointed and take on a “flavor of the week” vibe. Unleashed still struggles with this, but probably the least amount since Comatose. I sense that John Cooper gathered the band in a room and told them they were going to do their best to write some loud rock songs geared toward audience participation, with a couple of ballads to keep things interesting and keep the KLOVE radio crowd happy.

“Feel Invincible,” “Back From The Dead” and “Out of Hell” are rock and roll high points for me from a pure standpoint of simply rocking out. The lyrics tend to feel a bit lazy though. “You make me feel invincible / earthquake / powerful.” “B-b-b-back-from-the-dead.” And it goes on. I suppose in the heat of the moment of the sensory overload that Skillet shows have become, one won’t be thinking about the depth of the lyrics too much, and admittedly the words have a way of getting under your skin such that it will probably maximize singing alone. For me personally it’s a distraction though. Some of the slower CCM-geared songs are rife with cliches as well.

Where Unleashed is strong is in its stance as a proper follow up to Comatose that still takes on some of the industry trends of the current day. Mild electronic elements in several of the songs hearken to Skillet’s earlier days while fitting in with some of the indie pop stylings of today. Also, some of those guitar solos are pretty darn tasty – particularly in “Feel Invincible” and “The Resistance,” which “bookend” the record.

Unleashed should fit right in to the die-hard Skillet fan’s discography, but for me I’ll probably keep it to the Spotify listening now and then.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzw6A2WC5Qo[/youtube]

Score: 3/5

Skillet: iTunes