Scene · 1995–2010
Skillet
Skillet grew out of a Memphis church side project in 1996. Awake debuted at No. 2 in 2009, and the band has sold more than 12 million units.
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Skillet began in 1996 as a side project at Covenant Community Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Singer and bassist John Cooper had fronted the progressive rock band Seraph, and guitarist Ken Steorts had played in Urgent Cry. When both bands broke up, their pastor pushed them to start something new. He named it too. He said they were like southern cooking, "where you just toss a bunch of different things into a big ol' skillet and see what it turns out like."
The early lineups
They'd been together only a month when ForeFront Records came calling. The self-titled debut came out on 29 October 1996, with Trey McClurkin on drums and a grunge sound. Hey You, I Love Your Soul (1998) traded the grunge for lighter alternative rock with an industrial edge. Cooper's wife, Korey, joined on keyboards, at first just for live shows and then full time.
Steorts left in 1999 to be with his family and start Visible Music College. McClurkin went soon after, and Lori Peters took over on drums. Invincible (2000) leaned electronic. By the time Alien Youth arrived in 2001, Ben Kasica was on guitar.
Collide, Comatose and Awake
Collide came out on Ardent Records in 2003. Lava, an Atlantic imprint, bought it and put it out again in 2004. It was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Gospel Album, and Cooper credited P.O.D. with inspiring its heavier sound.
Comatose followed on 3 October 2006 and debuted at No. 55 on the Billboard 200. Its singles included "Rebirthing" and "Whispers in the Dark," and it earned the band a second Grammy nomination. Peters retired from the road at the end of 2007, but first she trained the drummer who replaced her, Jen Ledger.
Awake came out on 25 August 2009. It sold about 68,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, tying the record for the highest-charting Christian album there. It shared that mark with Underoath's Define the Great Line and Casting Crowns' The Altar and the Door. "Monster" and "Hero" ended up in WWE events and NFL promos, and by 2016 "Monster" was being called the biggest digital single in Christian music history. Comatose, Awake and Unleashed have all gone platinum or better with the RIAA.
The Atlantic years and after
Seth Morrison took over lead guitar from Kasica in 2011. Rise (2013) debuted at No. 4, and Unleashed (2016), Victorious (2019) and Dominion (2022) followed. Dominion was the band's last album with Atlantic, after twenty years together. Revolution came out in 2024 on Skillet's own label, Hear It Loud. Billboard reported in 2019 that the band had sold more than 12 million units worldwide. John Cooper is the only founding member still in it.
Church roots
Skillet grew out of a church worship project and has always called itself a Christian rock band. They've headlined the Christian Winter Jam tour several times. They've also toured with secular rock bands like Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace and Shinedown.
The arena end of the scene
Skillet is the arena-sized end of this scene. They're lighter than the Solid State bands and closer to hard rock. Comatose got their big, symphonic guitar sound onto mainstream rock radio, and Awake took it to No. 2 on the album chart. Songkick ranked them among the hardest-working touring bands of 2010.
